This zesty Mexican Chicken Marinade recipe is a quick, flavor packed addition to your dinner. Bursting with vibrant spices and tangy citrus, this marinade will transform ordinary chicken into a super tender fiesta of flavors.
Why you will love this recipe
- It's easy to make - just mix and marinate!
- Flavor packed with lots of delicious spices and juicy lime
- Super tender marinated chicken thanks to that lime juice
- Perfect for any type of chicken
- Works with any cooking method - grill, air fry, bake in the oven or pan sear
- So versatile - serve the chicken in tacos, burritos, burrito bowls, chicken fajitas or with a side salad or some Mexican Potatoes
What you need to make Mexican Chicken Marinade
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Olive oil can be swapped for a neutral cooking oil
- Fresh lime juice needs to be fresh squeezed, don't use the bottled kind
How to make Mexican Chicken Marinade
- Place all ingredients in a small bowl
- Mix well
- Place chicken in a bag and pour over marinade
- Tie a knot on the bag and massage the chicken through the bag to spread out the marinade. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes, then cook!
Tips & tricks
- Don't marinate too long since there's a lot of acidic lime juice in there, which will start breaking down the chicken
- Make ahead by making the marinade up to 3 days in advance, and marinating the chicken 30 minutes to 1 hour before cooking
- Throw away leftover used marinade - do not reuse it
- Store leftover unused marinade in the fridge for up to 1 week
- Freeze leftover unused marinade for up to 3 months
Recipe FAQ
Marinate chicken for at least 30 minutes, and up to 24 hours. With this specific marinade you shouldn't marinate it longer than 3 hours.
Yes, if you marinate chicken for more than 24-48 hours it will start to break down, which can make it mushy. With a highly acidic marinade like this one you shouldn't marinate more than 3 hours.
Any type of individual chicken pieces are great to marinate. I like to marinate chicken legs, chicken thighs, chicken drumsticks, chicken tenders, and chicken breasts sliced in half.
Yes, this marinade is delicious for pork, beef, seafood and vegetables as well!
Variations of this recipe
You can vary this marinade in many ways. Here are some suggestions:
- Make it spicy by adding chili flakes or cayenne pepper
- Give it a sweet touch by adding a bit of honey or agave syrup
- Vary the citrus juice - you can make this with lime, lemon, grapefruit or orange juice
- Mazimize the citrus flavor by adding zest from your preferred citrus fruit as well
- Add fresh cilantro for an even more Mexican touch
More quick & easy chicken recipes
Looking for more quick & easy chicken recipes?
- Lemon Grilled Chicken
- Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas
- Instant Pot Chicken Soup
- Chicken Teriyaki Stir-fry
- Air Fryer Chicken Patties
Did you love this recipe? Rate it five stars!
...and let me know what you loved about it in the comments.
Recipe
Mexican Chicken Marinade
Print RateIngredients
- 2 lb chicken
- 2 tablespoon olive oil or a neutral cooking oil
- 2 tablespoon lime juice fresh squeezed
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fine table salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients except chicken in a small bowl and mix well.2 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon paprika powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon fine table salt
- Place chicken in a large plastic bag and pour over the marinade. Tie a knot on the bag and massage the chicken to spread out the marinade evenly.2 lb chicken
- Allow to marinate at least 30 minutes before cooking.
Equipment (may contain affiliate links)
- Small bowl
- Plastic bags
Video
Notes
- Don't marinate too long since there's a lot of acidic lime juice in there, which will start breaking down the chicken
- Make ahead by making the marinade up to 3 days in advance, and marinating the chicken 30 minutes to 1 hour before cooking
- Throw away leftover used marinade - do not reuse it
- Store leftover unused marinade in the fridge for up to 1 week
- Freeze leftover unused marinade for up to 3 months
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate and automatically calculated, and should only be viewed as an indication.
Anya
I have been trying to hit my protein macros but eating chicken all the time can get kind of boring so I decided to give this mexican marinade chicken a go to spice things up. I really enjoy the flavors and love that the marinading process is 30 min top so that made my meal prepping quicker. Today I added this chicken to a caesar salad and it was super tasty - definitely recommend.