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HomeRecipesChicken

Lime Chicken Marinade

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By: IsabelPosted: 5/24/21

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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.

Lime chicken marinated thighs on a plate ready to eat.

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 mexican chicken 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.

Chicken thighs being marinated in a bowl with lime chicken marinade.

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.
Grilled lime chicken marinated thighs ready to eat.

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!

Sliced juicy lime marinated chicken on a cutting board.

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.

More Marinade Recipes

  • Skirt Steak Marinade
  • Mexican Chicken Marinade
  • Steak Fajita Marinade

Recipe

4.72 from 14 votes

Lime Chicken Marinade

Serves: 6 servings
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Lime chicken marinated thighs on a plate ready to eat.
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.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/6th of recipe Calories: 264kcal (13%) Carbohydrates: 6g (2%) Protein: 30g (60%) Fat: 13g (20%) Saturated Fat: 3g (15%) Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 144mg (48%) Sodium: 865mg (36%) Potassium: 426mg (12%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 2g (2%) Vitamin A: 149IU (3%) Vitamin C: 7mg (8%) Calcium: 30mg (3%) Iron: 2mg (11%)
Author: Isabel Eats
Course:Main
Cuisine:Mexican
Lime chicken marinated thighs on a plate ready to eat.
Did you Make my Lime Chicken Marinade?Leave a comment below and tag @isabeleats on social media!
@isabeleats

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    One Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice
  • Two hands chopping cilantro on a cutting board.
    How to Chop Cilantro
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Have a question? Use the form below to submit your question or comment. I love hearing from you and seeing what you made!
Recipe Rating:




  1. Leela says

    Posted on 7/27 at 9:27 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious! We used chicken breasts, bottled lime juice and Italian parsley–it was still excellent. Can’t wait to make with fresh limes!

    Reply
  2. Amber says

    Posted on 5/15 at 12:46 pm

    Hello- so the chicken won’t get a funky texture sitting in the marinade in the freezer because if the lime juice? Just want to double check as I’m making a large batch for a party and don’t wAnt to ruin it 😣

    Reply
    • Ana @ Isabel Eats says

      Posted on 5/16 at 9:54 am

      Hi Amber! No the citrus makes the chicken really tender! Let us know how it turns out.

      Reply
  3. Michael says

    Posted on 11/7 at 2:21 pm

    I kind of winged this recipe because I couldn’t find the soy sauce and had to use whatever packets I had (which is about 1 1/2 T each. I had 4.). I also found Sriracha in the cupboard so I used that instead of cumin and red chili flakes.

    Then I took your advice and added about 4T tequila.

    It’s marinating now and I just realized I forgot the brown sugar!

    Should I just see what happens without it?

    Reply
    • Ana @ Isabel Eats says

      Posted on 1/17 at 3:06 pm

      Hello Micheal! Yes, the marinade will lack the subtle sweetness and caramelization from the brown sugar but it should still be tasty!

      Reply
  4. Sue says

    Posted on 9/19 at 6:49 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious!

    Reply
  5. Kat says

    Posted on 6/16 at 7:37 pm

    5 stars
    SO good!! I don’t know how, but the marinade leaves the chicken amazingly juicy and tender. It honestly cut through like butter with the side of a fork. Our 22 month old liked it too!

    Reply

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Isabel Orozco-Moore, Founder of Isabel Eats
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A first-generation Mexican American who loves to cook! Here at Isabel Eats, you’ll find a mix of all your favorite authentic Mexican recipes with a twist!

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