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Tangy Baked Honey Lime Chicken Recipe

Tangy Baked Honey Lime Chicken

Juicy baked chicken breasts are marinated in honey, fresh lime, garlic, soy sauce, and warm spices for a bright, glossy dinner with sweet-tangy flavor. Serve with the pan juices, cilantro, and lime wedges.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 1 1/2 pounds Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Marinade
  • 1/3 cup Honey
  • 1/4 cup Fresh lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons Olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons Low-sodium soy sauce
  • 3 cloves Garlic, finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon Finely grated lime zest
  • 1 teaspoon Chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
Serving
  • Optional Chopped cilantro or lime wedges

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Pound thick chicken breasts to approximately 3/4-inch thickness and pat them dry. Whisk the honey, lime juice, olive oil, soy sauce, garlic, lime zest, chili powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl.
  2. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the clean marinade before adding the chicken. Place the chicken in the remaining marinade, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours; overnight marinating is also acceptable.
  3. Heat the oven to 400°F and lightly grease a baking dish. Arrange the marinated chicken in the dish, leaving a little space between the pieces.
  4. Bake the chicken uncovered for approximately 20 to 28 minutes, depending on thickness, brushing it once with the reserved marinade. The chicken is ready when the thickest part reaches 165°F.
  5. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Spoon the pan juices over each serving and finish with chopped cilantro or lime wedges.

Notes

Pound the chicken evenly so the thin portions do not dry out before the centers cook. Never reuse marinade that has touched raw chicken unless it is boiled vigorously for several minutes; reserving a clean portion before marinating is safer. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs may be substituted and generally take about 25 to 35 minutes at 400°F.