Description
This Easy Mexican Chicken Marinade is a flavorful blend of citrus, spices, and herbs that tenderizes and enhances the taste of chicken. Perfect for grilling, baking, or pan-searing, this marinade is versatile and adds a Mexican flair to your dishes.
Ingredients
Scale
Marinade:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Chicken:
- 1 to 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
Instructions
- Prepare Marinade: In a medium bowl or large zip-top bag, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, orange juice, cilantro, chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- Marinate Chicken: Add the chicken to the marinade, toss to coat evenly. Seal and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, ideally 2–4 hours.
- Cook Chicken: Remove chicken from marinade, grill, bake, or pan-sear until fully cooked (internal temperature of 165°F or 74°C). Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- This marinade is perfect for grilled chicken tacos, burrito bowls, salads, or fajitas.
- You can double the recipe for meal prep or freeze marinated chicken for future use.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes (plus marinating time)
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Marinating
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast
- Calories: 240
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
