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5 Secrets to 20 Minute Dinners!
Tips, tricks, and recipes for dinner in a hurry!
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.
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, 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Will this recipe still work without the oil? Trying to cut down
It will be dry and not moist.
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
So great that you liked my chili lime chicken.
curious – are the jalapeño seeds suppose to be left in? not seeing if they should be gutted or not. thanks
Discard the seeds.
Looks so delish, can’t wait to try.
it looks delicious, Thank’s.
Looks beautiful. And it was delicious.
Thanks!
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.
Hi Jen – thanks for trying my recipe. I know this chili lime chicken is so DELICIOUS!
Found the link to recipes… duh. thanks !
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?
Yeah, you can. :)
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?