I received an email last week from Katie Rosen Kitchen on this chili lime chicken recipe that I just couldn’t resist. I didn’t make it in time for the Memorial weekend BBQ but I made sure that I tried the recipe this week.
Oh boy, I am so happy I did. This chili lime chicken was absolutely delicious, juicy, flavorful, hitting all the right notes: citrusy, aromatic, with a pleasant nuance of the cilantro and garlic.
I made a small serving and regretted immediately that I didn’t make more as they were gone in no time.
My friend J came to my house to grill the chicken with me and the aroma while we were grilling was wafting through my neighborhood. It was mouthwatering.
For the chicken, the original recipe calls for chicken breast but I opted for chicken thighs with the skin and bone.
I removed the bones prior to marinating the chicken and still keep the skin. The end result is crispy skin, and tender juicy chicken meat.
I love the combination of chili, cilantro, garlic, and lime juice in the marinade. They pair so well with the chicken, with a tint of spiciness from the chili.
If you are looking for new chicken recipes for this summer, this chili lime chicken is the one to try. I know for sure I will be making this again for my guests, for the next summer BBQ party!
However, this recipe is not just for summer. You can make it anytime with a cast-iron grill pan or regular skillet, or bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes at 400F. The end result is always amazing.
What Dishes to Serve with this Recipe?
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
Menu and Meal Ideas
Honey Sriracha Shrimp Kebab
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Chili Lime Chicken Recipe
Chili lime chicken - moist and delicious chicken marinated with chili and lime and grill to perfection. Easy recipe that takes 30 mins!
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 2 - 2.5 lbs skin on chicken thighs
Marinade:
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
- 3 teaspoons fresh lime zest
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped finely
- 2 jalapeño chopped finely
- 4 garlic cloves chopped finely
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder or to taste
Instructions
-
Rinse the chicken thighs, remove the bones, leave the skin on, and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.
-
Get a big bowl, mixing all the ingredients of the Marinade together using a whisk. Make sure the Marinade is well combined together.
-
Add chicken to the Marinade, make sure to stir and coat the chicken evenly. Marinate for 2 hours.
-
Fire up the grill, brush a little bit of oil on the surface. Add a little bit of the garlic, cilantro, and jalapeno from the Marinade on top of the chicken and grill them until they turn golden brown and charred on both sides. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
You can make this chili lime chicken with a cast-iron grill pan or regular skillet, or bake in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400F and bake it for about 20-25 minutes or until the skin becomes brown and charred. You can also use skinless and boneless chicken thighs or breasts.
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Farah @ The Cooking Jar
Always a good combination: marrying the flavors of sweet, salt and sour. I did it recently too with some shrimp, cilantro and peanuts. :)
malaysia tour
its look so delicious.
DZ
Look so, so good Bee… Any way I can cook this with a grill pan on a stovetop, or use the oven instead?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes!
Lily
Great recipe! How long would you bake boneless thighs?
V. Stoen
OMG this sound so delicious ! We will be trying this recipe this weekend can hardly wait !
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com
Looks absolutely delicious!!
Liz
Thanks for the lovely recipe. Have a Wonderful Weekend!
simplyshimona
Marinated yesterday afternoon and grilled this evening. So succulent and delish! Thanks for sharing!!
Rasa Malaysia
So glad you tried the recipes….so yummy!
Chris
Rasa
In the directions it includes the garlic, cilantro and jalapeño in the marinade. Then it says to put it on top of the chicken when you go to cook it. Do you do both and if so how much do you add to the top of the chicken?
Rasa Malaysia
Just some. Doesn’t matter.
[email protected]
when you say chili powder, do you mean chili as in tex-mex or as in pure cayenne powder?
Rasa Malaysia
Doesn’t matter, both are fine.
Stephen
We tried this last weekend. The chicken was literally SWIMMING in marinade. Perhaps a cup of liquid is just too much for just 2 lbs of meat. Also, there was no lime or chili taste to the chicken — it was all quite bland.
I’m sure we did something wrong because it should not be bland.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Stephen, I am so sorry to hear that. Some readers tried the recipe with no problem. Did you pat dry the chicken thighs? I think what might have happened is that the olive oil coated the chicken and the marinade didn’t get through to the meat. Did you marinate the chicken overnight? If so, water tends to come out from the chicken. I marinated mine for two hours. I have updated my recipe to whisk the Marinade ingredients so they are well combined. Also, I reduced the olive oil to 1/4 cup as the chicken thighs are already quite moist to begin with. The chicken thigh was very flavorful with a nice tangy taste of the lime juice and the cilantro and garlic really add to the taste.
djoz
I am marinating my chicken now and will grill tomorrow. What would I serve with it??
Rasa Malaysia
You can serve with grilled corn, salad, or anything you like. They are just so delicious.
DanielH
Made this tonight and it will definitely be making a return appearance on future summer menus! I have to admit that after tasting the marinade, I was dubious. I’d like to use this opportunity to take back my doubts.
I was too lazy to bone the thighs I had, so I just left them in. Marinated about four or five hours and served with grilled baby zucchini and corn.
High five to you, sister!
AJ @ Selera Malaysia
Hi Bee,
It has been awhile and look like I have missed a lot from your blog . Anyway, the recipe look simple and easy to try.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi AJ welcome back. Hope all is well. :)
Jean Chan
Made this to the “T” as per your recipe for 12 people and it was a hit! All guests commented on the refreshing taste of lime! Thank you!
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Jean. :)
Louise J
I opened my BBQ season with this recipe. Very very good. I have double the marinate and used 1/2 to marinate the chicken for 3 hours and then the other half I used it to brush the chicken on both side at the end of the cooking. Made wraps with the leftover, lunch was as delicious as yesterday night dinner. Love your recipes!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Louise, that’s a great idea, I never thought about that I will update my recipe to reflect your great suggestion. :)
Heather
This was absolutely delicious! I didn’t have the BBQ option available so just used the oven. I’m sure these flavours would be good with any cut of chicken. I used what I had; chicken legs/quarters and baked for about 45 minutes at 375 degrees. This dish had such a wonderful, fresh lime flavour and I used the marinade left in the baking dish to spoon over steamed broccoli… so, so great. I cannot wait to try this on the BBQ because I’m sure that a little char will just put this chicken over the top! I have to say, I’ve had nothing but success with each recipe I’ve tried from this site. Thanks, Bee :)
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Heather, thanks so much for your sweet comment. I am so glad you have great results with my recipes. Thank you! :)
HelenG
I made this recipe tonight with only 1 hour of marinating. It was absolutely delicious!
I used skinless bonless thighs and thinly slided breasts. This recipe still is great without
the skin. I wouldn’t change anything about the marinade. Next time I will save a little of
it before putting the chicken in to marinate so that I can baste a little on before serving.
Excellent recipe!
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Helen for the recipe. Good idea about saving the marinate to baste the chicken. :)
Kathi @ laughingspatula
Holy Cow does that look good!! On my menu!
Vicky B.
I made the chicken this weekend and it was a huge hit. I baked it in the oven as it was raining all weekend so we didn’t BBQ, but I can’t wait to make this marinade again and get the chicken on the grill.
Rasa Malaysia
Yes this chili lime chicken is awesome!
Janna
I made this last week with mango salsa over quinoa and it was awesome!! We are having it again this week, because there weren’t any leftovers :) Thanks for this great recipe!
Tanya
Thank you for sharing this. I made it last night for my family. And it was a huge hit. So delicious. I’m now following your blog.
Mimi Wan
Thank you for this delicious recipe! I made the marinade this morning, marinated my chicken throughout the day, about 6 hours, baked it in the oven (it was raining in my neck of the woods today) and it was hands down delicious. I used pepper flakes but followed everything else. I’ll be looking for other recipes on your site for sure.
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Mimi, this is an excellent recipe.
nancy keenan
Please don’t tell people to rinse chicken. It is a foolproof way to spread chicken spooge all over the sink and adjacent areas. This can lead to contamination and sickness. There is no reason to rinse chicken for any reason. You are cooking it at a high temperature and killing anything on the surface.
Rasa Malaysia
It’s my personal preference. Even though you are killing all potential germs during the cooking process but there are always some dirty bits on the surface…feathers…blood…etc.
Jess
I always wash my chicken, then disinfect my area with a bleach and water solution.
Marie
Cooking will kill any bacteria present, including campylobacter, while washing chicken can spread germs by splashing. Thoroughly wash and clean all utensils, chopping boards and surfaces used to prepare raw chicken. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water, after handling raw chicken. (from Google: “washing raw chicken?”)
Shelley
I wear disposable plastic gloves in bulk from Costco, when prepping chicken or any other raw meat. I do rinse in deep sink, set meat in a deep strainer to drain. Pat with paper towel and all contaminated goes in the trash. Work surface and surrounding area is disinfected. I do not use same counter for meat that I prep other foods on, ever. Opposite sides of the sink. I easily can use more than one set of gloves, so gloves are sitting out and waiting for a change out. They just roll off staying inside out. Trash is bagged up and taken out.
Heather
hi! I tried this dish at a girl friends house. I loved it! I wonder, can I be marinated longer than 2 hours? For instance while I’m at work?
Rasa Malaysia
Heather – of course you can marinate overnight, it’s even better. :)
Maja
I pinned this recipe and decided to cook it as a part of my Pinterest Cooking challenge and it was absolutely amazing. So juicy and citrusy that neither me nor my boyfriend could get enough :-) I used chicken supremes, baked them in the oven and the result was superb. Will definitely be making it again and again. Thank you so much for this wonderful dish! It was in fact so yummy, that I added it to my blog – http://en.londonbeginnings.co.uk/blog/recipe/chilli-lime-chicken/
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Maja, thanks for your comment, and yes this chili lime chicken is absolutely wonderful!!
paulina
Do you think I could use boneless skinless chicken breasts instead?
Rasa Malaysia
Of course you can but won’t be as flavorful, moist and sinfully delicious.
Veena
If baking, should I turn the chicken over once? If so, which side should be face-up first?
Rasa Malaysia
No need to turn it will get cooked. Skin side up.
Ashley
Just tried this in the oven and was a little nervous it would be too spicy (We’re babies!) but it was the perfect amount of spice. Will definitely be making this again!
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks for trying the chili lime chicken recipe.
Natalie
Can you use pork chops instead of chicken?
Christan Barker
Made this tonight and it was delicious!! Thanks for the recipe!
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks for trying my chili lime recipe.
Laura
Made this tonight; it was so delicious… Thanks for the recipe my family sure enjoyed it.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Laura, thanks for trying this chili lime chicken recipe. You should try more recipes on my site. :)
Elizabeth
Have you tried this with coconut oil instead of olive oil?
Rasa Malaysia
I haven’t but I think it’s a great idea. :)
malaysia tour
it looks delicious
thailand tour
Looks beautiful. And it was delicious.
Trinele
Do you prefer a particular brand of Chicken Thighs? I’m curious to know if you stick to one brand. Thanks!
Rasa Malaysia
I only buy organic jidori chicken thighs from the Japanese food stores near my house (Mitsuwa). The chicken thighs are small, a sure sign that they are probably natural. :)
Leslie
Hi, I am planning a graduation party for my daughter in June. I am making and freezing ahead to be easier on the budget and make for an easier work load the day of (I have MS so I have to do a little at a time, too difficult to do in a week or a couple days). I found a different recipe (chili lime) and baked my boneless skinless chicken breast pieces (20lbs for 80/90 people and I also have 20lbs pulled pork), vacuum packed and froze. This recipe isn’t bad, but not what I had hoped for. I just found your recipe (wish I would have found this sooner, lol). When it comes time to reheat could I make a glaze/sauce with your marinade? Throw the chicken in the oven for a few? If so, how would I turn your marinade into a glaze? And how much of this marinade would you make? Any suggestions would be much appreciated! Thanks! :)
Turkey Tours
Looks beautiful. And it was delicious.
Kim
I love this recipe!!! I did this with chicken tenders pan seared and cooked on electric stove 75/25 and it was delicious and so moist. Great caramalization. Thanks for the recipe.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Kim – oooh, that’s a great idea. I will have to try it myself! :)
Cindy
Hi there,
If I were to make a large bottle of marinade, how long will it last in the fridge for?
Rasa Malaysia
A few days, I hope.
Paul Palansky
I used boneless breasts sliced thin, marinated for 1 hour, and grilled on gas grill for about 5 minutes. This is absolutely the best grilled chicken I have ever eaten. Amazing recipe. I was afraid the jalapenos might be too much, but it gave just the right amount of heat without overpowering. This will be my new “go to” for chicken.
Deanna
I had made this one time before exactly by the recipe and it was very good, but today I did it again, only I added 1/4c chopped red onion and about 2T chili sauce. It marinated overnight and then was grilled over a wood fire, smoking it with hickory chips. This was awesome! Thanks for this recipe. It is definitely a do over!
Ann
Hi there, I want to try this recipe as soon as possible, it looks delicious. By the way, how many serving size will it be for 600 calories?
Valerie
Hi Rasa,
This chicken recipe looks delicious! I’m sure the chicken breasts can be incorporated into a salad, do you think it’s a good idea?
Rasa Malaysia
Yeah, you can. :)
transplantwest
Found the link to recipes… duh. thanks !
Jen
I made this chicken a while ago with Mexican rice and pico de gallo, and it was a hit. My family loved it. They said I didn’t make enough lol I’m doing this again today! I love how flexible the recipe is. This time we don’t have chicken thighs so I am using breasts.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Jen – thanks for trying my recipe. I know this chili lime chicken is so DELICIOUS!
تور ترکیه
Looks beautiful. And it was delicious.
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks!
thailand tour
it looks delicious, Thank’s.
Rashmi Primlani
Looks so delish, can’t wait to try.
susan
curious – are the jalapeño seeds suppose to be left in? not seeing if they should be gutted or not. thanks
Rasa Malaysia
Discard the seeds.
Valenbarcelona
Hi Rasa,
I made this chicken recipe for lunch today, cooking the meat on a flattop grill (“plancha in Spanish”) and it was absolutely gorgeous!!! It is very easy and quick to prepare, and I served it with a ratatouille.
Thanks a lot for sharing this great recipe.
Val
Rasa Malaysia
So great that you liked my chili lime chicken.
Tracey
Will this recipe still work without the oil? Trying to cut down
Rasa Malaysia
It will be dry and not moist.
Chris
Can you marinade this overnight???
Rasa Malaysia
Yes you can!
Andrea
Are the calories and fat content really that high? I see 653 calories and 53 grams of fat.
Jane
Love this recipie. I let the chicken marinate all day and then through it on the grill. Would like to know how much is a serving? Is it one or two pieces of chicken?
Rasa Malaysia
A serving is one or two pieces.
Cel
When you say 2lb chicken, is it with the bone or without when you weight it? Thanks.
Chiprunes
This was absolutely delicious. I made it with chicken breasts alongside black beans and roasted veggies. We will continue to make this. If this was on the menu of a restaurant I would order it all the time. Flavor is intense and delicious.
Rasa Malaysia
Awww, thanks so much for your sweet comment. Yes, this chili lime chicken recipe is definitely restaurant quality.
Brittany
Just wrote a blog post on this! We gave it 5 stars! Definate going into my meal rotation!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Brittany, thanks so much, I am so glad that you like this chili lime chicken recipe.
Toni
Made this for dinner last night and it was very delicious. I used skinless boneless chicken breast and baked them in the oven. I took the marinade and boiled it for a bit on the stove to make a glaze. Then during the baking on occasion I spread some glaze over the chicken. For the last few minutes I turned on the broiler to thicken up the glaze a little bit more. This recipe is a keeper – Thank You!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Toni, thanks for your tips and thanks for trying my chili lime chicken recipe. :)
Michael
I made this last night and the fam loved it. Instead of thighs I used chicken breasts and since I’m cooking for a Chinese family I tripled the chili powder which gave it a brilliant kick. This is a definite keeper.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Michael, thanks for trying the chili lime chicken recipe.
Lisha
Tried the chilli and lime chicken, used chicken wings.
Was delicious and a great hit with kids. Definitely going to be a regular
Dish. Thank you
Rasa Malaysia
Chicken wings sound like a great idea. Thanks for trying the chili lime chicken recipe.
helena
Hey, is there anything that i can replace jalapenoes with? its hard to find from where I am, and a little too pricey :) btw, loving your blog! Ive tried a couple of recipes from here and it was really good! cant wait to try this one now
Rasa Malaysia
You can use cayenne pepper. :) Thanks for your sweet comment, I am so glad that you like my recipes.
Shana
I want to try this today but want to use skinless-boneless in the crockpot. Thoughts? I’m thinking toss all ingredients and set on low for 6 hours.
Julia
I’m wondering the same thing!
تور مشهد
it was delicious.
Colleen Schneider
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. We marinated the chicken this morning and grilled this evening. So tender, moist and flavorful. This recipe is such a keeper!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Colleen thanks for your sweet comment, I am so happy that you love my chili lime chicken recipe!
Larkin
Just made this for dinner tonight and it was soooooo delicious!! I was only able to marinade it for an hour (hungry kids) but it still had great flavor. I used chicken stripstock (helped with the shorter marinade time) and broiled them on a sheet for ~20 mins. 10 mins with rack set to middle of oven, then around 6 to 8 mins up close to the flame to char. The chicken was so moist and perfect! I’m going to use this recipe all the time!! Kids gave it two thumbs way up, too!! Thanks!!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Larkin, so glad that you loved my chili lime chicken recipe. Imagine you can marinate longer and summer time on grill. Thanks for your comment. :)
Julia
Love this recipie.Thanks Rasa
Annemarie
I have made this several times, but am now using boneless, skinless thighs. If I do them in the oven instead of on the grill…..how long at 400?
I add extra lime and honey…..Annemarie
Rasa Malaysia
I would grill for 15 or 20 minutes, just check the doneness. :)
Diara
Trying for the first time and I wanted to know what type of chilli powder you used in this recipe? Cayenne pepper? Also, did you fresh jalapeno or pickled ones?
Cari
Making this tonite with boneless chicken. Breast as well as bone in chicken breasts to get a little variety. It looks amazing! I’m also going to use this marinade next time for grilled shrimp too which I think will be amazing! Serving this with a black beanand roasted corn salsa. Can’t wait to try it!
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, thanks for trying my chili lime chicken recipe.
Dana
Made this last night. OMG it was so good. Will be making again, I did use boneless chicken breast.
Rasa Malaysia
Awesome so glad that you tried my chili lime chicken recipe.
Lisa A Emerson
I had some boneless, skinless chicken breasts that I needed to cook ASAP, and used this recipe. They were absolutely DELICIOUS!!!! Very moist and a wonderful flavor. I will be trying them soon using the thighs, as the recipe suggests. This one is definitely a favorite!!
تور تایلند
thanks for sharing!
تور هنگ کنگ
thanks
Sandy Hazlewood
This went into my “keeper” file! Used skinless breasts and grilled them. Delicious!! Thank you!
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Sandy for trying my recipe!
Sage
Made this for dinner tonight and paired it with a cilantro lime brown rice. So much great flavor, I’m in love!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Sage, thanks for trying my chili lime chicken recipe. Yes, it’s very yummy!
pouya
thanks alot for sharing this post.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Norene – there is a RED color bar that says CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE.
Jane
So how do I get the recipe?
Rasa Malaysia
The recipe link is red and at the bottom where it says “CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE.”
Oven Cleaning Team
For me, a nicely done skin is all that matters when it comes to chicken tights. I have to say this is the best crispy tasty chicken skin I have seen in my cooking career. I am rating this without even trying to cook it first, sorry!
Rasa Malaysia
That’s awesome, thanks for the rave review!
Christine
I love this recipe, and it has become one of my standards. I have one picky eater in the house, and I just leave a few chicken thighs plain for him. I make the marinate on the weekend. Then, the morning I want to cook these I throw boneless thighs in a Ziploc bag with the marinade before work. After work, just throw them on the grill!
Rasa Malaysia
That’s so awesome!! I am glad that you love this Chili Lime Chicken recipe.
Rukaiya
Hi
I follow your recipes and whatever I have tried has always turned out delicious!!
I couldnt get any chicken thighs with skin on so resorted to purchasing chicken thighs without the skin on. Is that okay? X
Rasa Malaysia
Sure, it works. :)
Miss Food Fairy
These have to be some of my favourite flavours in the world! This is on for the next BBQ Bee. Pinned for later :)
Rasa Malaysia
Awesome, this recipe is absolutely awesome!
Amber Frank
I followed the amazing chilli lime chicken recipe and it’s make my day amazing.
Rasa Malaysia
That’s amazing that you like my chili lime chicken recipe.
Mary
This was incredible. I made it in my grill pan and my husband, three year old and 13 month old couldn’t get enough of it. The flavors were bold and scrumptious. Thanks you for posting
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks for trying this Chili Lime Chicken.
Mel
I made this the other day for a bbq and unfortunate my brother burnt them so could not really comment. I am trying them again tonight to cook in the oven but I wondered if I could freeze half the marinade as I’m cooking this for 2. Many thanks
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, you can. :)
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Germaine Dubois
I’m not either a cilantro or jalapeño fan – is omitting both these ingredients ok or are the essential ingredients to the recipe. Thank you
Rasa Malaysia
That’s fine. It should work.
تور مشهد
I made this , its very good. thank you for sharing.