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This Honey Lime Chicken is perfectly grilled tender and juicy meat. Marinated in a honey lime cilantro marinade, the flavor of this chicken is incredible!
Fresh and zippy this chicken is dynamite. Make it a scrumptious meal and serve it with Asparagus, Pineapple, and Potatoes.
Grilled Honey Lime Chicken
Honey + Lime + Cilantro = one of my favorite flavor combinations. Something about the sweet honey and tangy lime plus the cilantro infuse this chicken with such amazing flavor. I love cilantro! It is one of my favorite herbs to cook and garnish with. Definitely grill it up this summer with your family! You will not regret it!
This marinade comes together quickly and I love to marinade for a few hours so the chicken can soak up the delicious flavor. I am seriously all about the quick and easy BBQ dishes lately. Since the weeks are starting to get so busy and school is almost over this chicken was a delicious meal that my entire family loved. After a busy day, we love to just spend time in the backyard while we BBQ. I always call a meal a success when the entire family including the picky eater devours it. We all loved this chicken so much and the flavor is awesome!
Ingredients For Honey Lime Cilantro Chicken
Just a handful of ingredients is all you need to make a dish that is going to sizzle, literally! This honey lime chicken has all the flavor! For all the ingredient amounts scroll to the bottom for the recipe card.
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts, or thighs: I have used both with great success
- Lime juice: Freshly squeezed is the best.
- Honey: Sweet honey compliments the lime beautifully.
- Soy Sauce: Adds a bit of umami flavor that is impeccable.
- Olive oil: To help the chicken cook up nicely and give a bit of flavor.
- Garlic cloves: minced
- Cilantro finely chopped: Adds so much freshness and color.
- Salt and Pepper: Add to taste.
Let’s Grill Some Chicken!
From beginning to end, this is an easy full of flavor chicken the whole family will love! Grilled chicken is a favorite in our home and this recipe is so quick and easy to make!
- The Marinade: In a small bowl combine lime juice, honey, soy sauce, olive oil, garlic, cilantro, salt, and pepper.
- Let it all soak in: Pour the sauce over the chicken and let marinate for 3 hours or overnight.
- Grill: Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Grill each side of the chicken for about 3-4 minutes or until cooked throughout and no longer pink.
Tips for the Best Chicken with Honey Lime Cilantro Marinade
You will love this easy dynamite grilled chicken! Honey and lime mixed together is the perfect combination! Then top it off with cilantro and you have a dynamic duo. With these quick tips you will be grilling the perfect chicken every time.
- Chicken: It all starts with the chicken. For grilling, I highly recommend using chicken thighs with bone-in if you can. They will be the juiciest. If you use chicken breasts, pound them so they are the same thickness. They will cook more evenly.
- Marinate: The lime and soy sauce will act like an acid breaking down the chicken fibers and helping them absorb the flavor and moisture. This will help the chicken not only taste amazing but help keep it tender and moist.
- Spicy: If you need a bit more spice you can add some jalapeno juice or chopped-up jalapeno peppers.
- Internal Temp: The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 160 degrees for safety. Check out my other tips for how to get it cooked done, but not overdone.
- Let it Rest: Tent the chicken for 5-10 minutes to let the juices redistribute throughout the meat. This leaves more juice inside the chicken and less on your plate.
- Drizzle: Reserve 1/4 of a cup of the marinade before adding the chicken to marinate. When the chicken is done grilling drizzle the extra marinade over the top. DO NOT use the marinade the raw chicken had been sitting in.
What to Serve with this Incredible Chicken
The freshness from the lime and cilantro create a light zippy dish, that is perfect for a busy weekday or lazy weekend. The chicken is full of flavor and tender and juicy. This is perfect as a stand-alone main dish or cut it up and serve it over a salad. You can also use this honey lime cilantro chicken in tacos, rice bowls, or even make a sandwich that will sure to please. However, you serve it here are some sides to compliment your dish.
Tips For Grilling Chicken
Grilling can seem intimidating, especially with chicken, but there are just a few things to keep in mind and get right every time. Take your grilled chicken to the next level with these tips to help you out this summer!
- Prep: Preparing the grill is just as important as the marinade. Clean the grill and oil it before adding the chicken. I first clean the grill with a grill brush to get the gunk from the last grill off. Then, using tongs to hold a wad of paper towels folded into a nice square, and dipped in a high smoke oil, grease the grill.
- Chicken: If you want even a better chance of getting juicy, moist chicken, choose chicken with the skin on as well as bone-in.
- First Sear: Heat the grill with one side on high and the other side on medium-high heat. First, sear the chicken on the high heat side of the grill. Leave it on the high heat side till char marks form.
- Then Low and Slow: Once you have that nice charred grill line, flip the chicken over and onto the lower heat. Keep the grill closed to reduce drying out and grill without turning over again till desired internal temperature has been reached. The total cook time will be around 25- 30 minutes roughly.
- When to Take it Off: When chicken is removed from the grill and rested it will continue to cook inside. You can safely take your chicken off once the internal temperature reaches anywhere from 155-157. As it rests it will reach internally to 160 degrees.
More Favorite Recipe to Grill
Everyone loves grill season. Grilling gives flavor and texture to foods that can be hard to replicate. It is also a great way to keep the heat of cooking out of the house! From grilling fruits, vegetables to meats, there is a recipe for that! Whether it’s for a backyard BBQ with friends or family or a big picnic, I’ve got you covered when it comes to grilling recipes that are tried and true and absolutely amazing! These are just to get you started.
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Grilled Honey Lime Cilantro Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, or thighs
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup cilantro finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine lime juice, honey, soy sauce, olive oil, garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken and let marinade for 3 hours or overnight.
- Preheat your grill to medium high heat. Grill each side of the chicken for about 3-4 minutes or until cooked throughout and no longer pink.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious! I added some jalapeño to the marinade and extra cilantro and garlic, and I definitely recommend setting aside a spoonful of the marinade (heavy on the solids) per serving (before adding the chicken) to add a dollop on top of each piece of chicken after you take it off the grill. Delicious and tender!
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Such an incredible dish. I paired it with some thyme roasted carrots and a crispy noodle salad with a coconut peanut dressing. My friends were very impressed with the flavours! Do you think adding ginger to the marinade would work or would it ruin the current flavours?
An absolute winner! I made it with boneless skinless thighs, and it was absolutely delicious. On the menu again for tonight’s BBQ.
This was delicious and moist! Yummy!
Can’t have soy, and don’t have any coconut amino on hand…maybe teriyaki as a substitute for the soy?
I would try worchestershire sauce!
If you’re looking for gluten free, try tamari sauce, or coconut aminos.
Followed the recipe and marinated for 6 hours. Felt it needed more lime juice as it was hard to detect. I’ll double it next time.
Can I bake this chicken? And, if so, what would you recommend for the oven temperature and how long would you bake it for?
Try this recipe instead! Skillet Honey Lime Chicken
This is delicious!!!my husband hates cilantro so i left it out. I marinated boneless chicken breasts overnight. i cooked them on the Barbq grill . Served the chicken sliced over a salad of mixed greens, berries, candied pecans with a honey lime vinaigrette. Delicious!!! The chicken has immense flavor.
Honey lime & cilantro are a wonderful combination for many proteins … soy sauce adds that little something that keeps your guests wondering : ) Great recipe that gives powerful flavor in short time … great dinner!
Oh my goodness this was so delicious. My lime tree has gone crazy producing limes; found your recipe looking for recipes using lime. This chicken was great. I used agave instead of honey (because it was on hand) and everything came together beautifully. Husband says this is a keeper – right into our regular rotation of recipes. Wow! Thank you so much!
This dish was excellent! I didn’t add the wine, just more chicken broth and mixed some fresh chopped parsley with the cilantro. I also made the Greek Lemon Rice but switched out the lemon juice for lime juice! Really outstanding! Big winner dinner at my house. Will be making this again. Thanks for your wonderful, flavorful recipes!
Outstanding recipe. I served the chicken over jasmine rice then topped with mango salsa. Super delicious. Just the right amount of sweet and savory.
delicious!!! we were “hungry” after because of the mouthwatering taste 🙂
I tried this and loved it with both bone in with skin and also boneless skinless chicken thighs…I’m not one who needs to count calories so you can guess witch one I preferred. To each own. Try and do the same and see who likes which. Good eatn.
This looks great. Unfortunately, I don’t have a grill. How can I cook this in an oven or stove?
Cooking in the oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes or until your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degree Fahrenheit.
I’ve used the oven for this as well. It was great.