Chicken
Jalapeño Lime Chicken
The marinade does everything. You are just the person who owns the pan.
Prep
15 min
Cook
15 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Ingredients
8 — boneless chicken thighs
3 — jalapeños (seeded if you are being gentle)
4 — limes (zest and juice)
4 — garlic cloves
1 large bunch — coriander, stems included
60ml — olive oil
1 tbsp — honey
2 tsp — salt
This came out of a summer where I could not be bothered to turn the oven on for three straight months. It is fast, loud, and tastes like something you would order.
Leave it in the marinade overnight if you can. Forty minutes will do, but overnight is a different dish.
Method
Blitz the jalapeños, lime zest and juice, garlic, coriander, oil, honey and salt into a rough green marinade.
Pour it over the chicken thighs and turn them until fully coated. Refrigerate for at least 40 minutes, ideally overnight.
Get a heavy pan or grill properly hot. Shake the excess marinade off each thigh or it will burn rather than char.
Cook 6 to 7 minutes on the first side without moving them, then 4 to 5 on the second.
Rest for five minutes, then slice against the grain.
Squeeze over another lime. There is no such thing as enough lime here.
A note
Reserve a few spoonfuls of the marinade before it touches raw chicken, then spoon it over at the end as a fresh sauce.
Good to know
More About This Recipe
Nutrition
Calories
350 kcal
Protein
32g
Carbs
8g
Fat
20g
Tips & tricks
Marinate overnight if you possibly can — forty minutes works, but overnight is a genuinely different, better dish.
Shake the excess marinade off each thigh before it hits the pan — too much clinging marinade burns rather than chars, since it’s mostly sugar and herbs.
Rest the chicken for five minutes before slicing against the grain — it holds the juice in rather than losing it all to the board.
Substitutions
Chicken thighs
Chicken breast works — pound it to an even thickness first and reduce the cook time by a couple of minutes.
Jalapeños
A serrano for more heat, or half a jalapeño with the seeds removed for less.
Honey
Maple syrup or agave in the same quantity — the marinade doesn't notice the difference.
Storage & leftovers
These are best eaten fresh, the day they're cooked, while the char is still there. Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat in a hot pan for a minute a side rather than the microwave, which turns the crust soft.
Questions people ask
How spicy is this, really?
Can I grill this instead of using a pan?
What should I serve it with?
Postcards from my kitchen
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