Get ready to spice up your chicken game with this delicious Mexican chicken marinade! With its bold flavors and vibrant spices, this simple marinade will infuse your chicken recipes with a burst of Mexican-inspired goodness.
If you're looking for an easy recipe to jazz up your usual chicken dishes, then this Mexican chicken marinade recipe is for you!
The beauty of this marinade lies not only in its flavors but also in its simplicity. With just a handful of ingredients, you can effortlessly infuse your chicken with plenty of bold flavor.
Whether you prefer grilling, baking, pan frying, or air frying, this marinade works wonders! You'll get tender, flavorful, juicy chicken every time no matter what the cooking method.
You can use this chicken in a wide variety of dishes like my Santa Fe Salad (Southwest Chicken Salad) or Grilled Chicken with Mango Avocado Salsa.
Serve this delicious chicken with other Mexican-inspired favorites like my chipotle corn salsa, guacamole, and watermelon agua fresca for the perfect meal.
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Why You'll Love This Dish
- Quick and Easy- made with simple ingredients in a matter of minutes
- Packed with flavor- ingredients like garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and dried spices infuse the chicken with great flavor
- Healthy- made with wholesome ingredients like heart-healthy olive oil, herbs, and spices
- Tenderizing effect- the marinade tenderizes the meat, giving you succulent, juicy chicken
- Perfect for meal prep- make a large batch of Mexican marinated chicken and enjoy it on salads and burrito bowls throughout the week
Doctor's Tips
- Marinades like this easy Mexican chicken marinade are a great way to infuse your food with lots of flavor without adding a lot of calories and fat. As it sits in the marinade, the chicken absorbs the flavors, resulting in a well-seasoned dish.
- The acid in the marinade also breaks down the proteins in the chicken, tenderizing it and allowing the flavors to penetrate deeper. As a result, you can get perfectly succulent and juicy chicken without relying on high-fat cooking methods.
- Looking for more marinade ideas? Check out my collection of the 20 Best Healthy Chicken Marinades.
Ingredients
Ingredient notes and substitutions. See recipe card below for full ingredient list and amounts.
- Oil- I prefer to use light olive oil or avocado oil
- Lime juice- use fresh lime juice for maximum flavor
- Cilantro- fresh cilantro is a key ingredient in this Mexican marinade but if you don't like the taste, you can substitute fresh parsley
- Dried spices- I use a mixture of ground cumin, chili powder, oregano (use Mexican oregano if you have it), salt and pepper to give the chicken a nice smoky flavor; you can substitute other spices like paprika, onion powder or cayenne pepper for extra spice.
- Garlic- I like to use fresh garlic but you can substitute garlic powder
- Chicken- I like to use boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs
How To Make Mexican Chicken Marinade Step-By-Step
See recipe card below for full recipe instructions.
- Step 1- Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Step 2- Pour the marinade into a resealable plastic bag, add the chicken, and seal it. Squeeze the bag to coat the chicken pieces fully with the marinade. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
- Step 3- To bake the chicken, transfer the chicken and marinade into a large baking dish and bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F as checked with a meat thermometer.
- Step 4- To grill the chicken, heat an outdoor grill or stovetop grill pan to medium high heat and brush with oil. Remove chicken from the marinade and cook 5-6 minutes on the first side until nice grill marks form. Then flip, and cook another 5-6 minutes until chicken is cooked through. You can also cook the chicken in a large skillet on the stove or in an air fryer (see recipe card below for details).
Chef's Tips
- You can use any cut of chicken that you like with this recipe. I typically use boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs.
- Marinate the chicken at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. If you marinate it longer, the chicken will break down and get mushy.
- As it marinates, the surface of the chicken will get a little bit white because of the lime juice- that's normal.
- You can cook this chicken on the grill, in the oven, in a skillet or in an air fryer.
- The best way to tell if your chicken is cooked completely is to check it with a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken. The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- For best results, let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing it to allow the juices to redistribute.
Meat Thermometer
Invest in a good meat thermometer and never overcook or undercook meat again!
How To Serve This Dish
You can serve this Mexican marinated chicken as a main dish along with side dishes like Mexican rice and black beans. Homemade guacamole or salsa like pico de gallo, chipotle corn salsa or mango salsa are all great accompaniments as well.
You can also slice up this chicken and use it in your favorite Mexican dishes like tacos or fajitas. It's a nice change from the usual ground beef tacos. Serve the chicken with warm flour or corn tortillas and your favorite sides like sour cream, guacamole, and cheese.
You can also chop up this grilled chicken and use it in on burrito bowls, fresh salads, taco salad, or my Santa Fe Salad (Southwest Chicken Salad).
Store any leftover Mexican marinated chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The leftovers are perfect to pack for lunch the next day.
Looking for more marinade ideas? Check out my collection of the 20 Best Healthy Chicken Marinades.
Recipe FAQs
You should marinate this chicken at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. I think that somewhere between 6-8 hours is ideal.
Yes, you can over marinate chicken. The USDA recommends not keeping poultry in a marinade for longer than 48 hours because the marinade will start to break down the fibers of the chicken and it will get mushy. In general, keep marinating time under 24 hours.
If you're grilling your chicken or cooking it in a skillet or air fryer, wipe off most of the excess marinade before cooking, don't rinse it off. This will help prevent flare-ups on the grill and ensure properly browned meat. If you're baking the chicken in the oven, you can bake the chicken in the marinade and don't need to wipe it off.
Always marinate chicken in the refrigerator. If you marinate at room temperature, you increase the risk of dangerous bacterial growth which can lead to foodborne illness.
Have you ever wondered how long chicken can sit out before you need to toss it? Read my post all about how to properly handle and store chicken to help ensure that it's always safe to eat!
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Recipe
Mexican Chicken Marinade
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup light olive oil or avocado oil
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ½ cup packed cilantro chopped
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
- Optional garnishes: cilantro and lime wedges
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
- Pour the marinade into a resealable plastic bag and add the chicken to the bag. Remove as much air from the bag as possible and seal it. Squeeze the bag to coat the chicken pieces fully with the marinade. Place the bag flat in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
- To cook the chicken, you can either bake it, grill it, cook it in a skillet on the stove or air fry it. - To Bake: Transfer the chicken and marinade into a large baking dish. Bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes until cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F. - To Grill: Heat a grill or grill pan to medium high heat and brush with oil. Remove chicken from the marinade and grill 5-6 minutes on each side until cooked through. - To cook in a skillet: Heat a skillet on the stove over medium high heat and add a little oil. Remove chicken from the marinade and cook in the skillet 5-6 minutes on each side until cooked through. - To air fry: Preheat air fryer to 375°F. Remove chicken from marinade and place in air fryer basket. Cook 6 minutes, then flip with tongs and cook another 4-8 minutes until chicken is done.
- Garnish chicken with cilantro and lime wedges, if desired.
Notes
- You can use any cut of chicken that you like with this recipe- I typically use boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs.
- Marinate the chicken at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. If you marinate it longer, the chicken will break down and get mushy.
- As it marinates, the surface of the chicken will get a little bit white because of the lime juice- that's normal.
- The best way to tell if your chicken is cooked completely is to check it with a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken. The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- For best results, let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing it to allow the juices to redistribute.
Nutrition
Linda says
Made following the directions, and it was amazingly
Good!! I did leave the chicken thighs whole and just grilled them on the stove, but I am sure they would be great on the grill. Loved it, my husband loved it and I will definitely keep it in rotation. I just happened to have fresh wild blueberries, but would try this with frozen berries for the blueberry salsa. So glad this is healthy!! thank you for your wonderful, healthy recipes.
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
Hi Linda, so happy you and your husband enjoyed the recipe! Grilling the chicken thighs whole is a great idea- I'll have to try it. Thanks so much for leaving a review! 🙂
kathys vegan kitchen says
thanks for the recipe its really helpful for the beginner like me thanks again
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
Thanks for your comment!
Gail says
Your daughter looks just like you Sonali. Plan on making this salsa tonight. My whole family loves blueberries and I have a bag in my freezer now. Thank you for the recipe.
sonaliruder says
Awww, thank you! Let me know how it goes!