What Goes With Orange? 26 Best Flavour Pairings

Orange goes best with rich meats like duck and pork, warm spices like clove and star anise, and sweet partners like vanilla, honey and chocolate. Its bright juice cuts fat, while its fragrant zest lifts earthy vegetables, nuts and dark flavours.

Spices

• Clove — clove's warmth deepens orange's brightness in mulled drinks, hams and baking.
• Star anise — sweet liquorice warmth that suits orange in braises and syrups.
• Cardamom — orange highlights cardamom's floral, eucalyptus-like notes in cakes and rice.
• Cinnamon — the cosy partner for orange in winter baking and mulled wine.
• Coriander seed — shares citrusy linalool with orange, so each echoes the other.
• Fennel seed — its sweet aniseed aroma rounds out orange in rubs and breads.
• Ginger — sharp heat and sweet citrus lift each other in stir-fry sauces and gingerbread.

Herbs

• Mint — cool and fresh, perfect with orange segments in fruit salads and drinks.
• Rosemary — piney rosemary and orange zest make a fragrant roast chicken or olive oil cake.

Proteins

• Duck — orange's acid slices through duck's rich fat; the famous duck à l'orange.
• Pork shoulder — orange juice and slow-cooked pork are the base of carnitas.
• Salmon — a quick orange glaze caramelises beautifully on oily fish.
• Black beans — sweet acid brightens earthy beans, as in Cuban-style pots.

Vegetables & Sides

• Beet — bright orange balances beets' earthy sweetness in salads.
• Fennel bulb — shaved fennel and orange segments are a crisp, refreshing Sicilian-style salad.
• Carrot — orange glaze highlights carrots' natural sweetness.
• Olive — sweet citrus against salty, bitter olives is a Mediterranean favourite.
• Scotch bonnet — orange juice's sweetness matches the chilli's fruity heat in Caribbean marinades.

Nuts & Seeds

• Almond — orange and almond cake is a classic for good reason.
• Hazelnut — zest lifts rich, toasted hazelnut in biscotti and praline.
• Pistachio — bright citrus and green, buttery pistachio look and taste great together.
• Pecan — orange zest cuts pecan's buttery sweetness in pies and breads.

Sweet Things

• Vanilla — vanilla's creamy perfume rounds out sharp citrus oils.
• Cocoa — orange's limonene brightens chocolate's dark richness.
• Honey — floral honey and orange make glossy glazes and syrups.
• Coffee — bright orange oils contrast coffee's dark roast in desserts and drinks.

Classic combos

• Duck + orange + star anise — the French bistro classic with a warm spiced edge.
• Orange + chocolate + hazelnut — a rich dessert trio for cakes, tarts and truffles.
• Orange + fennel + olive — a bright, salty Sicilian salad.
• Pork + orange + black beans — a Cuban-style plate of carnitas-style pork with citrusy beans.
• Orange + almond + cardamom — a fragrant, flourless cake that tastes like sunshine.

Pairings to avoid

• Dairy and hot juice — acidic orange juice can curdle milk or light cream in hot sauces; use heavy cream or add juice off the heat.
• Long-cooked zest — the fresh aroma fades with long simmering; add some zest at the end.
• Too much pith — the white layer is bitter, so it can spoil delicate desserts; zest lightly.

Chef Fizz's pairing tip

Zest before you juice. The oils in the peel carry most of the flavour, so a teaspoon of zest often does more than half a cup of juice.