The Best Grilled Chicken
This chili lime grilled chicken is absolutely delicious, juicy, and flavorful. It hits all the right notes: citrusy, aromatic, with a pleasant nuance of the cilantro and garlic.
How to Make Chili Lime Grilled Chicken Recipe
For the chicken, the original recipe calls for chicken breast but I opted for chicken thighs with the skin and bone.
I remove 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.
Ingredients for Grilled Chicken Marinade
- Lime juice and zest
- Olive oil
- Cilantro
- Jalapeno
- Garlic
- Honey
- Chili powder
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I grill the perfect chicken breast?
Keep at medium heat covered for about 5-7 minutes, then flip it over. Grill for another 5-7 minutes, or until the thermometer reads 165°.
Is it healthy to eat grilled chicken?
Yes, chicken is high in protein and also low in calories. It is very useful in diets working to shed body fat.
Does this recipe have to be grilled?
No. 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.
How Many Calories Per Serving?
This recipe is only 425 calories per serving.
What Dishes to Serve with this Recipe?
For a wholesome meal and easy BBQ party, I recommend the following recipes.
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Chili Lime Grilled Chicken
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 1/2 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 cloves garlic, 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.
Notes
Watch the cooking video on this page for step-by-step guide.
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.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 425Total Fat 30gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 22gCholesterol 194mgSodium 982mgCarbohydrates 6gFiber 1gSugar 4gProtein 36g
John
Love this recipe. It is great with shrimp too. I love to let the shrimp sit in the marinade for a bit and the I dump the whole thing in a baking dish and cook it in the oven. The shrimp is delicious and the sauce is amazing spooned over rice or cauliflower.
Rasa Malaysia
Awesome.
Minette
We are having close friends over for a back to school party and this is on the menu. It’s always a hit and easy to make. I use boneless skinless but have made it with drumsticks as well. Add a little coconut milk and it takes it to a new level!
Rasa Malaysia
Yummy, coconut milk is a good idea!
Mark
I really want to try this recipe it looks delicious, but can’t seem to get cilantro in the UK, is there any alternative?
Rasa Malaysia
Cilantro is called coriander in the UK.
Joey
Excellent recipe! Wonderful flavor with a clean taste…allows the chicken and lime to come through
This is a keeper!, served with lemon zucchini, also excellent
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Joey, awesome. Please try more recipes on my site: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
Joel
This looks amazing but I don’t see how this can have 98gms of fat (25 saturated). This has to be a typo???
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Joel, there seems to be a miscalculation of calories on my program. I ran it again and now it’s updated.
Poornima
What a great recipe!! I just had a quick question – what kind of chili powder do you use? Is it Mexican or Indian? I always have Indian chilli powder at home. Thank you!
Hope you and and your family have a great 2020!
Rasa Malaysia
I just used regular chili powder I got from the US grocery stores.
Laura
Amazing recipe! Used the marinade as a dressing for a mexican inspired bowl and it was TO DIE FOR! So much flavour!
Michelle
Absolutely fantastic marinade – simple and super tasty. One of the best I’ve come across.
Rasa Malaysia
Awesome thanks Michelle.
Jack
Absolutely delicious! I made this recipe with chicken tenderloins and marinated them for 30 hours and the result was tender, zesty, flavorful chicken. 100% will make again!
Kelly J
Our favorite go to grilled chicken now!!
Rasa Malaysia
Awesome Kelly. Thanks for trying my chili lime grilled chicken recipe. Please try more recipes on my site: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/