This bold Mexican chicken marinade recipe is bursting with flavor and is incredibly easy to whip up. It makes mouthwatering grilled chicken but is also a great marinade for grilled mushrooms, zucchini, or even tofu. Mix up a batch and keep it in your fridge for when the grilling urge strikes.
This post was created in partnership with my friends at California Grown. This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.
Last month I drove up to Santa Cruz for an agritour with my friends from California Grown. Here are a few photos if you’d like to see…
I feel so fortunate to be included in these trips. It is an opportunity to travel our beautiful state of California, meeting the innovative and interesting people who grow two-thirds of our nation’s produce with some of my favorite people on the planet.
There are usually a rotating group of around 15 of us that attend, but myself, and my two dear friends, Aida Mollenkamp, and Meg van der Kruik have the honor of having gone on every single agricultural tour since California Grown began hosting these back in 2019.
We’ve been to Santa Barbara, the Central Valley, Temecula, Monterey, and even a virtual tour of the San Joaquin Valley during the pandemic. These trips have inspired all kinds of delicious recipes like charred jalapeño crema, white pozole with mushrooms, tequila sunrise with homemade grenadine, Jugo Verde (Mexican green juice), and mole poblano.
On this trip we enjoyed the best artichoke soup at the not-to-be-missed, Shadowbrook Restaurant, took a private tour of Gilroy Gardens, and traveled to Bonny Doon to visit Sea to Sky Farm.
Gilroy: The Garlic Capital Of The World
It goes without saying that you can’t go close to Gilroy and not talk about garlic. Virtually all the nation’s garlic is from California, and although most of it is now grown in Fresno County, the town of Gilroy, California put the US garlic industry on the map.
We visited Christopher Ranch and watched them prepare 100 million pounds (!!) of garlic to be shipped all over the country to you! Almost all garlic that is sold in the United States is either from California (mostly from Christopher Ranch) or China.
The way to tell if it is from China is if the roots have been removed. If there are dried hairy root ends still attached to the bottom of the bulb of garlic, it is California-grown!
California Garlic and Lime Shine In This Easy Mexican Chicken Marinade Recipe
With grilling season in full swing, I wanted to use all that gorgeous California garlic in a Mexican-inspired marinade that you can use all summer long.
It is brightly acidic with lots of freshly-squeezed lime juice and it couldn’t be easier to make! This is a garlic-lovers marinade with 8 cloves of garlic and aromatic spices, and the littlest bit of honey for balanced sweetness.
Simply mix it up, in 5 minutes or less, and marinate your favorite protein – chicken, steak, shrimp, tofu, whatever!
Summer is the season of relaxing so whip up a batch of this easy marinade and use it to make steak fajitas, chicken fajitas, or even grilled shrimp and steak kebabs. The garlic mellows as it cooks, infusing everything it touches with luscious flavor.
Want more grilled chicken inspiration? 🍗Check out my Pollo Asado {Yucatecan Grilled Chicken} Recipe or my Sticky Jalapeño and Cherry Grilled Chicken
Featured Review: “My husband has learned to cook because of you. He’s Dutch and he cooks better Mexican than I do. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️”
-Sandra
Ingredients
The list of marinade ingredients is short and sweet, with each one playing an important role.
- Garlic. Fresh garlic is an essential ingredient in so many Mexican dishes from Fideo to Borracho Beans and marinating chicken is no different.
- Olive oil. Makes for juicy chicken and binds the spices to the meat. You don’t need to use anything super expensive but something that has good flavor. It goes without saying, I always use California olive oil.
- Lime. Bright citrus juice adds tang and zip. This recipe calls for fresh lime juice as well as lime zest.
- Spices. To make the best chicken marinade you will need cumin, coriander, oregano, kosher salt, and chili powder. I used ground Fresno chili powder but any kind will work.
- Honey. Just a touch of California honey balances out the vibrant citrus and garlic flavors.
How To Make This Marinade
See the recipe card for step-by-step instructions
Use this easy recipe to infuse everything from chicken breast to mushrooms with delicious flavor.
step one
Mix ingredients. Combine everything in a medium bowl and whisk. Store in an airtight container until you are ready to use.
step two
Marinate! There is a lot of lime juice in this marinade so I don’t recommend marinating the chicken any more than 8 hours in advance. The acid will do a number on the proteins and make the meat tough.
If you want to make ahead, mix up the marinade. The next day, pour over the chicken 6-8 hours before you plan on grilling. After several tests, I think 4-6 hours of marinating time is ideal.
✨Meal Prep Suggestion: Two ways to meal prep this recipe. The first would be to make the marinade and have it ready to go when you want to grill. The second would be to marinate and grill the chicken. Dice it and have it ready to add to salads or sandwiches during the week.
Grilling Tips
- This Mexican marinade is the best chicken marinade out there. The cook time is going to be different depending on what kind of chicken pieces you use and whether you use a gas or charcoal grill. The best way to tell if it is ready is to invest in a good meat thermometer and insert it in the thickest part of the chicken. When the internal temperature reaches 165°F it is ready.
- If you want to use it for grilling vegetables, the cooking time is about 6-8 minutes per side for mushrooms and onions or 3-4 minutes per side for peppers, zucchini or summer squash.
- No matter what you are grilling, this marinade has honey which can easily burn. Grill over medium heat and keep an eye on it. Move the meat or veggies to a spot on the grill away from the direct flame if it is getting too dark.
✨No grill? No problem. Marinate the chicken (or veggies) as directed and then pan sear them in a large skillet or grill pan. The juicy chicken is also great if you’d like to bake it in the oven.
Serving Suggestions
Burrito Bowls. Serve the chicken on a bed of my favorite green rice and charro beans. Top with cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole, and a dollop of sour cream.
Chicken Tacos. This is a great recipe for grilled chicken tacos, it’s actually my go-to chicken taco marinade. Serve with my tomatillo-avocado salsa, my best-ever canned black beans and a sprinkling of chopped cilantro.
Taco Salad. This chicken is great in fresh salads. The cut of chicken I like to use for grilled chicken taco salad is boneless skinless chicken thighs. Then swap it for the ground turkey in this healthy taco salad recipe.
*Throwing a backyard barbecue? Don’t forget the cocktails! My California-style Cazuela Voladora is the perfect party punch that easily serves a crowd.
A Few More Mexican Food Recipes To Make This Summer:
- Mexican Street Corn {Elote}
- Grilled Veggie Skewers with Smoky Chile Vinaigrette
- Squash Blossom Quesadillas
- Summer Squash Vegan Tacos
- Grilled Fish Tacos with Sweet Corn Salsa
I Can’t Wait For You To Try One Of My Favorite Chicken Marinade Recipes
It is the perfect way to add a zip of Mexican flavor to your favorite proteins and veggies—in as long as it takes to chop garlic.
I’m completely obsessed and I think you will be too. Let me know when you make it by snapping a pic and tagging me on Instagram @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno so I can see or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating)! Also, sign up for my weekly newsletter, lots of good stuff there too!
The Best Mexican Chicken Marinade Recipe
This bold Mexican chicken marinade recipe is bursting with flavor and is incredibly easy to make. It makes mouthwatering grilled chicken but is also a great marinade for grilled mushrooms, zucchini, or even tofu. Mix up a batch and keep it in your fridge for when the grilling urge strikes.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup lime juice (from 3 limes)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican oregano)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons lime zest (2 limes)
- 2 teaspoons ground Fresno chili (see recipe notes)
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or use it to marinate 2 pounds of chicken, vegetables, or any other protein.
Notes
- Limes: You need lime zest and lime juice for this recipe. Zest the limes first, then squeeze them for the juice.
- Chili powder: I used ground Fresno chili powder but that can be hard to find. Feel free to substitute your favorite chili powder. For similar flavor I would use a basic chili powder or ancho chili powder. Chipotle chili powder will give it a spicier, smokier flavor.
- Marinating time: After several tests, I think the best marinating time is between 4-6 hours for chicken and 4 hours for vegetables. Any longer than 8 hours and the lime juice starts to denature the protein in the chicken and make it tough.
- Make Ahead Instructions: This marinade can be made up to a week in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to grill. You can also marinate and grill the chicken, then store that in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Special equipment (affiliate links): Chef's Knife, Measuring Spoons, Mason Jar, Microplane Zester, Citrus Squeezer, Whisk
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 159Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 643mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 1g
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