This Mexican marinated chicken recipe uses orange and lime juices, a chili pepper, olive oil, salsa and salt to create grilled chicken that is incredibly succulent and flavorful!
Does anyone else desperately need a vacation? Or how about some chicken that just tastes like you’re on vacation?
Behold, I give you Grilled Citrus-Marinated Mexican Chicken!
You guys, I pretty much live for this chicken. It is so incredibly moist succulent and flavorful, the pictures just don’t do it justice.
I took one bite and realized just how badly the husband and I need to get out of this snow-globe of clouds and go somewhere beautiful.
Aren’t those just the pretties oranges you’ve ever seen?
Psych! They’re actually Honeybells, which are a cross between a grapefruit and a tangerine. Beautiful, right?
The only thing more beautiful may be these caramelized grill marks:
For this Mexican chicken marinade, we use orange and lime juices, a chili pepper, olive oil, salsa and salt and marinate the chicken overnight, so the acid from the citrus juices tenderizes the chicken and the sugar helps create those oh-so-pretty caramelized grill marks.
If you want less grill marks, then slice the chicken breasts thin, so that they cook faster.
You can cook this Mexican marinated chicken on a grill, or using a grill pan like this one
on your stove top.
This Mexican orange chicken is totally killer (yes, I just said “killer”) with some Mexican rice and a classic Mexican Three Bean & Three Pepper Salad.
For those of you that follow on Facebook, you probably saw that I gave my followers the choice between this recipe being posted today, or my recipe for German Goulash.
I think everyone must be as sick of the cold weather as I am because this tropical chicken recipe won by majority vote.
Be sure to pin this recipe to share it with your loved ones!
Here’s the Recipe!
Grilled Citrus-Marinated Mexican Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 c. fresh orange juice
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 1 dried chipotle chili pepper - stemmed and seeded
- 1 c. mild salsa
- 1/4 c. olive oil
- 1 tsp. salt
- 4 boneless - skinless chicken breast halves
- 1 orange - sliced into rings
- 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Bring the orange juice, lime juice and chili pepper to a boil in a small saucepan. Turn the heat down to medium and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes or until the chili pepper is re-hydrated. Turn off the heat and let cool.
- Once cooked, pour the juice mixture into the bowl of a blender and add the salsa, olive oil, and salt. Puree until smooth. Place the chicken in a plastic zipper-close bag, then pour the marinade over the top. Let marinate at least 2 hours, or up to 10 hours.
- Preheat your grill to about 400 degrees Fahrenheit (high heat). Once hot, place the chicken breasts on the grill rack and cook 12-20 minutes (depending on thickness of breast), turning every few minutes to prevent burning.
- Once cooked through, remove the chicken from the grill and place on a platter. Garnish with the orange slices and cilantro.
Nutrition
Thanks for your insightful comment, Rebecca!
Love how fresh and simple this recipe is and all the flavors in it! Can’t wait to try this, thankful we live in Texas so I can grill year round!! Pinned girl, and love your blog!
Thanks, Krista!! So glad to have a new bloggy buddy 🙂
This looks yummy! I am Pinning it for later. stopped by from the SITS Girls linkup
Looks so delicious!
Thank you, Anjana!
Love the chicken recipe!! We grill year round usually, but this winter has been a tad bit too cold for this Texan to be outside grilling. Have fun on your cruise. It’s going to be amazing trip! Thanks for the recipe!!
Thanks, Crystal! This lady is going to have to get back in the gym to get ready for vacation! Overeating kind of goes with the food-blogging territory 😉 Enjoy the chicken!