Key West Grilled Chicken (Printer-friendly)

Tropical grilled chicken with lime honey marinade and fresh herbs, bringing Florida sunshine flavors to your table in under an hour.

# What you'll need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.3 lbs)

→ Marinade

02 - 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
03 - 1/4 cup honey
04 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce (use gluten-free if needed)
05 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
06 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 teaspoon salt
08 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
09 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
10 - Zest of 1 lime
11 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (plus more for garnish)

# Method:

01 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the lime juice, honey, soy sauce, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and lime zest until well combined. Stir in the chopped cilantro.
02 - Place chicken breasts in a large ziplock bag or shallow dish. Pour marinade over the chicken, ensuring all pieces are evenly coated. Seal or cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours for more flavor).
03 - Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Lightly oil the grates.
04 - Remove chicken from marinade and discard the marinade. Grill chicken for 5–7 minutes per side, or until cooked through and internal temperature reaches 165°F.
05 - Transfer to a plate, cover loosely with foil, and rest for 5 minutes.
06 - Garnish with extra cilantro and serve with lime wedges if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The honey creates these gorgeous caramelized spots on the chicken that you cannot get any other way
  • My friend who claims she hates making dinner literally asked for the recipe after one bite
  • It somehow tastes like it took all day but actually comes together in under an hour
02 -
  • I once marinated chicken for 6 hours and the acid broke down the texture too much, making it mushy
  • Letting the chicken rest after grilling is what keeps it juicy instead of dry
03 -
  • Pat the chicken dry before adding it to the marinade so the flavors actually penetrate the meat
  • Room temperature chicken grills more evenly than cold from the fridge