Mexican Grilled Chicken

Learn how to make the most tender and delicious Mexican Grilled Chicken. Mexican Grilled Chicken is marinated with the perfect blend of spices and grilled to perfection.

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Mexican Grilled Chicken

My favorite flavor when it comes to cooking is the Mexican/southwest flavors of lime, chiles, and cumin.

This is a versatile recipe that you can adjust to make it your own (if you don’t like cilantro, leave it out).

Ways to Eat Grilled Chicken

There are so many different dishes to use this Mexican chicken marinade with chicken. Here are a few:

• With a side of rice and vegetables for a complete meal.
• Shredded, topped with slaw for delicious chicken tacos (try this easy chicken taco recipe made with cooked rotisserie chicken).
• With sauteed vegetables and seasoning for quick chicken fajitas.
• On top of a salad
• In a bowl of rice or quinoa, black beans, corn, avocado, salsa, and lettuce.
• In a burrito (you can use protein wraps to boost the protein content even higher).

There are so many options that you can use this grilled chicken recipe for meal prep.

Ingredients Needed

• boneless, skinless chicken breast (you could use boneless skinless chicken thighs too)
• lime juice
• avocado oil
• garlic cloves
• fresh cilantro
• chili powder
• ground cumin
• salt
• paprika (smoked paprika works great too)
• oregano
• pepper

Do I have to blend the marinade?

I decided to blend the marinade simply because it was easier and I didn’t want to cut anything (I’m lazy, okay).

If you don’t have a blender or a food processor, that’s totally fine.

Pour all the marinade ingredients into a bowl (chop the cilantro fine) and whisk together.

Marinating Time

When it comes to marinating chicken (or any meat), the longer it marinates the better.

To make this Mexican Marinade for Chicken:

I have it set for at least one hour, but if you want a really flavorful chicken I recommend whipping this up the day before and refrigerating overnight.

Olive Oil vs Avocado Oil

I used avocado oil in this recipe because of the high smoke point.

Grilling uses high heat and since avocado oil has a higher smoke point, it can be used to cook at those high temperatures.

Want to know the difference between cooking oils? Check out this quick guide to cooking oils.

Mexican Grilled Chicken Marinade

You’re going to love this healthy marinade recipe, it’s high in protein and a delicious way to keep you full until your next meal.

In the instructions below, I’m grilling the chicken on the bbq but you could add this recipe to the Instant Pot (add the marinade too) or slow cooker and shred it with a fork.

Nutrition Information

The below numbers are calculated with the recipe card, but unfortunately, they’re not always accurate.

If you’re calculating macros you can take the URL of this post and put it into MyFitnessPal to double-check (also, the amount of chicken will all weigh different).

Another thing to consider is the macros will list higher fat, but you’re not eating all that oil, it’s just there for the marinade.

• Calories: 271 calories
• Protein: 37g
• Fat: 12g (I halved the calories and grams of fat as the whole marinade isn’t included in the calories. It’s probably less than this too (I’d guess a teaspoon of oil).
• Carbs: 4g

How to Grill Chicken without Burning It

I have a large grill, but since I’m only grilling four chicken breasts I preheated on medium heat using only 2 of my burners.

Add the chicken breasts and grill on direct heat for 6-8 minutes (lift and check to make sure it’s not burning).

Flip the chicken and grill for another 6-8 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165F or very close to as you will tent and the chicken will continue to cook (times vary depending on the size of the chicken).

If you have a variety of sizes, check them individually and set aside.

Take off the bbq and tent with foil for 5 minutes.

More chicken meal prep recipes that you’ll love:

• Chicken Fajita Salad – Easiest Recipe Ever!
• Ground Chicken Stuffed Peppers
• 13 Healthy Ground Chicken Recipes
• 13 Healthy Recipes Using a Rotisserie Chicken