Citrus Recipes That Really Pop With Flavor

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com
Updated February 18, 2020

The bright flavor of lemons, limes, grapefruits and other citrus gives a sweet-tart tang to our main dish, side dish, drink and dessert recipes. Just one squeeze can transform a recipe!

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Key Lime Coconut Cake with Marshmallow Frosting

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Billowy Meringue Frosting tops a moist and buttery lime-flecked cake whose subtle coconut flavor comes from canned cream of coconut.

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Preserved Lemons

Credit: Brie Passano
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Karen Bell, chef and owner of Bavette La Boucherie in Milwaukee, uses these in her Chicken Tagine, but preserved lemons go anywhere you want a kicked-up version of lemon. Try them in braised meat dishes, rice pilaf, salads, pasta dishes, and even cocktails.

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Orange Shrimp with Zucchini Fritters

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A colorful, healthy dinner of shrimp and vegetable fritters includes dipping sauce with Greek yogurt and orange-ginger flavoring.

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Hint-of-Orange Pancakes with Grapefruit Syrup

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This recipe couldn't be simpler! Just simmer grapefruit slices in maple syrup for a delicious, rosy compote to serve over waffles, French toast, crepes-or these subtly orange-flavored pancakes.

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Lemon Posset

Credit: Blaine Moats
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This brilliant (and totally old-school) British dessert uses just heat and kitchen magic to turn lemon and cream into luscious pudding.

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Grapefruit and Kiwifruit Salad

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Homemade Grapefruit Vinaigrette tops a juicy salad of grapefruit sections, kiwifruit, sliced fennel and crumbled bacon.

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Pepper-Lime Shrimp and Grits

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Mexican flavors give a fresh twist to this classic Southern dish. Best of all, each serving has only 382 calories!

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Eggs Benedict with Maltaise Sauce

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What's Maltaise Sauce, you ask? It's just hollandaise sauce with a bit of orange zest and juice added. But you wouldn't believe how that bit of zing transforms this brunch standard.

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Grapefruit-Avocado Salsa

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This refreshing salsa is a great topper for pan-seared or grilled chicken breasts, pork chops or even fish. (Try it in tacos!)

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Lemony Green Beans

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Garlic, shallots and lemon brighten crisp-tender beans. Save time by parboiling the green beans a day early.

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Triple Lemon Pie

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This pie earns its triple-lemon name from lemon zest, lemon juice and lemon extract. (You can add lemon slices and whipped cream on top of the baked pie for even more lemony goodness.) A store-bought piecrust speeds prep time.

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Chocolate-Smeared Baguette with Quick Citrus Jam

You could serve the zingy Quick Citrus Jam on its own with buttered bread or English muffins, but for special occasions, try this extra-indulgent breakfast combo of melted chocolate on bread with the jam.

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Spicy Orange Chicken

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Cook chicken in a mix of fresh orange juice, soy sauce, honey and ginger, then serve over wilted spinach. Crushed red pepper adds heat; adjust to suit your taste.

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Meyer Lemon Pots de Crème with Honeyed Kumquats

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The creamy lemon puddings look and taste sophisticated but are actually quite simple to make, and they can even be prepared in advance.

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Citrus Liqueur

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Have you heard of limoncello? You can make the classic Italian liqueur with almost any citrus fruit. (Only lime doesn't work.) Serve the chilled liqueur with sparkling water, sip it chilled alongside chocolate truffles or try drizzling it over strawberries for a boozy pound cake topper.

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Jerk Pork Wraps with Lime Mayo

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Prepare pork shoulder in the slow cooker, then whip up dinner in a flash. The Lime Mayo topping uses fat-free mayo, so it doesn't add heaps of fat or calories.

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Orange Tabbouleh

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This hearty, healthy salad combines juicy fruit, flavorful fresh herbs and warm spices. Even people who are skeptical of the nutritious bulgur wheat will be surprised how much they like it.

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Fish Tostadas with Chili-Lime Cream

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Top crunchy tostadas with broiled tilapia fillets, veggies and a zesty chili-lime cream.

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Toasted Fennel-Lemon Cake

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This moist beauty begs for a mug of afternoon tea. Fennel seeds add the faintest hint of licorice flavor, just enough to make the cake stand out from the other Bundts in the room. We like the sweeter flavor of Meyer lemons in this cake. Look for them sold in bags at large supermarkets. If you substitute regular lemons, reduce the zest to 2 tablespoons.

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Coconut-Lime Chicken Soup

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Start with a rotisserie chicken, and you can whip up this Thai-inspired soup in less than 30 minutes.

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Smoked Turkey Salad with Oranges

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Quartered oranges and orange vinaigrette dressing add a big citrus splash to this main-dish salad.

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Swedish Lemon Pancakes

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A delicate crepelike pancake folds like an envelope around tangy lemon curd in this pretty brunch dish from Abilene's Victorian Inn in Kansas. The whipped sour cream topping is a breeze to make.

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Garlic-Roasted Chicken with Lemons and Vegetables

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This flavor-packed dish combines garlic-infused chicken with perfectly cooked vegetables. Roasting the lemon in the pan brings out its flavor.

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Broccoli with Orange-Cream Sauce

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Combine orange juice concentrate and sliced almonds with whipping cream for a rich side-dish sauce. If you're trying to cut calories and fat, use half-and-half or milk instead, but the sauce won't be as thick.

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Candied Citrus Peel

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If you can resist munching on all these chewy, sweet citrus bits, you'll find plenty of ways to use them in your kitchen. We like stirring chopped peel into granola or cookie batter, sprinkling it over vanilla ice cream, or dipping the pieces in chocolate. Keep in mind that lime peel does not taste particularly good when candied.

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Lemon-Rosemary Chicken with Roasted Vegetables

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Rub a blend of lemon peel, rosemary, thyme, parsley and garlic on the chicken before baking; Add fresh thyme sprigs and garlic bulbs around the chicken for even more flavor. Potatoes, sweet potatoes and carrots make this a one-pan meal.

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Fresh Citrus and Cranberry Salad

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Mint and ginger add kick to an arugula salad topped with chopped fresh cranberries.

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Honeyed Grapefruit Frozen Yogurt

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Refreshingly tangy, this no-machine-required frozen yogurt is a delicious way to kick start a new year's diet (or just get a healthful sweet fix any time of year).

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Lemon-Herb Grilled Chicken

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Herbed lemon marinade cooks down with honey to a glossy, gorgeous glaze that gives this chicken a golden color.

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Green Tea Soda

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Brew this refreshing drink with green, ginkgo or ginseng tea mixed with honey. When the liquid cools, stir in your choice of fruit juices, such as orange or tangerine and lemon or lime. Add assorted fresh fruit and plain or flavored sparkling water just before serving.

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Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wings

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Mix cider vinegar, Jamaican jerk seasoning, orange juice, lime juice, olive oil and soy sauce for this version of jerk marinade. Let chicken marinate 4 to 24 hours, and it'll be ready to go on the grill. Serve with Mango Salsa for more Caribbean flavor.

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Fish Fillets with Cucumber-Orange Salsa

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Make a quick salsa from cucumber, red onion, a chopped orange and seasoning blend to serve with fish filets.

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Lemon-Basil Pasta

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Lemon, basil and olive oil form a pestolike sauce to complement the linguine and kidney beans. From start to finish, this five-ingredient dinner takes only 25 minutes.

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Citrus Salmon with Broccoli

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Cook tender salmon fillets in your skillet with a simple lemon juice-sugar combination and a sprinkling of fresh dill. Broccoli or green beans round out this quick and easy dinner.

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Citrus-Herb Roasted Chicken

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Garlic, fresh herbs, spices and citrus make this roasted chicken special. 

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Grapefruit Tartlets

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These pretty little tarts are perfect for winter cocktail parties. They're best eaten soon after assembly, so to make ahead, prepare the crusts, sweet cream cheese and fruit in advance, but assemble just before serving.

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