26 Sweet and Savory Orange Recipes That Highlight Our Favorite Versatile Fruit (2024)

The exact origin of "Chinese Chicken Salad" is unknown. However, legend has it that it was invented in the 1960s at Madam Wu's in Los Angeles because Cary Grant requested it. Sunset magazine published a recipe in 1970, and Wolfgang Puck created his own version of it in the 80's. We're suckers for the syrupy sweetness you get from a can of mandarin oranges, but fresh mandarin oranges (aka clementines) will add the perfect pop of brightness to your salad too.

Get the Crunchy Mandarin Orange-Chicken Salad recipe.

This baked orange chicken is just as delicious and savory-sweet as a fried orange chicken, without the added effort or hot oil. Serve along fluffy white rice and some delicious broccoli or bok choy for a fantastic weeknight meal.

Get the Baked Orange Chicken recipe.

This citrus salmon has tons of flavor from simple ingredients. Here we used oranges and limes, but use lemons, grapefruits, and blood oranges if you have them. As the salmon bakes the juices start to turn into a syrupy sauce thanks to the honey and creates a perfect glaze over the salmon.

Get the Jalapeño Citrus Salmon recipe.

To bring that sweet and tangy flavor you can only find in fresh citrus, squeezing juice from fresh oranges is a must for mimosas! As far as variety, go for whatever you love to eat. Navel is the most classic, but no reason not to experiment—aromatic navel oranges, sweet Cara Caras, or crimson blood oranges could be fun (or mix them!).

Get the Classic Mimosa recipe.

We used slices from navel, blood orange, Cara Cara oranges, grapefruit, and lemons, but really any of your favorite citrus can be used for this stunner of a cake. There's nothing extra complicated here, but the extra effort of slicing citrus and fanning them out in the bottom of the cake pans is SO worth it. Do your best to really fill the entire bottom with fruit, trimming slices and overlapping slices as you need.

Get the Citrus Upside Down Cake recipe.

We provide both traditional instructions (cooked in citrus) and poaching options, so you can choose how you prefer to cook the shrimp. No need to be suspect of the traditional way, though—people have been making ceviche that way for thousands of years.

Get the Shrimp Ceviche recipe.

This salad is one of our favorite ways to enjoy halloumi cheese. It has crunchy fennel (or sub celery if you like), juicy orange segments, creamy avocado, crispy fried pita, and a simple herb-packed dressing that ties it all together. It's is a full-blown MEAL, perfect for those days when you just can't bring yourself to turn the oven on.

Get the Halloumi Salad recipe.

Don’t be shy about the amount of butter and brown sugar that goes into these candied carrots: Decadence is the goal here. If you’ve grown tired of candied yams and sweet potatoes, these make a delicious side for any holiday meal, especially ones featuring a juicy rib roast and fluffy mashed potatoes.

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Developed in Ocean City at the Harborside Bar & Grill, it’s no wonder this refreshing summer co*cktail has found popularity outside of Maryland’s borders. Intensely juicy and citrus-forward, the drink was originally made with orange-flavored vodka and orange juice. Plain vodka works well too, and if you like you can up the flavor ante with a few dashes of orange bitters instead.

Get the Orange Crush co*cktail recipe.

Marinated thighs get roasted right alongside Brussels sprouts making it one of our favorite low effort chicken weeknight dinners with a very high reward. Reserve some of the marinade to brush over the chicken towards the end of baking: It makes a sweet, sticky, and downright irresistible glaze.

Get the Sheet Pan Citrus-Glazed Chicken recipe.

Simple to make and easily modified, frozen granita is perfect on its own as a light palate cleanser or dressed up with whipped cream and toppings. We think mandarin oranges are a particularly good pairing with pineapple, as they are on the sweeter end of the orange spectrum, with lots of complex vanilla-y flavor. That said, any variety of orange will do the trick here, from navel oranges to blood oranges.

Get the Granita recipe.

Whether a creamy fruit salad horrifies you or makes you want to dig in immediately, Ambrosia salad's a classic for a reason. It's been around since the 1800s, when citrus fruit first became available more prevalently in the U.S. The more you know!

Get the Ambrosia Salad recipe.

This orange chicken is about to become one of your weeknight dinner favorites. Our version of the Chinese-American staple is pan- fried, which saves you time and energy, but is every bit as satisfying as from your favorite takeout spot.

Get the Sticky Orange Chicken recipe.

If you've never had olive oil based dessert, this citrusy, tender cake is a great place to start. Lemon and orange zest and juice play super well with the grassy, bright flavors of olive oil. If you don't have cake flour on hand, here's a tip: whisk 1/4 cup of cornstarch with 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour as a substitute.

Get the Citrus Olive Oil Cake recipe.

Creamsicles are one of the most underrated ice cream treats—tart orange is the perfect partner for creamy, rich vanilla. These'll take you back to being a kid again.

Get the Creamsicle Milkshakes recipe.

Orange marmalade is an acquired taste. Unlike strawberry jam and blueberry jam, there is a bitter curve to citrus marmalade due to the inclusion of the peel. To minimize bitterness, use a mix of orange citrus fruits that include thinner-skinned varieties like tangerines, clementines, and mandarins. If using thicker-skinned varieties like blood orange, navel, or Cara Cara, you can decrease bitterness by trimming away and discarding the white pith where most of the fruit’s bitterness lies.

Get the Orange Marmalade recipe.

Weekends don't really begin until the mimosas have been made and now they won't end until a mimosa cupcake has been eaten for dessert. Hot tip: These are great way to finish off an opened bottle of champagne, or use up one that's not so lovely for drinking.

Get the Mimosa Cupcakes recipe.

When it comes to dinner-worthy salads, this one takes the cake. The mandarin oranges give it a burst of freshness while the Parmesan gives it a bite of sharpness and nuttiness. Its homemade poppy seed vinaigrette (super-simple!) is unbelievably addicting—you'll want to put it on everything.

Get the Mandarin Orange Salad recipe.

You already know about chocolate-covered strawberries, but have you tried chocolate-dipped oranges? Don't skip the sprinkle of flaky sea salt—it takes these next level.

Get the Chocolate Cuties recipe.

These pecans are our #1: SUPER spiced, crunchy, sweet, and salty. They're great eaten by the handful, as an accompaniment to a cheese board, or wrapped up and given away as gifts!

Get the Candied Pecans recipe.