Description
Flavor-packed Mexican chicken marinade blends zesty lime, smoky chipotle, and bold spices for an explosive grilling experience. Marinate chicken for 30 minutes to infuse maximum flavor before cooking you’ll savor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 limes, juiced
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 tbsp (1 ½ tbsps) chipotle paste
- 1 tsp chili powder or chili flakes
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 ½ tbsps onion powder
- 1 ½ tbsps oregano
- 2 tsps garlic powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 ½ tsps salt
- ⅓ cup (79 ml) vegetable oil
Instructions
- Marinade Preparation: Whisk together lime juice, olive oil, garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl until thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Chicken Coating: Submerge chicken pieces completely in the marinade, using hands to massage seasoning evenly across all surfaces, ensuring total flavor penetration.
- Flavor Infusion: Cover container with tight-fitting lid or plastic wrap, then refrigerate for minimum 30 minutes or up to 24 hours to allow spices to deeply permeate the meat.
- Storage Option: For extended preservation, transfer marinated chicken to freezer-safe container, maintaining marinade’s potency and preventing flavor degradation.
- Preparation Planning: Remove chicken from refrigerator approximately 15-20 minutes before cooking to allow meat to reach near-room temperature, promoting more even cooking and enhanced tenderness.
Notes
- Marinate Mindfully: Allow chicken to soak for at least 30 minutes, but overnight marinating delivers the most explosive flavor penetration and maximum meat tenderness.
- Spice Safety Check: Use fresh, high-quality spices to ensure robust taste and prevent potential bacterial growth during marination process.
- Refrigeration Rule: Always marinate chicken in the refrigerator to maintain food safety and prevent harmful bacterial development at room temperature.
- Flavor Boost Technique: Massage marinade deeply into chicken pieces to help spices completely penetrate and enhance overall taste profile of the meat.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 260 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg