Chili Lime Chicken
Spice up your roasted or grilled meat with this easy Chili Lime Chicken marinade. It combines the heat of chili peppers with the tangy citrus taste of fresh lime juice, giving your grilled chicken a vibrant kick.
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In addition to this chili lime chicken recipe, we also love this Coconut Curry Marinade and this baked Honey Mustard Chicken. Are you thinking about having red meat? Try this quick and simple steak marinade.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- This recipe is simple to prepare and features a short list of basic ingredients.
- The chili lime flavor works for any cut of chicken. From breasts to boneless chicken thighs to everyone’s favorite wings.
- And you don’t have to limit yourself to just chicken. This marinade adds delicious flavor to shrimp, salmon, tofu, and even veggies.
Ingredients
Find the complete ingredient list, with measurements, in the recipe card below.
- Olive Oil – This helps to keep the meat tender during the marinating process, preventing it from drying out during cooking.
- Lime Juice – Fresh juice adds a tangy and citrusy flavor to the marinade. Save some lime zest for garnish if you’re feeling fancy.
- Garlic – This enhances the marinade with its savory and pungent flavor.
- Chili Powder – For a spicy kick and a beautiful red color.
- Salt + Pepper – A sprinkle of fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper is essential to bringing out the flavors of all your ingredients.
- Chicken – Use whichever cut you like. We generally use boneless skinless chicken breasts.
Equipment
- Citrus Juicer – We use this handheld tool to squeeze the lime juice. You could also use a handheld reamer or even a fork.
- Small Mason Jar – We use this to shake together the marinade. You could also use a small bowl and whisk.
- The one-piece press head makes juice extraction easy.
- Very easy to clean, simply rinse with water.
Instructions
Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the FULL recipe details.
Step 1
First, start by squeezing the juice into a small mason jar.
Expert Tip!
After years of making recipes with fresh juice, I’ve learned that rolling the lime on a hard surface like a countertop before cutting it is the secret to getting the most juice. This works for lemons too.
Step 2
Next, add the olive oil, chili powder, minced garlic, and sea salt and pepper to the mason jar and give it a really good shake.
Step 3
Next, add your chicken to either a glass container or a large ziplock bag.
Pour the chili lime marinade over the chicken and mix it well, coating the chicken and making sure it is covered by the marinade.
Step 4
Put a tight lid on it and pop it in the refrigerator.
Give it at least 30 minutes if you need it tonight, or leave it overnight if you’re prepping for tomorrow.
Substitutions
- You can substitute garlic powder if you don’t have fresh garlic.
- Instead, of lime juice, lemon juice works well too.
Recipe Variations
- Get creative with the seasonings. Add onion powder, paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper to really spice things up.
- Use seasonal herbs to add fresh flavor. We have made this recipe many times with fresh cilantro and basil it tastes fantastic.
Serving Suggestions
- We love this on taco night, shredding the chicken and using it for tacos or burritos. Side dishes include Mexican Street Corn, Cilantro Lime Brown Rice, Lettuce Salad, and Red Cabbage Slaw. My mouth is watering thinking of this yummy spread. Add in some non-alcoholic drinks for cinco de mayo and you have a full theme down.
- Serve it fresh off the grill with some delicious BBQ side dishes like this fresh-tasting linguine pasta salad and this three bean salad with fresh cilantro.
- This chicken is perfect for healthy meal prep. Store the cooked chicken in an airtight container and it will be on hand to shred and stir into soups or use in sandwiches and wraps. We also add it into weeknight casseroles like this popular Mexican Rice Bake. So good!
FAQS
Yes! We also love using this recipe for shrimp, as well as other seafood such as salmon.
Heat a skillet, grill pan, or BBQ over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the marinated chicken pieces. Cook until the thickest part reads at least 165 Fahrenheit on a meat thermometer.
Storage Tips
To Store: Store the chicken and marinade in an airtight container with a lid or a quality ziptop bag. Make sure all the chicken pieces are fully submerged in the marinade. Make sure all the chicken pieces are fully submerged in the marinade. Then, pop it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes up to overnight.
To Freeze: If you want to store it for longer, you can freeze it for up to three months. Thaw the chicken in the container overnight in the fridge before using it.
More Chicken Recipes
**This recipe was originally posted on April 19, 2013. Updated on July 27, 2020, and again on May 7, 2024, with recipe notes, writing, and new photos.**
If you’ve tried this chili lime marinade, please rate it and let us know how it turned out by leaving a comment below. We’re always interested in feedback!
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Chili Lime Chicken Marinade
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice *approximately 2 limes
- 1 clove garlic *minced
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 chicken breasts *1 lb of chicken
Instructions
- Shake all ingredients, except chicken, together in a small mason jar.
- Place chicken in an airtight container or ziplock bag and pour marinade over. Stir it well to coat the chicken.
- Leave in the fridge, covered, for a minimum of 30 minutes, up to overnight.
- To cook the chicken, heat a skillet, grill pan, or BBQ over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the marinated chicken pieces. Cook until the thickest part reads at least 165℉ on a meat thermometer.
This is going to be delicious on our. chicken tonight. I’m going to BBQ a whole chicken with this marinade, yum!
OOh! A whole chicken!! Love it. 🙂 Sending my best to you and the fam! xoxo
Don’t get me wrong, I do like sweet marinades and sauces, but I’m glad you let the the chili and citrus combination shine on its own here! It’s a great pairing, and a fantastic marinade (especially with that bit of garlic in the mix – can’t go wrong with garlic). Cheers!
I agree, sometimes I do like a bit of sweetness but in this case, it truly doesn’t need it anything more. Thanks, Sean!
I love this simple, but delicious marinade, especially for tacos. Thanks for this recipe!
I’m all about the tacos! Thanks, Colleen. 🙂
Love all the fresh, clean ingredients! Perfect for the BBQ.
Fresh and clean is the perfect description! Thanks, Vanessa. 🙂
Delicious! This is a favourite in our house. I’m using it today for chicken wings!
Awesome, Elaine! This marinade is so lovely with crispy wings. 🙂
Just perfect Sharon, I have some chicken breasts and this marinade will come in handy! Great idea to keep it for multiple usage.
I think so too! Thanks, Shy. 🙂
Love this recipe!!!!
Thanks Myla! This is has been a staple for us for years now. So glad you enjoy it. 🙂
can you use this marinade for shrimp? and instead of plain chili powder can i used crushed chipotle powder?
Hey Richard! I haven’t used this marinade for shrimp, but I’m sure it would work fine. I also think chipotle powder would be awesome! I love chipotle anything. 🙂
can you use this marinade for shrimp?
This was a brilliant, brilliant marinade. Thank you so much for sharing! We grilled chicken wings and thighs on the bbq pit, and even beef and it was absolutely delicious! We did add some sprigs of fresh rosemary for the beef… and it tasted superb. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Thank you so much Amber. 🙂 I’m with you on this recipe, big time! We probably have it once a week. It tastes really good as cold chicken, too. FYI. Great for sandwiches. Have a happy New Year!
Hi, and a big big BIG thank you for a simple but brilliant tasting Lime and Chilli marinade recipe.
Now a weekly feature meal in our house! (We butterfly cut the Chicken breasts, marinate for 24 hours and oven bake. Takes about 20 -25 minutes guarantees cooked through AND moist)
Thank YOU Tim for the nice comment. Muchly appreciated. 🙂 And, it is a favourite, weekly occurrence in our house too. Great idea about butterflying the chicken to cut sown on cooking time!
Made this last weekend. We grilled them…this is the best marinade I have ever had! Having it again this weekend when the kids come home. Thank you for sharing this!
Hey thanks, Cassandra! I love this one too. We have it almost weekly. 🙂
Hi!
Found this on Pinterest and made it tonight for me and my husband and it was SO GOOD! Loved the lime flavor! We will definitely make it again it was so easy 🙂 thank you for sharing it
Thanks Tori! I love this and make it all the time. It’s also good cold in salads. 🙂
What temperature and for how long does this go in the oven?!
Hi Lois:) I cook my chicken for 40 minutes at 375. Check to make sure there is no pink in the centre.