Grilled Honey Lime Chicken is sweet and tangy grilled chicken breasts, topped off with a delicious honey-lime glaze, and they’re ready in just 15 minutes!
I know I’m not alone when I say that chicken is a go-to dinner in our house. It’s inexpensive and easy to cook, but let’s be honest, it can get pretty boring. Luckily, this Grilled Honey Lime Chicken recipe is the perfect way to turn plain chicken into something extraordinary. I’ve made this hundreds of times for those last-minute summer dinners when the afternoon just got away from me. Top it with a fresh scoop of pico de gallo, and you’ll have a new family favorite on your hands.
GRILLED HONEY LIME CHICKEN
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I’ve tried a couple of honey lime chicken recipes in my time, but this one packs the perfect combination of flavors. This chicken always comes out moist on the grill, and the marinade makes the most flavorful glaze that coats the surface of the chicken. Every bite of this grilled chicken is flavored to perfection.
GRILLED HONEY LIME CHICKEN VARIATION
I often alternate between chicken breasts and chicken thighs. The wonderful thing about this recipe is that you can use it on whatever cut of chicken you want. This honey lime chicken marinade will turn every piece of chicken into a masterpiece. Chicken thighs are forgiving if cooked a little long and tend to be juicier. Keep in mind that if you decide to use a different cut of chicken, you want to check doneness with an internal thermometer and not rely on cook time.
HOW TO COOK GRILLED HONEY LIME CHICKEN
This grilled chicken is so easy to make and comes out perfect every time!
Grill Setup
Make sure that you preheat your grill to medium heat, roughly 350 degrees. Once the grill is heated, but before reaching temperature, give the grates a clean. Then close the lid and allow to finish preheating.
When To Start Basting
Start basting the chicken at an internal temperature of about 160 degrees. Allow the chicken to continue cooking until it reaches 165 degrees.
Resting Time
Once the chicken is done cooking, remove it and cover loosely with foil for about 5 minutes. I usually use this time to clean my grill. Resting allows the juices to remain trapped in the chicken.
Tips & Tricks
Food Safety
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it doesn’t use a honey lime chicken marinade, like my tequila lime marinated chicken. So I’m not having to plan ahead to make this last-minute dinner. Instead, it has a dry rub and then a sweet and tangy honey-lime sauce that you’ll use to baste the chicken at the end. Be sure that you don’t use the honey-lime sauce on your raw chicken to avoid contamination.
Alternate Cooking Options
If you can’t grill outside, you can use a stovetop grill pan or cook this chicken in a skillet. Place a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, add a little olive oil to prevent sticking, and brown the chicken before brushing with the sauce.
If you’d rather bake this chicken, add the seasoned chicken to a baking dish and pour the sauce over top. Then bake at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, spooning the sauce over top once or twice. Serve the chicken with some of the liquid in the baking dish spooned over the top.
No matter how you cook Honey Lime Chicken, be sure that the temp reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
What To Serve with Grilled Honey Lime Chicken
This chicken goes great with flavorful sides like Skinny Mexican Street Corn or Mexican Rice. Wash it down with a delicious margarita!
What To Do With Leftovers
Grilled Chicken Salad – The warmer the weather gets, the more I crave a refreshingly cold salad for lunch or dinner. Honey lime chicken is the perfect protein to pair with your favorite salad mix. One of my favorites is Berry Avocado Grilled Chicken Salad.
Tacos – Honey Lime Chicken Tacos are a simple and delicious meal that you can use this recipe for! Just chop the grilled chicken once it is done and serve it taco bar style with fresh tortillas, cheese, lettuce, and an easy blender salsa.
TRY THESE OTHER CHICKEN RECIPES
Looking for more ways to change up your chicken dinners. Here are some reader favorites for you to try.
- Citrus Chicken Breast Marinade
- Creamy Garlic Butter Chicken
- Crock Pot Lemon Chicken
- Crock Pot Crack Chicken
- Bacon-Wrapped Chicken
- More DINNER recipes…
TOOLS USED TO MAKE THIS HONEY LIME CHICKEN RECIPE
Marinade Brush: I don’t like to waste a drop of marinade, so this brush is perfect! I get a thick, even coat every time, and my meat always comes off the grill delicious!
Tongs: Every time I grill, I make sure my favorite tongs are at the ready, so I always get the perfect cook on my meats and veggies.
*This post was originally posted on 07/17/2014.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 lime* zested and quartered
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- Lime slices for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to a medium heat
- Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels.
- In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin. Then sprinkle evenly over both sides of the chicken breasts.
- In another small bowl, combine the lime zest, lime juice, honey, and chili powder.
- Place the seasoned chicken on the grill and cook for about 5 minutes. Then flip and cook on the other side for another 5 to 6 minutes.
- Brush both sides of the chicken with honey-lime sauce.
- Continue cooking the chicken and brushing with sauce until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Remove from the grill** and serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Storage and Reheating
You can safely store leftover chicken in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. To reheat, you have options.
On the stovetop – place in a skillet over medium-low heat.
In the oven – heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the chicken on a baking sheet and gently tent with foil.
FAQ
Yes, just be sure to check doneness with an internal thermometer, and not by cook time. For thighs, you want 165-175 degrees F.
Yes, season the chicken as normal, spray a baking dish with cooking spray, and then place the chicken in the dish. Pour the honey lime sauce on top. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, until 165 degrees.
Yes, place the grill pan over medium heat and brush with olive oil to prevent sticking.
Be sure not to add the honey lime sauce to the chicken until just before it is done cooking.
Sugar can burn fast.
You can add the dry rub to the chicken earlier that day, or cook ahead, store it, and reheat when ready. This is a FAST recipe, though, so it may be worth making it fresh.
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