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Chili Lime Grilled Chicken - moist and delicious chicken marinated in chili and lime and grilled to golden perfection in this easy recipe that takes 30 mins
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.
Ingredients For Grilled Chicken Marinade
- Lime juice and zest
- Olive oil
- Cilantro
- Jalapeno
- Garlic
- Honey
- Chili powder
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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°.
Yes, chicken is high in protein and also low in calories. It is very useful in diets working to shed body fat.
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.
This recipe is only 515 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Chili Lime Grilled Chicken
For a wholesome meal and easy BBQ party, I recommend the following recipes.
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Chili Lime Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 – 2 1/2 lbs. (900g-1.1kg) 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, leaving the skin on, and pat them dry with paper towels. Set aside.
- Get a big bowl and mix all the ingredients for the marinade together using a whisk. Make sure the marinade is well combined.
- Add the chicken to the marinade, making sure to stir and coat the chicken evenly. Marinate for 2 hours.
- Fire up the grill, brush a little oil on the surface. Add some of the garlic, cilantro, and jalapeno from the marinade on top of the chicken and grill until golden brown and charred on both sides. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I am marinating my chicken now and will grill tomorrow. What would I serve with it??
You can serve with grilled corn, salad, or anything you like. They are just so delicious.
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.
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.
when you say chili powder, do you mean chili as in tex-mex or as in pure cayenne powder?
Doesn’t matter, both are fine.
Marinated yesterday afternoon and grilled this evening. So succulent and delish! Thanks for sharing!!
So glad you tried the recipes….so yummy!
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?
Just some. Doesn’t matter.
Thanks for the lovely recipe. Have a Wonderful Weekend!
Looks absolutely delicious!!
OMG this sound so delicious ! We will be trying this recipe this weekend can hardly wait !
Great recipe! How long would you bake boneless thighs?
Look so, so good Bee… Any way I can cook this with a grill pan on a stovetop, or use the oven instead?
Yes!
Always a good combination: marrying the flavors of sweet, salt and sour. I did it recently too with some shrimp, cilantro and peanuts. :)
its look so delicious.