Have you tried this grilled chicken with lime recipes? I made a grilled chicken salad with lime, avocado, pineapple and grape tomatoes. The avocado, pineapple and mangos were all cut in cubes while the grilled chicken pieces were placed on the salad.
Lime chicken marinade is a flavorful marinade made mostly with limes. This recipe will bring you numerous health benefits of chicken due to the high content of citric acid and vital nutrients that are found in limes. With this article you will be able to prepare a grilled chicken with lime and garlic.
Grilled Chicken with Lime Recipes
This Grilled Chicken with Garlic Lime Marinade is a deliciously tender, juicy dish that’s sure to become a family favorite. Every bite is bursting with big flavors.
GRILLED CHICKEN WITH LIME AND GARLIC
We’ve been living in messy, chaotic disarray all summer long. I’m not talking about the laundry nor my hair, though both could easily qualify.
Our house has been turned upside down for the past couple of months. What originally started as a minor repaint project quickly morphed into a whole-house makeover that has taken on a life of its own. Our kitchen has been out of commission, we’ve lived out of a hotel at times, and I’ve fed my kids more McD’s than they’ve had in their lives.
Mostly, I try not to look around my house. For sanity’s sake, I put my blinders on and choose to embrace what everyone tells me: you’ll love it when it’s all done. Amen.
Another thing to embrace: the grill. The grill is your friend when your kitchen is closed.
Grilled Chicken with Garlic Lime Marinade is a deliciously tender, juicy dish that’s sure to become a family favorite. Every bite is bursting with big flavors everyone wants more of. Put that zesty life into your grilled chicken…
KEY INGREDIENTS FOR GARLIC LIME GRILLED CHICKEN:
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are recommended for tenderness. Thighs are much less likely to become dry or overcooked. That said, feel free to use chicken breasts if you truly prefer it.
- Pure honey and brown sugar are our picks for sweetening the deal. The flavors merge superbly and allow a nice browning to occur on the grill.
- Plenty of garlic and freshly squeezed lime juice are in order.
- Regular soy sauce is recommended for best flavor, though Tamari will work for a gluten-free and lower sodium option.
- Sriracha is our choice for that bit of kick; adjust amount based on desired heat level.
- A bit of fresh ginger provides aromatic flavor; ground ginger can work in a pinch if you can’t find fresh.
HELPFUL TIPS FOR THE BEST GRILLED CHICKEN:
- For even cooking, slightly pound the chicken pieces into even thickness.
- For flavor infusion, we always pierce chicken pieces with a fork throughout, prior to marinading.
- Give your chicken the best flavor and tenderness profile by allowing at least 2-3 hours or marinade time, ensuring all pieces are fully immersed in the sauce.
- Always cook just until center is no longer pink, but chicken is not overcooked at all.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH GARLIC LIME GRILLED CHICKEN:
- Perfect Instant Pot Brown Rice – this is our go to for brown rice for all the meals.
- Coconut Rice – the mild coconut aroma works beautifully with garlic and lime chicken.
- Watermelon Salad Recipe – because watermelon salad goes with every grilled dish, all summer long.
- Avocado Black Bean Corn Salad with Lime Dressing – this one’s a classic favorite, and all our friends agree. It works with everything.
GARLIC LIME GRILLED CHICKEN
This Grilled Chicken with Garlic Lime Marinade is a deliciously tender, juicy dish that’s sure to become a family favorite. Every bite is bursting with big flavors.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 8 min
- Total Time: 23 minutes
Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
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- 3 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (thighs recommended for tenderness)
- 1/3 cup + 2 TB pure honey
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup regular soy sauce
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 TB Sriracha hot sauce; adjust for desired heat level
- Zest of 1 lime
- 3 TB freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tsp ground or freshly grated ginger
- 1/4 tsp table salt
- Other: Oil for cooking, freshly chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Dry: thoroughly dry chicken with paper towel and pierce with fork throughout. Lightly pound pieces into even thickness. Sprinkle both sides of chicken pieces with light layer of kosher salt (kosher salt is much coarser than table salt.)
- Marinade: in a large pan or bowl, whisk together all remaining ingredients into a well-combined marinade. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade for later. Add chicken to the pan/bowl of marinade, turning to coat well. Marinade 2-3 hours, turning occasionally to re-coat.
- Grill: coat grill with oil, heating over medium-high heat until hot. Place chicken evenly on grill and cook until nice grill marks appear and center is no longer pink, approx. 4 min/side (time depends on thickness) and basting occasionally with your 1/4 cup of reserved marinade.
- Rest: let cooked chicken sit at room temp for 2-3 minutes before cutting into it. Serve immediately with freshly chopped cilantro for garnish, if desired.
Notes
For indoor/stovetop grilling, our favorite pan is this cast iron one.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 305
- Sugar: 6.8 g
- Sodium: 258.7 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 0.1 g
- Protein: 51.6 g
- Cholesterol: 165.5 mg
- Author: Amy | Chew Out Loud
- Category: main, chicken
- Method: grill
- Cuisine: Asian American
- Diet: Low Fat
WHAT TO SERVE WITH LIME CHICKEN
- Rice! Try my cilantro lime rice, Mexican rice, arroz verde, or cauliflower lime rice.
- Mexican quinoa salad
- Mexican zucchini
- Grilled corn salsa
- Refreshing drinks! Try my classic margarita, watermelon margarita, or virgin margarita.
LIME CHICKEN MARINADE
Get perfectly juicy chicken every time with this Lime Chicken Marinade. Made with lime juice, lime zest, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic and other pantry-staple ingredients, you’ll end up with tangy and tender chicken every single time.
Bring bold and bright flavors to your grilled chicken with this Lime Chicken Marinade. A blend of pantry-staple ingredients and freshly juiced citrus soaks deeply into chicken thighs, giving them plenty of flavor and moisture. Similar to my chili lime marinade, the citrus in this recipe helps tenderize the meat for a few hours while you can sit back and sip on a margarita!
The shining start in the easy marinade is the fresh lime juice and zest. Combined with olive oil, soy sauce, garlic, and a little bit of brown sugar, it’s the perfect marinade for grilling chicken in the summertime or pan-frying it any time of year.
LIME CHICKEN MARINADE INGREDIENTS
- Lime juice
- Lime zest
- Olive oil
- Soy sauce
- Brown sugar
- Cilantro
- Garlic
- Red pepper flakes
- Ground cumin
VARIATIONS
- Turn this into margarita chicken! Add 3 tablespoons of blanco tequila to the marinade. It’ll add a little extra brightness and because the alcohol cooks out, the chicken will still be family-friendly.
- Don’t have chicken thighs? Use the marinade on chicken breasts, wings, or shrimp instead.
- Not a fan of cilantro? Replace it with parsley or arugula.
HOW LONG TO MARINATE CHICKEN THIGHS
You’ll get the best results when you leave the chicken thighs in the marinade for 6-8 hours. This is enough time to tenderize the meat and make everything juicy and flavorful.
I don’t recommend leaving them in the marinade for longer (unless you plan on freezing the marinade – see notes below). Any longer and the acid will begin the break down the chicken and make it mealy.
MAKE IT AHEAD OF TIME
You can easily get the marinade and chicken ready in a ziploc bag ahead of time and store it in the freezer until it’s time to eat. Take the bag out of the freezer the night before and let it thaw completely in the fridge. Grill it the next day for lunch or dinner and enjoy!
RECIPE
LIME CHICKEN MARINADE
serves: 6 servings
PREP: 5 minutes
TOTAL : 6 hours 5 minutes
This Lime Chicken Marinade makes perfect juicy chicken every time! Made with lime juice, lime zest, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and more.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 limes, zested and juiced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large resealable plastic bag (or a large mixing bowl), add all the ingredients and toss to combine.
- Seal bag (or cover bowl) and marinate in the fridge for 6 to 8 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off any excess.
- To grill chicken: Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs and cook for 5-7 minutes per side or until chicken reaches 165°F.
- To cook chicken on a skillet: Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook 5-7 minutes per side, until fully cooked through.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
ISABEL’S TIPS:
- Marinating time: You’ll get the best results when you leave the chicken thighs in the marinade for 6-8 hours. This is enough time to tenderize the meat and make everything juicy and flavorful. I don’t recommend leaving them in the marinade for longer (unless you plan on freezing everything). Any longer and the acid will begin the break down the chicken and make it mealy.
- Freezing: You can easily get the marinade and chicken ready in a ziploc bag ahead of time and store it in the freezer until it’s time to eat. Take the bag out of the freezer the night before and let it thaw completely in the fridge. Grill it the next day for lunch or dinner and enjoy!
- Turn this into margarita chicken! Add 3 tablespoons of blanco tequila to the marinade. It’ll add a little extra brightness and because the alcohol cooks out, the chicken will still be family-friendly.
- Don’t have chicken thighs? Use the marinade on chicken breasts, wings, or shrimp instead.
Health Benefits of Chicken
Being known all around the world for its protein content, chicken has a wide range of health benefits. Let’s discuss them below.
1. Fairly High Protein Content
As per the USDA FoodData Central, chicken breast, with 14.73 grams of protein per 100 grams, is one of the best foods for protein. Protein plays an important role in our diet. It is made of amino acids, which are the building blocks of our muscles. Generally, the recommended amount of daily protein requirement is 1 gram per 1 kg of body weight or 0.4 g of protein per pound of body weight. For athletes, the daily requirement of protein is about 0.6 g to 0.9 g per pound.
2. Rich in Vitamins & Minerals
It is not only a good source of protein but is also possibly very rich in vitamins and minerals. For example, B vitamins help the body with energy production and also help form healthy red blood cells.
Vitamin D in chicken helps in calcium absorption and bone strengthening. Vitamin A helps in building eyesight and is considered to play an important role in the immune system. Minerals such as iron can be helpful in hemoglobin formation, muscle activity, and preventing anemia. Potassium and sodium are electrolytes, which can aid in fluid balance while phosphorus helps tackle weakness, bone health, brain function, dental care, and metabolic issues.
3. May Control Blood Pressure
Blood pressure can be an invisible condition but have a serious impact on your overall health. It is best managed with a healthy diet and lifestyle habits. A 2008 animal study concluded that collagen extracts from chicken led to a significant decrease in blood pressure. A report by the Harvard Medical School suggests that including chicken in your diet, two servings per week can be a healthy choice in combination with other recommendations.
4. May Reduce Cholesterol
The amount of saturated fat and cholesterol found in red meat such as beef, pork, and lamb are much higher than the levels found in chicken, fish, and vegetables. Therefore, the American Heart Association has advised consuming chicken or fish instead of red meat for a lowered risk of cholesterol and subsequent heart disease development. The AHA also states that consuming chicken or fish must be limited to normal levels, as excessive consumption can also lead to the development of heart disease.
5. May Provide Common Cold Relief
While a bowl of chicken soup is not an assured treatment for the common cold, cough, or a sore throat, it has a centuries-old reputation for providing relief when one is down with such common ailments. It offers warmth through the cold and has been a go-to when you experience a loss of appetite.