Chili Lime Chicken
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This Chili Lime Chicken is bursting with flavor and comes together in a breeze. It can be made on your stove top, oven or air fryer and can be served as an entree, wrap or into chicken tacos.
This delicious Chili Lime Chicken recipe starts with tender chicken breasts flavored in a zesty and spicy sweet chili marinade and cooked to perfection with a slightly crisp exterior and juicy, tender inside then drizzled with a spicy lime and chili sauce.
It comes together quickly and can easily be made on the stovetop, in the oven, or in your air fryer. It’s also super versatile and can be served over rice with a side of veg, sliced and made into chicken tacos, or turn leftovers into a tasty lunchwrap or on-the-go meal.
Basically, this Chili Lime Chicken is the perfect recipe for busy weeknight dinners or for meal prep when you want something easy, flavorful, and a little spicy.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Recipe
Delicious – Tender chicken breasts cooked in a creamy sauce that is flavorful and tasty,
Simple Recipe– This easy chicken recipe just takes a few ingredients and is easily made in about 30 minutes.
Make Ahead – You can make this delicious recipe ahead of time making it perfect for busy weeknights.
Chili Lime Chicken Recipe Ingredients
Use fresh ingredients for the best results. I’ve listed a few substitution and allergy-friendly suggestions here and in the Substitution Section just below.
- Sweet chili sauce – make sure you use sweet and not hot chili sauce. (Unless you want things really spicy!)
- Soy sauce – see below for sub suggestions
- Fresh garlic – minced
- Red pepper flakes
- Garlic salt – if you only have garlic powder, add a little dash of salt
- Lime – you’ll need the lime juice and some zest
- Chicken breasts – use boneless, skinless breast to save time
- Coconut milk – get plain, unsweetened canned coconut milk
- Mayonnaise
- Sriracha – or similar hot chili sauce
Equipment Needed To Make Chili Lime Chicken
- Large bowl
- Small bowl
- Skillet
Substitutions & Variation Tips
- You can use unbreaded chicken tenders instead of chicken breasts
- Try this recipe with shrimp instead of chicken for a delicious seafood option. Cooking time for shrimp will be different from chicken.
- You can sub greek yogurt for the mayo, but the flavor will be slightly different.
- If you avoid fish, make sure you get a fish sauce-free variety of chili sauce.
- Some sriracha brands contain soy and others use fish sauce. Read the ingredients carefully if you avoid either.
- You can sub coconut or liquid aminos, tamari, or Worcestershire sauce for the soy sauce
- You can also bake at 400°F for 25–30 minutes until cooked through.
- You can cook the chicken in the air fryer at 375°F for 18–20 minutes (or until fully cooked).
- You can also cook this on the outdoor grill. Set the grill to medium-high heat and cook pieces for 6-8 minutes each side until chicken reaches 165°F.
How to Make Chili Lime Chicken
This is a very abbreviated form of the full instructions found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Use recipe card directions for best results.
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Step 1 – Prepare Marinade
Step 2 – Marinate Chicken in sauce. Cook as directed.
Step 3 – Meanwhile, prepare Chili Lime Sauce in bowl or cup,
Step 4 – Serve chicken over rice with Sauce and add toppings if desired.
Time Saving Tips & Tricks
- Marinate the chicken ahead of time. You can let the chicken marinate in the sauce for a few hours in the refrigerator in a large ziplock bag, or overnight if you want.
- Make a double batch of the marinade and/or sauce and store in the refrigerator for a future dinner. The marinade and the sauce is great on shrimp, pork, and vegetables.
- You can use pre-minced garlic from a jar to save some time.
- Chicken should always be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F for safe consumption.
What to Serve with Chili Lime Chicken
This easy chicken recipe is as versatile as it is delicious. These are a few of my favorite foods to eat with it, but I’d love to hear how you served it!
- Jasmine Rice or Garlic Rice and a few lime wedges.
- Chorizo Potatoes
- Beans – green, black, pinto, or chili beans all go great with this chicken
- Cowboy Caviar
- Sauteed Zucchini, Tomato, and Onion
- Grilled or Roasted Vegetables
- with tortillas for easy chicken wraps.
- Use leftovers in my BLT Salad or add to a Taco Salad instead of ground beef
How to Store Leftover Chicken Chili Lime
- Allow lime chicken leftovers to cool completely and store in the refrigerator. You can store it in a ziploc bag or airtight container.
- Toss out any leftover marinade, but the sauce will keep for a few days.
How to Reheat
I prefer to heat this on the stovetop as I find microwaving cooked chicken can often result in a tougher, rubbery texture. But I have included my best tip for using the microwave to reheat chicken.
On the Stovetop – Heat a skillet or pan over medium heat, add about a tablespoon of water and place your chicken in. Cover with a lid and let steam for about 5 minutes.
In the Microwave – Place chicken on a microwave safe plate and cover with a slightly damp paper towel. Heat at 75% for about 2 minutes. If it’s still not hot enough, heat agin in 30 second increments.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
If you have extra chicken, try my Hot Honey Chicken Salad, BBQ Chicken Fried Rice, or my juicy Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs for more easy chicken dinner recipes.
Chili Lime Chicken
Equipment
- Large Bowl
- small bowl
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup sweet chili sauce
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- lime zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1/2 cup canned coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- lime zest
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
Instructions
- In a large bowl add the sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, garlic, red pepper flakes, garlic salt, zest of half a lime and lime juice. Stir the marinade to blend ingredients together.
- Add the chicken pieces to the mixture and stir to coat. Set aside and let marinade about 15 minutes, if possible.
- Let the chicken rest in the marinade while you make the coconut lime sauce. In a small bowl add the coconut milk, lime juice, zest of half a lime, mayo and sriracha.
- Stir until completely blended, set aside.
- Spray a medium sized pan with nonstick cooking spray or olive oil. Cook the chicken breasts on a medium-high heat, for about 6-8 minutes on each side. Cook until chicken reaches 165° F and juices run clear.
- Serve the chicken over top of some rice or cauliflower rice and drizzle the coconut lime sauce all over top.
- Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- You can also cook the chicken on a grill or flat top!
- You can top with cilantro, scallions and limes.
Nutrition
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This sounds so delicious! I can’t wait to try it. We’d have it tonight if I had limes on hand.
This was the best chicken bowl recipe! We all loved it and I will make it again.