This recipe is very easy to make! Perfect for summer barbeques, but it can be broiled indoors anytime. Always a favorite!

Spicy Grilled Chicken

vegetable oil

lime juice

lime

garlic

oregano

red pepper flakes

salt

black pepper

chicken breast

In a shallow glass dish, mix the oil, lime juice, lime zest, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Add chicken, and turn to coat. Cover, and  marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour, turning occasionally.


Lightly oil the grill grate. Drain and discard marinade. Grill chicken for 6 to 8 minutes each side, or until juices run clear.


I made a few changes that made this a 5 star recipe for me.  I doubled the amount of lime juice and garlic and allowed the chicken to marinate overnight for a flavorful, juicy chicken breast.  I served this topped with black bean salsa (from this website) and a pepper jack quesadilla with guacomole on the side. Wonderful!!

Very good marinade.  Overall, the chicken turned out moist and citrusy with a little kick from the red pepper flakes. I used olive oil vs. veg. oil and cut the boneless chicken into chunks before marinating to make kabobs.  I also added some white wine vinegar to tenderize the chicken.  I didn't have fresh oregano so I used dried.  I let this marinate for 8 hours and skewered this with red and green peppers, cherry tomatoes, and red onion.  

This a very easy recipe for chicken breasts. The marinade adds lots of tangy flavor. We ate the chicken plain with artichokes, however I bet it would be delicious in a salad.

Very tasty.  Flavors were very subtle though.  I think next time I'll marinate longer.  Also used dried oregano as I did not have fresh.  Will definitely make again!

Very good and simple marinade.  I did put the chicken in overnight.  Added more lime juice, garlic and red pepper - also a little cayenne.  Will use this often for the ease and flavor.  Thank you!!

Very good marinade for chicken.  I ended up marinating two boneless chicken breasts and two thighs for almost 2 days, as I didn't cook it the first night I thought I was going to.  It turned out so good and tasty.  The only change I made was to leave out the salt.  Might try a bit more red pepper flakes next time.  Thanks for sharing!

I always cut chicken breasts in half so they're thinner, and this recipe rewarded that, because with just 2 hours marinating the flavors really came through. I'm so tired of chicken marinades that don't really permeate the meat, but not here. The lime, garlic and pepper were very present. Sadly, the pepper flakes only ended up on half of my piece. Next time I'll use cayenne or hot sauce to make sure I get an even coating of spice. I served it with rice pilaf and grilled pineapple spears and was told to "Make this again!" We loved it!
****Update***** Made this for Mom and she only let put in a dash or two of hot sauce, afraid of too much heat. It was much worse for the change, tasting like lime chicken, with not much else going on. Do not omit or reduce the pepper flake or sauce, it's really needed to make this dish shine.

I was surprised at how well the chicken took the taste of the marinade.  It was a wonderful meal with some fresh steamed green beans and golden cornbread.

Not bad!  I did leave substitute garlic powder for the fresh garlic since I don't care for the fresh stuff.  It was not as spicy as I expected so next time I will add more pepper flakes.  Overall, it was good and I would make it again.

This is a great recipe - it's even good if you burn the chicken, which I usually do!  Absolutely delicious - perfect spices.

Spicy Grilled Chicken Haiku: "Not spicy enough. But the lime was a nice touch. Marinate longer?" The flavor was a bit subtle on this one, perhaps it needed longer marinating than the suggested 1 hour. I didn't really find these to be all that spicy, but the chicken itself was moist, and the citrus had a nice zing, but overall, I wasn't too terribly impressed.

Great chicken. I added in some fresh basil and fresh thyme. Really yummy!

Being a Scotsman, I always rebel at the thought of discarding marinade.  Try heating it in the pan to bubbling (it'll kill all the nasties) and noshing-up onions ... whatever .... so nothing is wasted.
Cheers!

Used lemon instead of lime and 1/2 tsp dried oregano (what I had on hand) and it turned out very tasty but not spicy.  This was probably the most beautiful chicken I have ever grilled, however.  Wish I'd taken a picture.  I used drumsticks and baked in the oven for 30 min then finished on the grill for 10-15 min.  Picture perfect and the family really enjoyed.

This made for some tasty chicken!  I marinated four chicken breasts halves all day, then grilled.  Hubby liked it too!

This was a fantastic dish, but I doubled up on lime and garlic, but I also added honey to the mix. I used a mix of Jack Daniels Honey BBQ, Corona (for moisture), liquid smoke, and worcheshire sauce, and I basted this mixture all over the chicken to put a great outside layer on the chicken. This was great, and super moist and tasty chicken.

I rarely review unless the recipe is really good and this one is that good.  It is the best marinade I have found on this site so far.  I followed the instructions exactly and everyone devoured it.  I love the hint of heat that wasn't too much even for my six year-old.  Thanks for sharing this one!

I made this for a party and got lots of compliments. I marinated for about 7 hours and served with mango salsa. The chicken was juicy and tender.

This was a wonderful marinade, the chicken was tender and juicy....my husband loved it. I will make it again

I loved this recipe. I can't believe the difference it made in the taste of chicken. I love spicy so I used both cayenne pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. I will use this again.

Substituted plenty of fresh cilantro for the oregano and marinated 24 hours. Originally thought the recipe was fair. It smelled great but even with the extended marinading, the lime flavor was milder than I like. Surprisingly, it was not all that spicy -- even with the addition of a little more red pepper and a few dashes of Tabasco; however... the next day I made a grilled quesadillas from the left over chicken breast. It was absolutely fantastic.

Shredded chicken between two flower tortillas. Covered with shredded mild cheddar, a little chopped fresh cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime. Sprayed tortillas with Canola and grilled till the cheese was melted. Served with sour cream and salsa but honestly they didn't need anything ... other a cold Corona with lime. Perfect summer lunch!

This was very good. I'd give it 4.5 stars.....easy and very tasty. I grilled them on my George Foreman grill. A hint** I marinate meat by making the marinade and then pouring it into a zip loc gallon size bag. I put the meat inside and shake around to coat it and then I put it into a smaller bowl so that the sides of the bag are up and the meat is surrounded by marinade.This way it isn't lying flat and you don't have to turn it constantly.

I loved the way this recipe sounded but like others, I made a few changes.I used Trader Joe"s cubed frozen garlic (2) and Trader Joe"s frozen cilantro (2) instead of the oregano.  I also substituted olive oil for the other oil.  I added a tsp or so of pico/pica original taco sauce to the marinade and grilled the chicken legs on medium for 25-30 mins.  AWESOME!!  I made some cornbread and a salad with romaine,arugula, red pepper, gorganzola cheese and croutons with Trader Joe"s champagne pear dressing.  Mmmmmm delicious summer dinner!!

Eye balled most of the ingredients and marinated overnight but other than that, I kept the recipe as is and the end result was the best chicken breast I ever had in my life. Moist, juicy and flavorful. If your looking for an easy recipe with tons of flavor...this is it. Make this today!

Wonderful recipe! I took the advice of some other reviewers and added a bit of extra lime juice and crushed red pepper flakes. I didn't have any fresh limes, so used lemon zest with store lime juice, olive oil instead of vegetable oil and used large bone-in breasts with the skin. I marinated the chicken in a zip lock bag in the refrigerator for about 3 hours, flipping halfway through. Grilled at 350 deg. Chicken came out wonderfully moist, tender and flavorful. Definitely a keeper recipe!

Serving size needs to double. More lime and pepper required.

Between 1 and 10, I would rate this as a 20!

Marinated about 5 hours - the result was succulent and tasty!  Cut chicken into 1 1/2 in pieces and made kebobs with green pepper and mushrooms.

If you love spicey food like I do you'll love this recipe! Just the right amount of everything. wouldn't change a thing!


Excellent dish.  We prepared it as written but used an indoor grill rather than outdoor and it turned out great!

Not to take anything away from this marinade, because it was ok, but I have had a bit more favorable results when I added McCormick spices to this instead of just the regular red pepper flakes. When I made this the first time my taste buds just seemed to yearn for something more, so I tried adding the spices and my family and I really enjoyed it.

Wonderful Chicken!!!!  I marinated it in a sealed foodsaver bag for 2 hours and it turned out great.  My family loves lemon/lime recipes and the spices that are added are just perfect!

Moist and awesome!  Tasted fantastic.  My kids and wife ask for this all the time.

I pounded the chicke before letting it marinate. I let my chicken marinate for about three hours. Great taste. Next time I think I will let it marinate longer. Very tasty recipe!

I rarely give bad reviews but feel i need to here :(  After reviewing i decided to use more lime juice, ended up using the zest and juice of 2 limes plus some more (2 tbsp) bottled lime juice.  Used about 2 tsp hot pepper flakes, 3 cloves garlic AND marinated for 8 hours.  Spicy?  yes that part was fine but i had absolutely no taste of lime..maybe a slight hint but not at all what i was hoping for.  Very plain tasting.  I ended up dipping my chicken in my salad dressing just for some flavour.  6 chicken breasts aren't that cheap so i would definintely not make this again.

Great recipe, but I added additional garlic (1 clove) and more lime juice (another 2 tbsp).  It didn't taste all that spicy, so I doubled the red pepper flakes 2nd time around.  It would do better if it marinated longer.  That's why I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars; 1 hour in the fridge isn't long enough and the seasonings needed adjusting.  Perhaps that's just my taste.  Thanks for sharing!

Tasted terrific and was super easy.  I used this on boneless chicken breast pounded flat with a meat mallet, and cooked on a George Foreman grill 6 min.

Loved the spicy and tangy flavor!  It was a great change from the same old boring chicken.

This chicken is really really good. I used boneless breasts and let them marinate for about 2 hours. We didn't think this was spicy, but it was great tasting chicken.

YUMMY! I only marinated this for about an hour and added a sprinkling of cayenne pepper, and used chicken breast cut up on skewers. Very good!

For my family of 6, I grilled 6 chicken breasts. I read the earlier reviews and actually quadrupled the marinade and used olive oil instead of vegetable oil. My family loved it! I will add this our regular rotation.

Gold Star!  The only tweak to the recipe was once I had the chicken breasts marinating in the sauce I added a dash of red pepper flakes to each breast - just a little something extra.  I would also recommend trying "Chili-Lime Chicken Kabobs".

Really good!  Super tender, grilled for appx 20-25 mins with bone in chicken legs and breasts.  Awesome flavor!!

I make a very similar recipe, but use chicken tenderloins, olive oil instead of vegetable, and add in 1/2 tsp of chili powder and 1 1/2 tsp cumin. Also up the red pepper to 1/2 tsp. Delicious! 

My family did not find the chicken as spicy as we thought it would be.

As my first marinade, it was easy and yummy!  I like to make it using garlic powder and chili powder and I always add extra lime juice for a kick.  Its really great and my husband LOVES it and so do I!

Definitely making this one again - so. good.  Doubled up and used it on 6 slashed chicken thighs.  Didn't have any chili flakes so I substituted in cayenne pepper to taste.  Delicious

This chicken was very tasty.  I made it exactly as written in the recipe and we loved it.  We had one breast leftover and my husband had it the next day with a salad for lunch.  He said it was really good then too.  We will definitely be making this recipe again.

Good simple recipe.  I used boneless thighs, EVOO instead of vegetable oil, added another 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes, and marinated for 8 hours.

was good, we only used 1/2 of the called for crushed red pepper...will use the full amount next time and maybe even add more.

I just made this for dinner. I was told by my 6yr old "your the best chicken stick maker".

I took 4 skinless chicken breasts and cut into strips for skewers. followed the recipe minus the red pepper as I was out instead added some jerk seasoning to the mix. Before pouring on the chicken I added a rub of salt, pepper, garlic and season salt to the chicken then poured the mix over the chicken and let marinate about 5 hours. Before grilling i did add more jerk seasoning on about half the skewers my husband and I love the kick! Chicken was moist and juicy...Served w/ white rice and mixed veggies...will keep this one!! 

By far and away one of our favorite marinades so far.  However, we ended up marinating the chicken for a day and a half instead of one hour due to a medical emergency in the family.  Family member ended up being just fine.  We came home grill the chicken and discovered it was one of the best meals we ever had.  Used 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs as that is what I had on hand at the time, increased the lime juice to use the whole lime, 4 cloves garlic and at least a 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes maybe more.  So very good... the family is already asking for more.

Very good &amp; light.  Perfect for a hot day.

Doubled the amount of lime juice and marinated overnight! This recipe is a keeper!!!

Chicken turned out great! Juicy and tasty. We did add extra cayenne pepper 'cuz we like a little kick and marinated a couple of hours. Flattened the chicken breasts a little so they'd cook more evenly, seared each side for five minutes and finished by cooking on med low. So easy!

This is one of my family's favorite chicken recipes. The chicken is so tender. I really like the citrus flavor. To make it a little healthier I use olive oil. I also add more red pepper flakes for added kick.

I loved the marinade for this chicken!  I prefer a less sweet marinade and this was just the ticket.  I followed the recipe and then added a half cup of dry white wine.  It was superb!  I will make this again!

I substituted lemon for the lime ingredients, used ground red pepper vs flakes and used chicken thighs.  The meat was juicy and bursting with tangy  flavor.  I honestly didn't expect such a simple marinade to b so delicious.

OH.MY.GOSH.  The BEST Grilled Chicken I have EVER made.  I added parsley and Lawrys seasoning as well.  I didnt have a lime so I missed out on the zest.  However, it was AMAZING.  I made it with caesar salads and it was raved by my husband.  Will definitely be making this again.

Didnt change a thing.  Moist and very flavorful.  Family raved about it.

I just loved this chicken recipe.  I doubled the amount of lime and used olive oil.  This is something I am sure to make again ~ Thank you for sharing.

This is my husband's favorite!!!!  The marinade is easy to make and it doesn't need a long time to marinade (15 minutes min).  We eat this with mashed potatoes, rice, steamed broccoli.  I also make fajitas with it and it is excellent!!!

This recipe was easy to prepare and so flavorful.  Great for company!

Unfortunately, this didn't work too well for us.  I used bone in thighs &amp; it marinated in the fridge for 2 days, but it really didn't get much flavor.  It was juicy, just not very flavorful.

I love this recipe!   Delicious!  I made it exactly as stated and it turned out excellent.  Thank you for sharing!

it is a great recipe..however i added a little brown sugar to the recipe to suit my taste..and you get sweet spicy grilled chicken..my hubby loves it..

The best!! I used a stovetop grill and did not even have to oil it. Chicken was tender and so tasty. The lime taste really came through. Next time I would add a little more pepper as we like things spicier. Thank you for posting.

This is our family's favorite chicken!!! i use olive oil instead of the vegetable oil. I did not use the lime zest. I switch off - sometimes i use lemon juice and sometimes I use lime juice. I chop up a whole lot of fresh basil (instead of the oregano) and sprinkle in some dashes of McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning (no need to add extra salt - there is plenty of large grains of salt and pepper in this flavorful spice mix!) Usually i cut the chicken cutlets really thin, but this time i decided to put a wooden skewer through two thin strips of chicken. The result - DELICIOUS! My family loved it! I have never seen them eat so much chicken in my life! This is a true keeper!!!

I love this recipe.  It's so versatile.  I've cooked this in the oven in a cast iron dutch oven.  I've eaten this straight, but it also goes great on fettucini alfredo.    I also tweaked the recipe using cayene pepper instead of red pepper flakes and ate as chicken fajitas.    Just a great recipe.

Very tasty. I did it for three chicken breasts and it wasn't very zippy. I'll add more CRP next time.

This was very tasty.  I didn't have breasts on hand so I did thighs and legs.  I removed the skin from the thighs before marinating.  I baked the chicken  for about 1/2 hour at 350 and then grilled it to finish it off.  It was very moist and delicious.   I'll definitely use this recipe again.

Good but definitely spicy. I did the chicken on the Foreman grill, and it was moist and very flavorful. If I were to make it again, I wouldn't bother with the oil. It's kind of pointless, as it doesn't add anything to the flavor. Thanks, Jenn!

Love this recipe!! Easy to do and it's quick.  It's a repeat recipe for us for sure.

This is my absolute favorite for grilled chicken. I like to add a little bit extra hot peppers for a bit of extra bite! I share this recipe all the time

Served it to guests who thought it was incredible.  Had leftovers, chopped it up and threw it on a salad - still tasted great!

This was delicious, although I changed the recipe a bit.  I was not in the mood to measure anything, but I ended up putting maybe a couple TBSP of olive oil, the juice from one lime (tried to get juice from a second, but I couldn't get any out, lol!), a very small amount of lime zest (couldn't find my zester and had to improvise), 4 cloves of garlic (because we love garlic at my house), some oregano, crushed red pepper flakes and black pepper, and omitted the salt.  I marinated for about an hour-ish...then ended up cooking in a pan on the stove.  It turned out fantastic, with just the right amount of spice and lime flavoring.  :)

Tasty but not 'spicy'.  I halved the marinade for 4 small breasts (1lb total) - next time I may keep the red pepper flakes at 1/4t for some extra zip.  Marinated longer than 1hr (I froze everything together &amp; defrosting took 2 days).

This was a big hit at my house.  I used minced garlic.  It had just the perfect amount of heat.  We had it with spicy black beans.

Very good!  my husband likes this better than the marinated chicken from our local store!

Absolutely delicious and easy to make!  This is our favorite chicken recipe!  Instead of vegetable oil, I always use olive oil, I just this the flavor is better.  And I never seem to have any limes on hand, so I just add some lime juice.  So flavorful and juicy!

We have been making this for at least 2 years now and never get tired of it. Great for fish too.  Always gets rave reviews.  Thanks for a great recipe!

loved loved loved it! this was easy and had lots of flavor to it! I added a little more pepper flakes and lime , I couldn't believe it was so easy and so tasteful! Family loved it even the smaller ones! 

Love this marinade.  I use green pepper and spicy hot red or jalapenos and it was great.

This was pretty good, I added more red pepper because I like spicy foods. 

I love this recipe. I only changed one thing: I used EVOO instead of the vegetable oil. Fabulous, and I will be making it again soon!

Nice and simple marinade.  I used olive oil since that is my prefered oil.

Yum!  My husband found and made this marinade and we really enjoyed the flavor.  He also added a touch of cayenne.  We ate the chicken breasts with veggies on the side but I think it could be incorporated into a fajita or other mexican dish.  Loved it!

I made this for my husband, and we loved it! He said I can make it ANYTIME! I think I'll add a little more lime next time though. And there will definatly be a next time!!

This was good, but I did not find any "spice" to it. I marinated for 1.5 days, then baked and finished with the broiler. It was very juicy, perhaps due to all of the oil, which I would decrease.  I will add more garlic, spices, etc., next time.

Great recipe!  Quick, easy and delicious.  My chicken was moist and yummy.  Will definitely keep on hand.

I thought this was a great grilled chicken recipe.  The chicken came out very juicy and tender.  Thanks Jenn.

This recipe was good.  It wasn't as spicy as I anticipated it to be, but I may make this chicken again!

My wife really love this.  We tend to hsve it a couple times a month.

I marinated for about 1-1/2 hrs. Very tender and moist with great flavor! Big hit with the family. So quick and easy to prepare. All I can say is "WOW"!!!

Great summertime flavors.  I would add a little more red pepper next time.  Leftovers were great cold the next day.

spicy grilled chicken

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total: 1 hours, 30 minutes

Servings: 6

Author : Allrecipes Member

Ingredients

Instructions

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