International Dateline Chicken

This is another recipe from the Cook's Country Best Lost Suppers cookbook. It's sweet and savory and I love the dates in the dish! I used 4 boneless, skinless, whole chicken breasts and cut my browning time to about 7 minutes and simmer time to about 15 minutes. You can save even more time if you're using chicken breast halves.

International Dateline Chicken
4 (12-ounce) bone-in, skin-on split chicken breasts, trimmed
Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine
1/2 cup minced onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp cornstarch
3/4 cup pitted dates, finely chopped
1 (11-ounce) can Mandarin oranges, drained
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley


1. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 1/2 tsps of the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook the chicken until golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer the chicken to a plate and remove the skin.

2. Heat the remaining 1 1/2 tsp oil in the pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the bell pepper, onion, and 1/2 tsp salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and curry powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth, scraping up any browned bits.

3. Return the chicken breasts, along with any accumulated juices, to the pot. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until the thickest part of the breasts registers 160 to 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and tent loosely with foil.

4. Mix the orange juice and cornstarch together in a bowl. Add the juice mixture and the dates to the pot and cook, stirring constantly until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the oranges and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.