If you’re a fan of sweet and savory dinners, this grilled honey lime chicken will be the perfect recipe! The honey-lime marinade is one of my favorite new tricks for making delicious drumsticks that fulfills all of your cravings.
Grilled Chicken Drumsticks
This grilled honey lime chicken is about to be a new favorite! The marinade adds the perfect sweet and zesty flavor to juicy chicken.
I used chicken drumsticks here, but feel free to use chicken breasts, thighs, or whatever cut of chicken you’d like! Either way, this marinade is going to make one delicious meal.
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How to Make Grilled Honey Lime Chicken
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Whisk together the marinade ingredients.
- Add chicken to a resealable bag, pour marinade over chicken, seal and toss to coat. Refrigerate for 4 hours overnight.
- Remove drumsticks from the honey lime marinade, then grill according to instructions.
- Bring the remaining sauce to a boil and cook for 8-10 minutes.
- Brush chicken with reduced sauce as instructed and serve immediately.
Ingredient Notes
Use any cut of chicken for this recipe. Cooking times may vary depending on the size of the cut.
Yes, you can! While I chose to use drumsticks, this marinade is great on breasts, thighs, wings, or even a whole chicken! You may need to adjust your grilling time depending on the size and cut of the meat.
Lime juice, like any acid, makes the meat tender and locks in moisture as it cooks.
You should marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight. Any longer, and the chicken may turn mushy or stringy.
While it’s not required, piercing chicken pieces a few times with a fork, knife, or skewer can help the marinade to sink in further.
To get the best sear, pat the excess marinade off of the chicken. Too much moisture will cause the chicken to steam.
Yes. To bake this chicken, preheat the oven to 400°F. Brush some of the marinade over the chicken and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until 165°F. Serve with reduced marinade.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Make sure you don’t marinade your chicken for too long. After 48 hours, the acidity of the lime juice in the marinade will break down the chicken.
- Feel free to use different cuts of meat, but keep in mind that drumsticks and thighs contain more fat to keep them moist.
Make Ahead Instructions
Marinate the chicken up to 1 day in advance (absolute maximum of 24 hours). Store in the refrigerator until ready to grill.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover grilled honey lime chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a microwave, on the grill, or on the stovetop.
Freezing Instructions
Freeze grilled honey lime chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Make It A Meal
Grilled honey lime chicken is great served with cilantro lime rice or over top a fresh salad with the thickened marinade as the dressing. It’s also great sliced in a sandwich or taco!
Tips for Grilling Chicken
- Clean the grill and oil it before adding the chicken. This will prevent sticking.
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken has a larger margin of error for overcooking. It will stay moist even if you slightly overcook it.
- Heat one side of the grill to high and the other to medium-high. Sear the chicken on the high heat side of the grill first to form char marks, then flip it onto the lower heat to finish cooking.
- Keep the grill closed to reduce drying out.
- Remove the chicken from the grill when it reaches 160°F internally. Tent it with foil, and it will continue to cook off the heat to 165°F.
- Let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes before enjoying. This helps lock in the juices.
Enjoy this grilled honey lime chicken recipe! The honey and lime flavors pair well with sweet potatoes, creamy avocado, or your favorite veggies. You can also top it with fresh cilantro or use this chicken for tacos! The options are endless.
Grilled Honey Lime Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup honey
- ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 whole limes juiced and zested
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 1 pound bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks
Instructions
- Whisk together the honey, soy sauce, lime juice, lime zest, and crushed red pepper.⅓ cup honey, ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce, 2 whole limes, 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Add chicken to a large Ziplock bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken. Seal and toss to fully coat. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.1 pound bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks
- Preheat grill to 400°F.
- Remove drumsticks from marinade, but do not discard marinade. Place chicken on the grill and cook, rotating every 8-10 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165°F (about 30-35 minutes).
- Meanwhile, pour remaining marinade into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 8-10 minutes until liquid thickens and is reduced by half.
- For the last 2-3 minutes of grilling, brush chicken with reduced sauce. Remove from heat and brush with remaining sauce. Serve immediately.
Notes
- To bake this chicken, preheat the oven to 400°F. Brush some of the marinade over the chicken and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until 165°F. Serve with reduced marinade.
This is awesome easy to follow recipe heating remaining mareanade makes the recipe
Five stars
Thank you for recipe
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