This Mexican chicken marinade makes a flavorful juicy chicken for tacos, fajitas, burritos and any other dish you need to add a zesty, spicy spin to.
This marinade is seriously fresh, slightly smoky, and mildly spicy– the perfect flavor to make any Mexican-style dish POP! It’s easily customizable if you’re not into spice (or you’re way into spice) by adjusting the amount of chipotle in adobo.
Marinated grilled chicken can be used so many different ways. This chicken is my go-to for topping fresh salads like; Green Goddess Salad, and The Perfect Kale Caesar. It’s also great for tacos or burritos with warm tortillas and a batch of Heirloom Tomato Pico De Gallo and Creamy Avocado Salsa to serve on top!
And, while I love to grill chicken, you don’t have to be a grill master (or even own a grill) to enjoy this chicken. The chicken can be grilled over gas or charcoal, cooked on the stove in a cast iron skillet, or stove top grill pan, for an easy dinner or meal prep dish, no matter what your kitchen set-up is.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this recipe: boneless, skinless chicken thighs, lime, oil, garlic, cilantro, chipotle in adobo, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, and salt.
Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are perfect for tender juicy chicken slathered in this marinade. But, you can use this marinade on chicken breasts or any cut of bone-in chicken if that’s what you have or prefer.
Chipotle in adobo: These canned peppers add a lot of spice and smoky flavor to this marinade. If you want to make it milder, use less, but if you love some spicy action- feel free to add a small amount more!
*See recipe card for additional notes and ingredient substitutions.*
Recipe Step by Step:
Step 1. Marinate the Chicken
Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a large bowl or pulse them all together in a blender. Next, add in the chicken thighs. Toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1-hr or up to 24-hrs. The longer you can let them marinate the better, but don’t exceed 48 hours.
Step 2. Grill the Chicken
Preheat a gas, charcoal or stovetop grill pan to medium-high heat.
Place the chicken on the grill, and cook for 6-8 minutes or until the underside is caramelized and the chicken releases from the grill. Then, flip and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Check for doneness with a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should reach at least 160F.
Step 3. Plate and Serve
Transfer the chicken to a large plate or platter, and squeeze the juice from ½ a lime overtop. Serve warm.
FAQs and Expert Tips
To get the most flavor and texture benefit, marinade your chicken for at least 1 hour minutes, but up to 24 hours.
Yes. Approaching the 48-hour mark, the meat will start to break down, becoming mushy and losing its texture.
Storing and Meal Prepping Mexican Marinated Chicken:
This recipe is great for meal prepping! To store cooked Mexican marinated grilled chicken, place leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to five days. To reheat the chicken, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 3-5 minutes or until warmed through.
Love this recipe? Here’s what to try next:
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Mexican Grilled Chicken Marinade–Perfect for Tacos, Fajitas, Burritos, and More!
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breast
- 1 juicy lime
Marinade:
- ¼ c neutral oil
- 4 large cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves and stems
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Place all of the marinade ingredients into a blender and pulse until evenly combined. (Alternatively, you can finely chop the ingredients by hand and whisk the marinade together in a bowl.) Pour the marinade into a Zip Lock bag or large bowl and then add in the chicken–toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1-hr or up to 24-hrs.
- Take the chicken out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat.
- Place the chicken on the grill, and cook for 6-8 minutes or until the underside is caramelized and the chicken releases from the grill, then flip and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Check for doneness with a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should reach at least 160F.
- Transfer the chicken to a large plate or platter, squeeze the juice from ½ a lime overtop. Serve warm!
Notes
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are perfect for tender juicy chicken slathered in this marinade. But, you can use this marinade on chicken breasts or any cut of bone-in chicken if that’s what you have or prefer. Chipotle in adobo: These canned peppers add a lot of spice and smoky flavor to this marinade. If you want to make it milder, use less, but if you love some spicy action- feel free to add a small amount more!
Storing and Re-heating Leftovers:
- To store cooked Mexican marinated grilled chicken, place leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to five days.
- To reheat the chicken, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 3-5 minutes or until warmed through.
Special Equipment: My favorite Lodge Grill Pan | Shop all Kitchen Essentials
Sandi
Absolutely delicious! I’m a single gal and love to prep single breasts frozen in marinades for an easy dinner at home. Thawed overnight and cooked in my air fryer. You could seriously use this with anything….by itself, in a tortilla or on a salad. It’s got a little heat (or a lot) and a little smoky kick. Can’t wait to check out more recipes from your site!
Leigh Anderson
Thank you, Sandi! I’m so glad you liked this recipe. 🙂
Jere Cassidy
I love to find a good marinade and we like to cook a lot of Mexican food. Luckily, I have all the ingredients and this was easy to whip up.
elena lewis
Thank you dear for sharing!
Shilpa
This chicken was so delicious and flavorful. Thank you for this lovely recipe.
MacKenzie
This marinade was perfect. I made this on Sunday and used my air fryer to grill the chicken. It’s perfect for meal prep.
Heidi
This chicken was perfect for our tacos! We are always looking for new ways to flavor our chicken and this was so yummy! I really liked the tip about not marinating too long. That’s helpful for any marinade. Thank you so much!
Sachi
Thank you for this awesome chicken marinade recipe! We’ll definitely be making this again and it fits perfectly into my low carb diet!
Sherry
I made your marinated chicken pieces on my Blackstone Griddle and they turned out amazing!! Your marinade recipe gave this chicken the best flavor. My family requested that I make this chicken recipe again.