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Grilled chicken thighs have never tasted better! This Jalapeño Honey Lime Marinade combines sweet, sour, and a touch of heat for juicy, flavorful chicken that’s perfect for summer BBQs or weeknight dinners.
If you’ve been searching for grilled chicken recipes, look no further.
This recipe was originally posted in June 2017 and has been updated with new photos and additional information to help you make the recipe.
Why I Think You’ll Love This Recipe
- Incredible flavor: The mix of honey, lime, and jalapeño creates a perfectly balanced marinade with sweet, tangy, and spicy notes.
- Quick and simple: The marinade takes just minutes to make, and the chicken cooks in under 20 minutes.
- Perfect for grilling: Whether you’re using a gas grill, charcoal grill, or grill pan, this recipe delivers juicy, tender chicken thighs every time.
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs: Skinless, boneless thighs are tender, flavorful, and quick to cook.
- Jalapeño honey lime marinade: A mix of olive oil, honey, lime juice, minced jalapeño, garlic, and kosher salt for bold, fresh flavor.
Exact quantities are listed below in the recipe card. Note: the recipe card allows you to easily scale the recipe and will automatically adjust the ingredient quantities.
Instructions
Always refer to the recipe card below, but here is a visual summary.
1. Mix the Marinade
In a gallon-size resealable plastic bag, combine olive oil, honey, lime juice, minced jalapeño, crushed garlic, and kosher salt. Seal the bag and squeeze to mix. Taste and adjust the marinade to your liking.
2. Marinate the Chicken
Add the chicken thighs to the bag, seal tightly, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight for maximum flavor.
3. Grill the Chicken
Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Spray the grill grates with olive oil spray to prevent sticking. You can use a cast iron grill pan or your outdoor BBQ grill, and if you don’t have either, a cast iron pan works great too.
Place the chicken thighs on the grill and cook for 8–10 minutes per side, flipping once, until grill marks form and the internal temperature reads 165°F using an instant-read thermometer.
4. Rest and Serve
Let the chicken rest on a cutting board for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve immediately with your favorite sides.
This meal goes great with Instant Pot Charro Pinto Beans and Cilantro Lime Rice.
Tips for the Best Grilled Chicken
- Use dark meat: Chicken thighs are more forgiving than breasts and stay juicy even if slightly overcooked.
- Don’t skip the marinade: It adds flavor and helps tenderize the meat.
- Check the temperature: Use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is fully cooked without drying out.
What to Serve with Grilled Chicken
This grilled chicken pairs beautifully with summery side dishes like Mexican street corn, potato salad, or a simple avocado salad. For a complete meal, add warm tortillas or Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Dressing for dessert!
If you tried this Marinated Grilled Chicken recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
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Pin ItGrilled Chicken Thighs with Jalapeno Honey Lime Marinade
Ingredients
- 2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs
- olive oil spray or alternate cooking spray
Chicken marinade:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 large jalapeno stem and seeds removed, minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Mix marinade: Using a large resealable gallon-size plastic storage bag, combine all marinade ingredients WITHOUT the chicken. Squeeze the bag to mix well. Taste the marinade and adjust if desired.3 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons honey, 3 tablespoons lime juice, 1 large jalapeno, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Marinate: Add the 2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs to the marinade. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least an hour up to overnight.
- Cook: Heat the grill over medium-high heat. You can use a cast iron grill pan or your outdoor BBQ grill. Spray the grill with olive oil spray to prevent sticking. Cook for 8-10 minutes on each side. Time will vary, but flip when nice grill marks appear. Cook on second side until cooked through and internal temperature reads 165°F. Take care not to overcook.
- Serve immediately. Garnish with cilantro. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can you bake chicken in the oven?
Yes! I would probably do 350°F until the internal temp reaches like 160°F and then I would stick them under the broiler for a couple minutes to give them a bit of a crisp.
This is a great recipe however please NEVER wash your chicken before cooking it. It will develop harmful bacteria and can make you incredibly sick. Make this dish but remove that step from this blog and never wash the chicken.
Thanks for seeing that! I actually don’t rinse my chicken any more but haven’t heard that rinsing it can actually cause issues. I can go ahead and remove that from the recipe since I don’t rinse anymore. I just stopped because it seemed unnecessary.
Yes, if you cook it at high enough temperature, it’s meaningless to wash it. We used to do same thing, but you can easily cross contaminate if you wish it in your kitchen sink. It is very hard for cleaning products to 100% kill samenolli (or whatever else), so it’s best to just let the fire kill it (like in less than only a few minutes) when it is cooking at high temp.
Can o bake the chicken if so how long? Also i dont have fresh jalapenos can i use jarred sliced ones instead cause i have those? This looks so good im hoping to yry once i know theses answers dont own a grill and want to make as soon as possible. Always looking for new ways to enjoy chicken
Whenever I bake meat, I always determine when it’s done with a thermometer vs. time. I just cook until it has reached the proper internal temperature. Jarred jalapenos will work but they will definitely taste different. Fresh vs jarred is a matter of preference.
Absolutely fantastic! I made double the marinade, used half for the marinade, and boiled the extra For a couple minutes to meld the flavors. The family loved having the extra to dip their chicken and veggies in!!! Definitely will make again! (PS having a little extra vitamin c and honey is a good thing! That’s how I found this recipe!)
I just finish cooked by follow the recipe. The recipe was so nice especially the sauce. Thanks for sharing the recipe
Does the olive oil go in the marinade or is it listed just because you spray the grill with it?
it goes in the marinade
Made this dish the other night for my family! Absolutely delicious! Winner, winner, chicken, dinner ;0). Very easy to prepare ahead of time. I’m a working mom, so I love easy meals with fresh ingredients. I served with brown rice, tomato & basil salad – also roasted some peppers on the side.
Wondering if it would be too spicy if I left the seeds & stems of the jalapeño ?
its all about personal preference, however I’ve never left the stem on… only the seeds to add more heat.
Holy cow, that dish looks absolutely incredible! Pinned and trying!
How much OJ for this? It kinda merged with the chicken.
The recipe doesn’t call for OJ
I think she meant OI for the olive oil. Easy keyboard error.
Can’t wait to try this. I’m going to use my grill plate on the stove since it’s a bit too chilly and windy out to grill. I have faith!!!