20 Orange Recipes To Brighten Your Day

Liven up dreary winter days with the season's brightest ingredient. If you love zingy citrus dishes, now is the time to make these easy meals, desserts and cocktails that are packed with fresh orange flavor. Whether you prefer navel, Mandarin or blood oranges, we've got recipes for you to try.

First up, orange-cranberry glazed Cornish hens. This recipe serves 6–8 people and looks impressive on a platter, making it ideal for guests. The meat is brushed with herb-garlic butter before roasting and finished with irresistible orange-cranberry sauce that's sure to please a crowd.

If you have a bounty of extra oranges and a hankering for something sweet, this pound cake is for you. With a whopping six oranges in the ingredient list, this recipe makes two standard loaf cakes — so you can satisfy your sweet tooth and still have plenty to share.

Stir things up with this orange-ginger take on beef stir-fry, which uses orange juice for a touch of sweetness (instead of the usual honey or brown sugar). This easy dinner is on the table in 20 minutes.

There's fresh orange juice in the glaze and the mojo in this grilled pork dish. The result: It's a little bit sweet, a little bit spicy and full of bright, citrus flavor.

If you love the tangy taste of a lemon bar, don't skip this orange version. With a buttery crust and a sweet and tart filling — plus a generous dusting of powdered sugar — a batch of these bars won't last long.

Roasted rainbow carrots look as good as they taste. Tossed with the orange zest, orange juice and fleur de sel, this side dish is bursting with flavor.

Blood orange juice gives this tasty cocktail its gorgeous color — and its tart flavor. We'll drink to that!

Give a simple side of rice a fresh twist with orange zest and green onion. You can pair this rice with just about anything but the the citrusy flavor is really nice alongside a smoky, grilled main.

If Creamsicles were your favorite summer treat as a kid, you have to try this homemade version. Vanilla bean ice cream and orange juice give it the classic taste you know (and love), while strawberries and limes add a fresh, zesty kick.

This satisfying meal uses three different types of citrus. Blood oranges have a subtle floral flavor, which helps cut through the sweetness of the navel oranges and orange juice, bringing balance to the dish.

Removing the individual segments from the oranges requires a bit of extra work, but we promise it's worth the effort. Their juicy sweetness is the perfect foil to buttery scallops and tingly jalapeno. Better yet, this impressive dinner is ready to serve in just 30 minutes. That's a weeknight win!

You may not be able to see it, but this coffee cake has plenty of zing. There's orange zest is in the crumbs and an orange juice-based glaze drizzled on top.

You can't go wrong pairing citrus with salmon. In this dish, orange marmalade and fresh-squeezed juice make this salmon dish sing with citrus flavor. Since oranges are sweeter than some other types of citrus (like lemon or lime), the marmalade and juice also help balance the heat of the ginger.

You'll have to make the sugared cranberries and syrup in advance, but this zesty marg is worth the extra effort. Bonus: You can store the leftover syrup in the refrigerator for up to 1 month to mix up other cocktails and mocktails.

Everything you love about Italian porchetta — fennel, rosemary, garlic and orange — is in this show-stopping turkey dish.

With sweet and tart orange custard on top and a rich chocolate crust on the bottom, this dessert is ideal for lovers of the classic orange-and-chocolate combo. These are perfect with or without the candied orange peels on top.

This bright pork dish is inspired by a classic Yucatán meal with Mayan origins. Serve it on a platter with charred onion, radishes, avocado slices and cilantro.

Don't let the name fool you. There's plenty of orange-y goodness in this refreshing hard lemonade. The recipe calls for fresh-squeezed juice from one large orange, plus another whole orange sliced up as a garnish.

The honey syrup in this baklava recipe is loaded with orange flavor — from zest and juice — for a fresh take on a classic.