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No worries about dry chicken! This Mexican Honey-Lime Grilled Chicken stays moist, tender and full of fabulous Southwest-inspired flavor!
If you enjoy Southwestern flavors, you're going to LOVE this Mexican Honey-Lime Grilled Chicken. It's delicious on its own, but it's also wonderful in quesadillas, sandwiches, wraps, salads or pizzas. So make plenty, as the leftovers will be the inspiration for lots of other meal ideas!
Never too old to learn
Don't let them tell you that "you can't teach an old dog new tricks". It just isn't true! I've always been quite partial to chicken breasts, either bone-in or boneless. Every now and then, I would purchase a whole chicken and roast it for a special dinner. But thighs or legs? Definitely not. In fact, I never even give them a second glance at the market. Well, that was true until a few years ago. Thankfully, this Mexican Honey-Lime Grilled Chicken is here today because this "dog" did learn a new trick!
Lots of delicious experiments
I decided to give chicken thighs a go, and have been experimenting with lots of different recipes. Enough recipes to have gone LOTS of Costco-size packages of thighs. The results have been wonderful! First, there was the Indonesian-inspired recipe with ginger, lemongrass and soy (if you haven't tried it, it's fabulous!), then a delicious Asian-inspired chicken. Nexgt thing I knew I was on a chicken thigh roll. You can check out lots of the recipes here, but don't miss this flavorful Mexican Honey-Lime Grilled Chicken.
I love that you can sauté or sear thighs till they're a beautiful golden brown, (even a bit charred) and the meat doesn't even begin to dry out. And honestly, to my surprise, the flavor of the thighs is mild and delicious.
I think you'll love this south-of-the-border version as much as we do. The recipe can be prepared on the grill or the stovetop, making it perfect for year-round enjoyment.
Before cooking, the chicken is marinated for a stint in a delicious concoction of olive oil, fresh lime juice, honey, cumin, oregano and a bit of fresh ginger. Ginger? Yes, although ginger is much more common in Asian recipes, it's also known to be used in the internationally-inspired cuisine of Mexico.
Just a small portion of the marinade is combined with the raw chicken. The rest is reduced on the stovetop for a few minutes and is transformed into a wonderful basting sauce to brush on the chicken as it cooks.
This Mexican Honey-Lime Grilled Chicken is wonderful served with rice and salsa and works well for sandwiches and wraps. It also makes a spectacular Mexican-inspired salad. Check it out!
You're probably way ahead of me on these magical chicken thighs and throw them in your shopping cart quite regularly. But if not, trust me, you've been missing out on something amazing. I'm here to tell you - you can teach an old dog new tricks!
Café Tips for making this Mexican Honey-Lime Grilled Chicken
- If you're in a hurry, you can marinate the chicken for just 30 minutes with great results, but I've also let it sit much longer in the marinade for an even deeper, richer flavor.
- It's important to allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes after removing it from the grill so the delicious juices can be redistributed and not pour out onto the serving platter.
- This Mexican Honey-Lime Grilled Chicken is fantastic paired with Cilantro Rice (Arroz Verde).
- For a delicious variation, use this Spicy Cilantro Honey-Lime Dressing as a drizzling sauce for this chicken.
- Make a quesadilla with the leftovers. Just slice the chicken thinly then pile it into a flour tortilla with a handful of shredded Colby Jack cheese. Pan grill until golden then serve with this Best Ever, Super Easy Salsa. Delish!
- Okay, if you're a died-in-the-wool chicken breast lover, this recipe can be made with breasts. Be sure to pound the breasts to an even thickness and don't marinate them for more than 30 minutes. Use an instant thermometer and take them off the grill when the thickest part of the breast reaches 160˚F.
Thought for the day:
Do not be anxious about anything,
but in every situation, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God,
which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6
What we're listening to for inspiration:
If you enjoy this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations and ideas for variations.
Mexican Honey-Lime Grilled Chicken - don't worry about this chicken drying out, it stays moist, tender and full of fabulous Southwest-inspired flavor!
- 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (trim off most of the fat)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons honey
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- 3 medium cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
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Combine all marinade ingredients in a saucepan and stir well.
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Transfer 3 tablespoons of marinade to a zippered bag and add chicken. Massage bag well to coat all chicken pieces. Marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.
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Heat remaining marinade over medium heat till mixture comes to a boil. Continue to cook (watch carefully so that mixture does not overflow pan) until syrupy and reduced to one-half original volume, about 1-2 minutes. Set aside to cool.
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If cooking on an outside grill, preheat the grill to medium-high. When hot, add chicken and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
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Cook for about 12-15 minutes, turning frequently and basting with the reduced sauce until golden, slightly charred in places and internal temperature reaches 160˚.
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To cook inside, heat oil in a large saute pan till almost smoking. Add chicken and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
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Cook for about 10 minutes, turning frequently, until golden, slightly charred in places and internal temperature reaches 160˚. Brush frequently with the reduced sauce while cooking. (Don't over-crowd the thighs in the pan or they will simmer instead of sautéing. Make in 2 batches if necessary.)
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Tent chicken with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.
If you prefer to use Metric measurements there is a button in each of our recipes, right above the word “Instructions”. Just click that button to toggle to grams, milliliters, etc. If you ever come across one of our recipes that doesn’t have the Metric conversion (some of the older recipes may not), feel free to leave a comment and I will add it.
Jennifer says
Delicious! I just recently found you and have made and am planning to make several of your recipes.
Also, thank you for sharing your faith! Jesus has been my lifeline and I'm so thankful to "meet" others who know HIM.
🙂
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
So happy to hear that, Jennifer! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment 😊
Carol Rivers says
I made the chicken as per your recipe. It was delicious, and I also made the Mexican salad as written as well.
We had company and I’m still hearing rave reviews the next day!
Thank you for your amazing recipes that are very flavourful and easy to follow.
Carol
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Wonderful! Thank you for letting us know, Carol!
Char says
Would this recipe work in an air fryer?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Char, I think so but I don't have an air fryer, so I can't advise you on that. But if you try it, let us know.
Claudia Stahl says
I made this with your Mexican Chopped Salad. Both delicious. I then made this marinade and tried it with salmon fillets. Lovely. Very fresh and flavorful. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Claudia!
Sandy B says
This is a KEEPER! Made this tonight and it was just excellent. I didn't have fresh ginger, substituted ground, but next time will use fresh. I'm sure fresh will add another level of greatness. I sautéed the 6-hr.-marinated chicken thighs in a stainless steel skillet, cooked to about 160 degrees, and the sauce began to caramelize which was amazing. Can't wait to try them on the grill! The combination of flavors makes this dish. Thanks so much for YET another fantastic recipe! Love to use your recipes because they always turn out fabulous.
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thank you for letting us know, Sandy!
Marcia says
Do you think this would work with shrimp? I’ve made this with chicken breast in the past and my family loves it but my daughter is a vegetarian.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Marcia, it would be delicious with shrimp but the time on the grill would be much less.
Nanci says
Do you feel the ground coriander adds a lot to the seasoning? I hate buying a spice that I wouldn’t use that often. But if you think it’s essential I will. Thanks
Chris Scheuer says
Ground coriander is a wonderful spice to have in your repertoire. It has a citrusy, yet somewhat savory flavor. If you make a lot of our recipes, you will not be wasting your coriander as I tend to use it a lot to add another layer of delicious flavor. That being said, this recipe will still be very delicious if you decide to skip it.
Marlene Wilkins says
This recipe looks very tasty. Glad you enjoyed your trip to Swiss Alps. We went to Zurich with friends and didn't see the gorgeous mountains.
Thank you for the recipe. M
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Marlene!
Lina says
Can I brown them on the stove and finish cooking them in the oven?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Lina, that should work but I haven't tried this recipe on the stove top/oven so I can't advise you on times.
CalamityJane says
Made this tonight on the grill with chicken thighs - delicious! I used a jalapeno honey that I'd bought locally. Marinated the chicken thighs but instead of basting throughout, just brushed the cooked chicken with the remaining, cooked glaze. Saving this recipe for sure!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for sharing your review and adaptation, I'm so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Lian says
Noob question here- is coriander as in chopped coriander or coriander powder. Thank you
Chris Scheuer says
In this recipe, it is ground coriander, not fresh.
marian lane says
AWESOME flavor! I made this exactly as written (because, hello, you create fabulous recipes!). I served it with a green rice from Fine Cooking and a salad with a modified version of Epicurious' Cilatro dressing (don't use that dressing as written because it's WAY too oily). If you are interested in the dressing, I wrote a review under pocket_nurse. Thank you Chris! You NEVER disappoint.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Marian! I really appreciate your kind words. Sounds like a wonderful dinner!
Susan says
Do you add brown sugar.? Recipe does not include. Description above does.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Susan, originally the recipe did include brown sugar but I realized it wasn't necessary. Thanks for catching that! I've corrected that in the post!
Liz says
Sounds perfect for chicken tacos! The flavors sound fabulous!!!
Chris Scheuer says
It is Liz. We come back to this recipe all the time!