Mexican Chicken Marinade
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
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Mexican Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts in a large ziplock bag. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.
- Pour the marinade over the chicken and seal the bag, squeezing out all the air.
- Move the chicken around in the marinade until it is all evenly coated.
- Refrigerate and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours (see note).
- You can freeze the chicken in the marinade immediately and let it marinate as it defrosts, or marinate and cook it immediately.
- Either grill the chicken for 6-8 per side, pan-fry for 6-8 minutes per side over medium heat or bake at 375 degrees F for 20-30 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 165 degrees F has been reached.
- Let the chicken rest, tented with foil, for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes, and I find 2 hours gives the best flavor. You can technically marinate chicken breasts and thighs for up to two days in the fridge, but I don't find the flavor changes much as you increase the marinating time from 2 hours, and you may end up with mealy chicken when there's an acidic component like lemon or lime juice in the marinade as it starts to break down the meat after a certain point. My recommendation is to cook it the same day you're marinating, or to freeze it and let it marinate as it defrosts overnight in the fridge or for a couple hours in cold water.
- If you'd like to use chicken thighs instead, there is enough marinade for 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, and the cook time is about the same.