My Mexican Chicken Marinade is my families absolute favorite. I’m talking juicy, flavorful chicken that’s perfect for tacos, salads, or just grilled on its own. Seriously, this marinade has become my go-to for adding a burst of zesty, spicy goodness to any meal.
If you love to grill like I do, then you have to try my drumstick marinade or my pork chop marinade. Perfect for juicy, delicious meat.
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Enter your email below and we’ll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Why this Mexican Chicken Marinade Recipe is a Keeper
Mexican chicken is a flavorful and versatile ingredient that can be used in a wide variety of dishes. It is characterized by its bold flavors, fresh ingredients, and often, a touch of spice.
- 12 Minutes This recipe is quick and easy!
- Easy Ingredients: It uses common ingredients you often have on hand.
- Makes Great Leftovers: The leftovers are just as good! You can easily morph this into salads, soups or casseroles.
- Delicious Flavor: The dish tastes amazing and is a hit every time.
- Versatile: The recipe can be easily adapted or customized to suit different tastes.
- Freezes Well: It’s great for making ahead and freezing for later.
- Great for Meal Prep: The recipe is perfect for making in bulk and enjoying throughout the week.
Can I reuse the Mexican Marinade?
No, it is strongly discouraged to reuse Mexican chicken marinade or any marinade that has been in contact with raw chicken.
Pro Tip for the Best Chicken Marinade
Don’t over-marinate: As mentioned above, too much time in the marinade can negatively impact the chicken’s texture.
Chicken Marinade Ingredient Notes and Variation Suggestions
This delicious chicken uses clean, simple ingredients and a short marinade time, making it ideal for weeknight dinners or meal prep.
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Chicken: Use boneless, skinless, chicken thighs.
- VARIATION: Skinless chicken breast is easy to shred for chicken for tacos.
- VARIATION:Spicy Marinade: Add chopped jalapeño, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, or a pinch of cayenne pepper or chili powder.
- Smoky Marinade: Add smoked paprika or a few drops of liquid smoke.
- Citrus Variations: Use lime juice or a combination of lime juice and orange juice, or add a little grapefruit juice.
- Herb Variations: Experiment with different herbs like cilantro with a cilantro lime marinade, oregano, or thyme.
- Garlic and Onion: Add minced garlic and/or onion to the marinade.
- Honey or Maple Syrup: A touch of sweetness can balance out the acidity of the marinade.
- Soy Sauce: A splash of soy sauce can add depth of flavor to the easy mexican chicken marinade.
How to Make Mexican Chicken Marinade
I use this mexican marinade for chicken, pork, or even as a dressing to punch up a salad or cooked vegetables.
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Make the Marinade: Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Marinate the Chicken: Place the chicken and pour the marinade into a ziptop bag and allow to marinate for 2 hours.
- Grill the Boneless Chicken Thighs: Remove the boneless skinless chicken thighs from marinade and discard the excess marinade. Grill chicken for 5-6 minutes per side or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F. Remove the chicken and allow to sit for a few minutes.
Prep Ahead Suggestions to Marinate Chicken Tacos
It is easy to do some prep ahead for the mexican marinades for chicken, in fact, it makes it so much tastier.
- Make this marinade: The marinade can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. In fact, the flavors often meld and improve over time.
- Marinate the chicken: You can marinate the chicken in the refrigerator overnight or for up to 24 hours.
How to Store, Reheat and Use Leftover Leftover Marinated Grill Chicken
You can use the chicken thighs or the boneless skinless chicken breast for so many different meal ideals. It is so full of flavor.
- Storing: Allow the cooked chicken marinade to cool to room temperature. Transfer it to an airtight container or a sealed bag. It will typically last for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: Gently cook chicken in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it’s warmed through.
- Using Leftovers: Use the leftover marinade mexican chicken for making a taco, enchilados, bowls or salads or your favorite mexican food.
Common Questions About This Easy Mexican Chicken Marinade for Chicken
Yes, you can cook it on a grill pan on the stove top or you can bake the chicken and marinade in the oven. It is a great recipe to make all year long.
Even 15-30 minutes of marinating can significantly enhance the flavor of chicken, especially smaller pieces. We recommend that you aim for 2 to 4 hours.
Yes, you absolutely can freeze marinated chicken! In fact, it’s a great way to meal prep and have flavorful chicken ready to go. While frozen chicken can last for several months, it’s best to use it within 3-6 months for optimal quality. Grill the chicken as directed.
Truy, it is whatever you like. You can use chicken thighs with the bones in. Ot chicken breast, or even a whole chicken.
Expert Tips to Love this Mexican Grilled Chicken Recipe
- Use fresh ingredients: Fresh lime juice or other citrus juice and herbs make a big difference in the flavor of the marinade.
- Don’t over-marinate: As mentioned above, too much time in the marinade can negatively impact the chicken’s texture. Marinade overnight.
- Pierce the chicken: For thicker cuts of chicken, lightly pierce the meat with a fork to allow the marinade to penetrate more deeply.
- Use a resealable bag: This makes it easy to coat the chicken evenly with the marinade.
- Pat the Chicken dry: Before cooking, pat the chicken dry with paper towels. This will help the easy chicken brown better.
- Serve this recipe with: Try serving with my: Grilled Pineapple Slices, and my.Grilled Warm Potato Salad.
More Recipes You Might Like
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Enter your email below and we’ll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Mexican Chicken Marinade
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Enter your email and we’ll send this recipe to your inbox.
Ingredients
- ½ cup Olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Lime juice
- 2 teaspoons Chili powder
- 2 teaspoons All Purpose Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne
- 2 pounds Chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lime juice, chili powder, All Purpose Seasoning, garlic powder, cumin and cayenne. Stir to combine.
- Transfer to a ziptop bag and add chicken. Remove excess air from the bag and seal.
- Smoosh the chicken around so it’s completely coated.
- Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the excess marinade.
- Preheat grill to medium-high. Grill chicken for 5-6 minutes per side or until theinternal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
Christina’s Notes
- Use fresh ingredients: Fresh citrus juice and herbs make a big difference in the flavor of the marinade.
- Don’t over-marinate: As mentioned above, too much time in the marinade can negatively impact the chicken’s texture.
- Pierce the chicken: For thicker cuts of chicken, lightly pierce the meat with a fork to allow the marinade to penetrate more deeply.
- Use a resealable bag: This makes it easy to coat the chicken evenly with the marinade.
- Pat the chicken dry: Before cooking, pat the chicken dry with paper towels. This will help it brown better.
- Serve this recipe with: Try serving with my: Grilled Pineapple Slices, and my.Grilled Warm Potato Salad.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided are estimates. It is recommended that you verify this information with your own trusted resource.
We love honest feedback, but to keep reviews helpful for everyone, we reserve the right to remove star ratings if it is clear the recipe has not been made, if the comment does not provide meaningful input, or if significant substitutions or alterations were made. Please note that ratings should reflect the original recipe as written to avoid confusing other readers.
This recipe is my personal adaption of an ethnic-inspired recipe. It is not intended to be an authentic recipe. I’ve recreated this recipe because I enjoy the flavors and I want to encourage my readers to expand their tastes and try new flavor combinations. The recipe, ingredients, and processes may have been adapted to make the recipe accessible to the average American. I have provided links to authentic versions of the recipe in the post above. I encourage you to visit these pages and learn more about the traditional version(s) of this recipe.