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Key West Grilled Chicken

Key West grilled chicken with a bright citrus marinade and a sticky Key lime glaze for island-style flavor. Grill until charred on the outside and juicy at 165°F, then finish with fresh cilantro and lime wedges.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Marinating 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Caribbean-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Key West citrus marinade
  • 2 lb chicken pieces
  • 0.25 cup Key lime juice (or regular lime)
  • 0.25 cup orange juice
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 0.25 Salt and pepper to taste
To finish
  • 0.25 Fresh cilantro and lime wedges for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 grill

Method
 

Make the citrus marinade
  1. Whisk together lime juice, orange juice, olive oil, minced garlic, honey, cumin, salt, and pepper until smooth and glossy.
  2. Transfer the marinade to a container large enough for the chicken pieces.
Marinate
  1. Add chicken pieces and coat thoroughly, then cover and refrigerate for 2-6 hours to soak up the citrus flavor.
Grill
  1. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, then grill chicken pieces until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
  2. Continue grilling just until you see visible char on the outside, without overcooking the centers.
Rest and garnish
  1. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving so the juices settle.
  2. Garnish with fresh cilantro and lime wedges right before eating.

Notes

For best flavor, marinate on the longer end (closer to 6 hours) and reserve any marinade only if you’ll boil it first—otherwise discard. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days; freeze cooked chicken up to 2 months. To make it lighter, use a sugar-free honey substitute (or reduce honey to 1 tbsp) while keeping the lime-and-orange base the same.