These grilled chili-lime marinated chicken thighs are perfect for a simple and delicious weeknight dinner. With an easy marinade made from lime juice, oil, and spices, these thighs come out juicy and packed with flavor. Enjoy them on tacos, burritos, or salads, or eat them on their own with a couple sides. Either way, these chicken thighs are sure to become a family favorite.
If you love an easy chicken thigh recipe, you’re going to love these chili lime marinated chicken thighs.
I grill a lot of boneless skinless chicken thighs – like, A LOT. See my Greek yogurt chicken thighs, my honey garlic chicken thighs, and my grilled pineapple chicken thighs for reference.
Boneless skinless thighs are my favorite piece of protein to grill because:
- they’re quick,
- they take on flavor easily, and
- they’re more forgiving if you leave them on the grill a little too long (and haven’t we all done that).
This recipe specifically is quickly becoming a favorite because it’s really flavorful, has a simple marinade, and works just as well on its own as it does in other dishes like tacos and salads.
Everyone in my family really likes these thighs – in fact when I was recipe testing them my kids kept sneaking pieces of chicken off the cutting board and I had to send them out of the kitchen.
One last word about this recipe – don’t be thrown by the longer ingredient list! It’s mostly all spices and they’re ones you can easily find at a grocery store.
So read on for the directions, step-by-step photos, and several tips to make these juicy and delicious chili lime marinated chicken thighs.
Grab these ingredients
(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.)
- Chicken thighs – this recipe calls for boneless skinless thighs. If you’re using bone-in the cooking time will likely be longer.
- Oil – you want a mild oil for the marinade. I like to use avocado oil.
- Lime juice – fresh lime juice is key here as it typically has a tangier, brighter flavor than bottled lime juice. You can absolutely use bottled lime juice in a pinch, just know that the flavor will be more subdued.
- Spices – this recipe uses my homemade taco seasoning blend, which includes chili powder, smoked paprika, dried oregano, ground coriander, ground cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, ground black pepper, and kosher salt (I used Diamond Crystal kosher salt).
How to make grilled chili lime chicken
There are three main steps to this recipe:
- make the marinade,
- marinate the chicken, and
- grill the chicken.
Make the chili lime chicken marinade
Marinate the chicken thighs
Grill the chicken thighs
Making sure your chicken thighs don’t dry out
Concerned about dry chicken? You don’t have to be. I’ll let you in on a secret…
Internal temperature.
Yup, that’s it. The secret to juicy chicken is to grill it to the right internal temperature – before it gets too hot and dries out.
For both chicken breast and chicken thighs, that internal temperature is 165 degrees F. Thighs are more forgiving than breasts and if you cook them to a little higher temper they’ll still retain moisture, but breasts shouldn’t be cooked higher than 165 degrees F.
To do this, you’ll want to get a really accurate and speedy meat thermometer. The one I always recommended is the Thermapen by Thermoworks (affiliate links). We have had one for years and absolutely love it – we actually own two now.
To read more, check out this post I wrote on how to use a meat thermometer for grilling.
What to eat with chili lime chicken
My family loves to eat this chili lime marinated chicken with some salad, other veggies, and/or potato sides. Specific side dishes we’ve had with grilled chicken thighs are:
- Veggies: lots of options here, including grilled zucchini, grilled onions, and sauteed green beans.
- Potatoes: grilled potato wedges, mashed potatoes, or roasted potatoes are all delicious.
- Salads: a simple green side salad, something slightly sweet like a watermelon basil salad, or even an easy broccoli coleslaw work well.
If you need more side dish ideas, check out this post for sides for grilled chicken.
Using this grilled chicken for tacos, burritos, and salads
While these grilled chicken thighs are great on their own, they’re also super tasty to use in other dishes as well. I love to use them in chili lime chicken tacos, a chicken burrito bowl, or a light and fresh chicken taco salad.
Just grill the chicken as done in this recipe, then chop or slice it up and put it in the bowl with the other ingredients!
YOU can also follow me on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, & PINTEREST to see more good to eat, gluten free food on and off the grill.
If you make this grilled chili lime chicken, then don’t forget to leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Grilled Chili-Lime Marinated Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- A sealable plastic bag (or flat dish with lid)
- Grilling tongs
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Kosher Salt Diamond Crystal
- 2 tsp Dried Oregano
- 2 tsp Chili Powder
- 1.5 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- ½ tsp Ground Coriander
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
- ½ tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 2.5 tsp oil
- 1 tsp lime juice from 1 lime
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
Instructions
- Start by making the seasoning blend. Use measuring spoons to measure out each spice and place it in a small bowl. Use a small whisk to stir them all together until well combined. Set aside.
- Measure out the lime juice (or juice a lime if not already done) and oil into a liquid measuring cup. Add the spices to the cup and stir everything together until thoroughly mixed.
- Place the raw chicken thighs into a sealable gallon-sized plastic bag (you can also use a shallow 9×13 casserole dish with a lid, or use plastic wrap as a cover). Pour the marinade into the bag over the chicken, then use your hands to press the air out of the bag and seal it. Manipulate the bag to help cover the thighs in the marinade, then place it flat in the fridge for 45 minutes, flipping the bag over halfway through.
- Take the bag out of the fridge 15 minutes before you plan to grill to let the chicken warm slightly and preheat the grill to around 375 degrees F.
- Use tongs to place each chicken thigh directly on the grill grates. Close the lid and cook the thighs for 5 minutes on the first side, then use the tongs to flip it and cook another 3 minutes on the second side, again with the lid closed.
- At this point, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the steak and cook another 1 to 5 minutes until the internal temperature of each thigh reaches 165 degrees F. They won’t all reach that temperature at the same time so be sure and remove the thighs that reach that temperature first so they don’t overcook.
- Once the thighs are at temperature, remove them from the grill using the tongs and let them rest for 5 minutes on a cutting board or platter, then serve.
Tammi DurJava
Can’t wait to make these! Would it be OK to marinate them overnight or at least all day?
Thank you! 😊
Taryn Solie
Hi Tammi! I wouldn’t marinate them overnight or all day – the lime juice will “cook” the outside of the chicken thighs though the inside will still be uncooked – similar to what happens in a ceviche where the shrimp is essentially cooked by the citrus juices (it’s a process called denaturation). The chicken is likely to taste weird and mushy after being cooked on the grill after marinating that long.
If you’re looking for a way to save time, you can definitely make the marinade the night before or the morning of and have the chicken ready to go in a plastic sealable bag as well (both sitting in the fridge). Then when you come home go straight to the fridge and pour the chicken over the marinade and it will be ready to grill in an hour, giving you time to get the rest of your dinner ready. I hope that helps!
Mary
The dish is great
Taryn Solie
So glad you liked it Mary!