Chile Lime Chicken

This chile lime chicken recipe is easy to make on the grill or stovetop, starting with a bold, flavorful marinade made with dried red chiles, fresh lime, and jalapeno!

Why this recipe works

A combination of dried red chiles, lime juice, jalapeno, and a bit of minced garlic makes this chile lime chicken marinade one of the most flavorful chicken dinners I’ve made to date. And I’ve been making this dish since the summer of 2010, which says a lot!

This chile lime chicken recipe is made on the grill, but I’ll also show you how to make it on the stovetop in a grill pan as well. You control the spice in the marinade. For a spicy dinner, don’t remove any of the seeds, or remove some if you like heat but not an overpowering amount. If you remove all the seeds, this dish won’t be spicy, but will still have great flavor!

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

CHICKEN – I prefer to use chicken breasts, but you can easily swap with thighs if preferred. Keep and eye on the chicken when cooking it if you do substitute, as the cooking times may vary.

PEPPERS – For the red chiles, if you prefer a mild to moderate spice level, buy Guajillo peppers. If you prefer some heat, get Puya peppers instead. The recipe tells you to remove all the seeds, however, if you want some heat leave some in! The same goes for the jalapeno pepper.

LIMES – You’ll need 4 limes for this recipe. They’ll be juiced and sliced. If you like, before juicing the limes, zest them. Put the zest in a freezer bag and save for another recipe.

How to Make Chile Lime Chicken

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

1. Trim any excess fat from the chicken breasts.
2. Soak the chiles in hot water to rehydrate. Once rehydrated, cut off the stem and seed them. Toss chiles into a mini food chopper with the garlic, lime juice, jalapeno, and salt. Puree.
3. Slice the 4 limes into 1/4 inch slices and then cut in half.
4. Cut diagonal slits in the chicken breasts to allow them to soak in more of the flavor from the rub.
5. Rub chicken with chile mixture and place into a glass baking dish. Insert lime slices into the slits you cut into the chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 2-8 hours.
6. Preheat grill to 375 F.
7. Remove lime slices from the chicken before placing breasts on the grill. (We have a flat top and grill combination, so we added the lime slices to the flat top side!)
8. Cook chicken, undisturbed, for 5-7 minutes before turning over. Cook another 5 minutes and turn again. Continue cooking until the internal temperature (in the thick end) reaches 165 F.

Cooking on the grill vs. a pan

I’ve made this recipe both ways… on the grill is my preferred method, but when it’s raining or my grill is covered with 2 feet of snow, I reach for my cast iron grill pan. You can also use an indoor grill for this Chile Lime Chicken!

Some tips for the grill

1. Preheat the grill on medium-high and close the lid, letting it heat up for about 10-15 minutes.
2. Open lid and clean grate with grill brush.
3. Turn the grill temperature down to medium-low. Wad up a couple pieces of paper towel and grab the wad with a pair of tongs. Dip the wadded paper towel into some vegetable oil, then using the tongs, brush the grates with the oiled paper towel.
4. Place the chicken on the grill and cover with a disposable aluminum pan (or close the lid). Allow to cook for 6-8 minutes, long enough to create nice grill marks. Turn the breasts over and cover with aluminum pan for 6-8 minutes more.
5. Turn grill temperature back up to high. Grill chicken a few minutes more on each side. Internal temperature should be 165.

Some tips for your grill pan

1. Preheat a heavy duty (I prefer cast iron) grill pan over high heat for about 2-3 minutes.
2. Use Canola oil instead of olive oil as it has a higher smoking point.
3. Reduce heat to medium-high and add some Canola oil to the pan, use a barbecue brush or wadded paper towel to ensure the entire pan is coated.
4. Place chicken breasts in pan and cook for 5-8 minutes on the first side, loosely covered without disturbing, to allow those beautiful grill marks to form!
5. Use tongs to turn the chicken breasts over and cook loosely covered for an additional 5-8 minutes.
6. Turn off heat and allow chicken breasts to rest in pan for at least 5 minutes before cutting.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

It entirely depends on what kind of peppers you use in the marinade on whether or not your chicken is spicy. If you choose to use Guajillo peppers, expect a mild-moderate heat level, whereas, if you use Puya peppers, expect it to have some heat! The spice level is easily adjustable. If you prefer it less spicy, remove most of the pith and seeds from the peppers. On the otherhand, if you like it spicy, keep both intact.

I would suggest marinating this recipe for at least 2 hours, though 8 hours is best for the most flavor absorption. Anything less than 2 hours, there’s simply not enough time for the marinade to soak into the chicken. 1 hour is okay in a pinch, but I would definitely recommend prepping this the morning of!

Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Serving Suggestions

Chile lime chicken makes the best leftovers, especially when chopped up and thrown into a salad or chicken quesadilla. For serving, I highly recommend squeezing some fresh lime over the top of this chicken just to kick it up one more notch.

Pair it with a side of grilled vegetables and a starchy side such as rice or mashed potatoes. It’s also great sliced and stuffed inside wraps, burritos, and tacos!

More Chicken Recipes

• Baja Chicken
• Blackened Chicken
• Chicken Marinades
• Marinated Grilled Chicken Kabobs

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