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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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Other Recipes You Might Like
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.
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.
Awesome.
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!
Yummy, coconut milk is a good idea!
I really want to try this recipe it looks delicious, but can’t seem to get cilantro in the UK, is there any alternative?
Cilantro is called coriander in the UK.
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
Hi Joey, awesome. Please try more recipes on my site: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
This looks amazing but I don’t see how this can have 98gms of fat (25 saturated). This has to be a typo???
Hi Joel, there seems to be a miscalculation of calories on my program. I ran it again and now it’s updated.
So good.
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!
I just used regular chili powder I got from the US grocery stores.
Amazing recipe! Used the marinade as a dressing for a mexican inspired bowl and it was TO DIE FOR! So much flavour!
Absolutely fantastic marinade – simple and super tasty. One of the best I’ve come across.
Awesome thanks Michelle.
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!
Our favorite go to grilled chicken now!!
Awesome Kelly. Thanks for trying my chili lime grilled chicken recipe. Please try more recipes on my site: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/