Chili Lime Chicken is packed full of flavor from the simple and easy chili lime marinade. You can bake it, grill it, air fry it, or saute it.
This post is sponsored by BUBBL’R.
Chili Lime Chicken
Who else is super into meal prep? It didn’t always used to be our thing, but we’ve become obsessed lately. We’ll buy chicken, then marinate it in tons of different flavors, and freeze all the different flavorful packs. This is one of our favorite marinated chicken recipes that we keep going back to.
It’s great as-is, but we also love using the chicken in sandwiches or to make pulled chicken for tacos, quesadillas, burritos, or enchiladas. It’s so versatile and so good.
I’ve partnered up with BUBBL’R to bring you this awesome, healthy, easy, and delicious meal. I absolutely love serving it with their lemon lime twist’r flavor (the flavors are a match made in heaven!). You can find out where to buy BUBBL’R here.
What Does Lime Juice Do To Chicken?
The lime juice in this recipe is used both for flavor and to weaken the surface proteins of the chicken, which allows it to absorb more flavor.
What Spices Go With Lime?
Herbs, garlic, and chili-based spices are my favorite savory flavors to pair with lime.
How To Cook It
I prefer to bake chicken breasts at a high temperature for a short amount of time. You could also saute it in a skillet. Since the chicken is cut in half and pounded to an even thickness, it’s perfect for sauteing.
If you want to grill it, I’d recommend skipping the step of cutting the chicken breast in half (if you’ve got a sous vide, this would be great cooked that way before grilling to get a nice crust).
I Don’t Have Any Chicken Breasts, Can I Use Thighs?
Yes! You can use any cut of chicken you like, you’ll just have to adjust the cooking time depending on the cut. Just be sure to cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 F on an instant read meat thermometer. You can even use the marinade to make chili lime chicken wings, or to marinate meat for kabobs.
Can You Freeze It?
Yes! The chicken in the photographs was marinated in the chili lime marinade and then frozen in a freezer bag before being thawed and baked. It turned out perfectly!
Is It Keto?
Yes, this recipe is naturally low-carb as it is written.
Is It Gluten Free?
As long as you use gluten free spices, this recipe is naturally gluten free as it is written.
What To Serve It With
I love to serve this with the Mexican Street Corn Salad Without Cilantro that it’s photographed with. It’s also SO great drizzled with my reader favorite Jalapeno Sauce or served with freshly made mango salsa or pineapple salsa. You could also try serving it with:
- Pico de Gallo
- Nachos
- Arugula Salad
- Mexican Rice (Spanish Rice)
- Beans
- Avocado Feta Salsa
- In a Buddha Bowl with Avocado and Rice
- Tacos
- Couscous
- In a Sandwich
- Lettuce Wraps
- Casserole
Keep In Touch
I’d love to hear what you thought of this recipe in the comments or on Instagram! @KeyToMyLime #KeyToMyLime
Click here to pin this recipe for later!
Chicken Recipes
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out our entire chicken recipe section! Some reader favorites are:
Best Chili Lime Chicken Recipe
Chili Lime Chicken is packed full of flavor from the simple and easy chili lime marinade. You can bake it, grill it, air fry it, or saute it.
Ingredients
- Zest of 1 lime (1 lightly packed teaspoon)
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder
- Salt (to taste)
- Pepper (to taste)
- 2 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally to create two even thickness filets. Use a meat mallet to pound each filet to a thin even thickness.
- In a small bowl, mix together the lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, red chili flakes, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Coat the chicken in the marinade, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, but preferably 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 425 F (218 C). Bake the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet for 12 minutes, then turn the oven to broil, and broil for 2 - 3 minutes (or until the internal temperature reads 165 F on a meat thermometer and the top is golden brown).
Notes
You can also cook this in a preheated air fryer at 400 F for 7 minutes (or until the internal temperature reads 165 F on a meat thermometer and the top is golden brown).
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1/4Amount Per Serving: Calories: 183Total Fat: 6.5gCarbohydrates: 1.4gNet Carbohydrates: 1.2gFiber: 0.2gSugar: 0.2gProtein: 30.1g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Try making this quick Chili Lime Chicken recipe for the perfect healthy weeknight meal!
5 thoughts on “Chili Lime Chicken Recipe”
Could this be cooked in a crockpot after marinading in order to get a more pulled chicken texture?
Hi Lisa, I haven’t tried this, so I can’t say for sure. But I think it would work. If I was going to try making it in the slow cooker, I’d double the marinade and use half to marinate the chicken, then mix the remaining half of the marinade with 1/2 cup chicken broth and cook it on low for 6 – 7 hours, or on high for 3 hours. Hope that helps! If you try it, please let me know how it turns out. -Alexa
Hi Lisa, Now that I’m thinking about it again, I think I’d actually skip the marinating portion and just do the regular amount of marinade mixed with the chicken broth to cook it in the slow cooker. Sorry if that was confusing, but I hope it turns out well for you! -Alexa
How do I see reviews?
Hi JM, The star reviews are in the recipe card, and the comments are beneath the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Hope that helps! -Alexa