19 Unexpected Ways To Use Orange Juice In The Kitchen

Many people enjoy sipping a cold glass of orange juice alongside their breakfast. But there are many uses for orange juice that do not involve drinking it. This refreshing beverage can be incorporated into a variety of recipes. You can even use it for cleaning-related tasks.

There are a few reasons why orange juice lends itself to so many different applications. First, it is naturally sweet. The sugars in orange juice typically come from fruit, rather than added sugar, according to Eating Well. Added sugar should be consumed in moderation, explains Harvard. Thus, using orange juice is a convenient way for you to limit your intake of added sugar while also adding sweetness to different dishes. Orange juice is also acidic. This means that it can break down some of the proteins in poultry, fish, or meat, leaving you with a fork-tender meal. Keep reading to discover even more ways this versatile drink can come in handy.

Orange juice can serve as the base when making a marinade for fish, chicken, and other types of meat. The juice's acidity helps to soften the meat, making it extra tender. Be careful not to let the meat marinate for too long — it can become too tender that it becomes mushy and unappetizing.

When preparing an orange juice marinade, add some seasonings to give it more flavor, such as Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, and oregano. If you want to up the heat a bit, consider adding hot sauce or sliced jalapeño pieces.

Upgrade the next ham you cook with an orange juice glaze. Combining orange juice, brown sugar, ground mustard, and some orange zest will help create an especially flavorful dish.

You want to give the ham some time to cook with the glaze over it. However, don't leave the glaze on the entire baking time, as this could dry out the meat. Plan to use a basting brush to glaze the ham for the final 45 minutes that it will be in the oven. The blend of orange juice and brown sugar offers a sweet and tangy flavor that complements your ham. You can also try this glaze over pork roasts or other cuts of meat.

Adding orange juice to scrambled eggs may seem like a strange piece of advice. However, you can use this juice to add a satisfying sweetness to your eggs, without negatively impacting their texture.

Additionally, citrus fruits — like oranges — can cause you to salivate. The more you're salivating, the better your meal tastes. Thus, adding orange juice to your eggs will not only make them more mouthwatering but also more flavorful. We recommend adding a splash to your bowl of eggs, whisking it all together, then adding the mixture to your frying pan.

Try substituting orange juice for water the next time you make a cake. This will help your baked good come out surprisingly moist and flavorful. Try this hack with yellow, white, or angel food cake recipes — these will provide a mild base that won't clash with your orange juice.

This trick is especially useful if the recipe you're following calls for orange extract. Rather than spending money on something that you probably won't use again, you can achieve similar results with this easy swap. Additionally, you can use orange juice in place of water if you want a more intense orange flavor in your cake. If you'd like only a hint of orange in each bite, then only replace half the water with orange juice.

While frozen popsicles are a classic summer treat, many of the options you'll find at the grocery store are full of added sweeteners and artificial ingredients. If you're looking for a healthier option, consider making ice pops using orange juice. 

You'll still get the refreshing treat that you're craving, but you won't need to worry about questionable ingredients being in there. You can freeze the orange juice by itself, or you can make it more interesting by dropping some fresh fruit — such as strawberries, mango, or pineapple — into your popsicle molds before pouring in the juice.

Orange juice can also be a good substitute for milk when preparing overnight oats. Traditionally, the oats are soaked in milk or yogurt overnight, allowing them to soften up and be ready to enjoy the next morning. But if you like orange juice, this beverage can be used to soak your oats instead. It will accomplish the goal of letting the oats soften while also providing instant flavor. 

Alternatively, you can use a combination of orange juice and milk to keep the oats nice and creamy. You can eat the oats the next morning as is, or you can consider mixing in other ingredients like berries, shredded coconut, dried cranberries, dried apricots, almonds, and walnuts.

Have you ever noticed the tiny brown bits that remain in the pan after searing a steak or cooking some pork chops? These are referred to as fond – and they are not just burnt bits that you want to discard. In fact, these pieces of residue are packed with flavor that you don't want to miss out on.

To take advantage of your fond, you can deglaze the cookware and make a sauce to top the steak, pork chops, or other meat that you just cooked. After removing the meat from the pan, add about ¼ cup of orange juice to the hot pan. As it sizzles, it will release the brown bits. Use a spoon to stir them and the orange juice around, and then pour the resulting sauce over your meat.

You can try cooking rice in orange juice to elevate the typically bland side dish that is steamed rice. Consider adding some seasonings — such as dried celery, thyme, parsley, or onion powder — to the pot to impart even more flavor.

As always when cooking white rice, you need to follow the ratio of two parts liquid to one part rice. If you're making brown rice, you'll need an additional 1/4 cup of liquid for each cup of rice. While you could replace all of the liquid with orange juice, it might yield too strong of a flavor. Instead, we recommend replacing only about half of the water with orange juice. 

To pickle foods, you need an acidic brine – usually made from a combination of vinegar, salt, and sugar. When foods (usually vegetables) are placed in this acidic brine and left sealed in a sealed jar, they eventually become pickled.

Vinegar is the most common acidic liquid used to pickle vegetables, but orange juice is acidic enough that it will work too. If you want to experiment with pickling vegetables using orange juice, red onions are a great place to start. Use the onions pickled in orange juice to top some tacos or add them to a salad.