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This recipe for Mexican grilled chicken packs bold flavors with an extremely quick 6 ingredient marinade. It’s a great weeknight meal for how easy it comes together, and it can be frozen for meal prep. A versatile protein for tacos, salads, or wraps – you can customize it any way you like.
A Quick Look: Mexican-Style Grilled Chicken
- Prep time: 5 minutes to prep with a 2 hour marinade – although you can cut it down to 30 minutes in a rush.
- Servings: 4-6 people for dinner or other meals.
- Main ingredients: Chicken breasts or thighs, avocado oil, garlic, soy sauce or coconut aminos, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika.
- When to serve: An easy weeknight meal when you want something flavorful without a lot of work. It’s also not too spicy, so can work for kids too!
- Dietary information: This recipe fits a Mediterranean diet, gluten free, dairy free, and high protein. It is HYH diet compliant with a few edits.
- Why you’ll love it: This is similar to a grilled chicken you’d get at a Mexican restaurant, and is versatile served alone with Spanish brown rice and beans, stuffed into tacos, layered over rice bowls, tossed onto salads, or tucked into quesadillas for lunch the next day.
This Mexican-seasoned grilled chicken uses a simple blend of pantry spices, lime juice, and garlic. While it’s inspired by the flavors of pollo asado, it’s a streamlined version without hard to find ingredients that pairs perfectly with a margarita mocktail. You can even use the marinade on beef or pork.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
The full list of ingredients can be found on the recipe card below, but here are some helpful tips on grocery shopping and good substitutes.
- Chicken – You can use this marinade for boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs. I would highly recommend choosing air-chilled if you have the option, even more than organic. Air-chilled chicken is passed through chambers of air rather than being dunked in solutions for cleaning, which can be absorbed by the chicken. For grilling, this makes a big difference because the chicken will have better grill marks, a firmer texture (not rubbery), and better flavor overall.
- Spices – Chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika make up the flavors. A few favorites are Frontier and Morton & Bassett. And I love Trader Joe’s smoked paprika. While guajillo or achiote may be more traditional, it can be harder to find and these flavors are more similar to a Tex Mex grilled chicken.
- Cooking Oil – I recommend using avocado oil or a high heat olive oil like Graza Sizzle. Canola oil can also be used.
- Soy sauce or coconut aminos – Soy sauce is surprisingly common in Mexican grilled chicken marinades! For this recipe you have the option to use it, or substitute coconut aminos for a soy free or gluten free version. You can also substitute this with one of the recommendations below.
- Garlic – Use fresh minced or pressed garlic for the best flavor.
Marinade Substitutions
This recipe was updated in July 2026 to include a change to the marinade from pomegranate juice to more variations. The unique part of this Mexican grilled chicken marinade is it can work with 3 different liquids – lime juice, pomegranate juice, or soy sauce.
Lime juice is more traditional, but pomegranate or tart cherry juice both have the same tart flavor that citrus would bring, but are great foods for brain health. They pair extremely well with the smoked paprika. For the hyh diet, use citrus substitutes and/or coconut aminos.
How to Make Mexican Grilled Chicken
Step 1: If the chicken breasts are very thick, use a mallet to pound them out to about 1/2 inch thickness. You can also slice them in half, or use thin-sliced chicken breasts. You shouldn’t need to do this step if using chicken thighs.
Step 2: Prepare the marinade. Mix together all the ingredients and submerge the chicken in the marinade, making sure it’s fully covered. Marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, up to 12 hours.
Step 3: Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to 400-450 degrees F (medium high heat). Pour a little bit of oil onto a paper towel and, using tongs, rub the grill grates. Be careful of excess oil as this can cause flare ups if it drips into the flames! A little bit goes a long way.
Step 4: Place the chicken onto the grill and close the lid. Cook on both sides for about 5-7 minutes per side for (1/2 inch-3/4 inch thickness). If using cutlets or thin-sliced (around 1/4-1/2 inch thick), cook for about 4-5 minutes per side. The chicken is ready to flip when it easily releases from the grill grates and has nice grill marks.
A meat thermometer is a great tool – you want the chicken breasts to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Place onto a serving plate and cover with foil to keep warm until ready to serve.
Mexican Chicken Marinade Tips
I’ve used different timing for this marinade, from a full day to less than an hour. Every time it’s full of flavor, but I usually try to leave it in there for at least 2 hours. I find this is kind of the sweet spot.
The easiest way to marinate chicken is just by using reusable or ziplock storage bag. This allows the marinade to coat the chicken on all sides. If you just use a dish, it’s only getting soaked on one side at a time so you have to remember to flip it halfway through.
Can I Bake or Pan-Sear the Chicken?
My favorite way to make grilled Mexican chicken is on a charcoal or gas grill, but if you have neither a good grill pan will do or here are some alternative methods.
- Stovetop – I prefer a cast iron grill pan as I think it gives the chicken the best grill marks and also good texture.
- Baked – Cook at 425 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. But for the best flavor, I highly recommend grilling.
- Pan-seared – It helps to start with thin chicken breasts, so either buy “cutlets”, pound the chicken to about 1/2 inch thickness, or slice the chicken breasts in half so they are cut thin. Pan sear over medium heat for about 5-6 minutes per side, or until cooked through.
Serving Ideas
There are so many ways you can serve this, but my favorite is how Tex Mex restaurants serve fajitas, with some peppers and onions or rice and refried black or pinto beans. Also sour cream or blended cottage cheese, and avocado or pico de gallo. Amy’s brand has great canned black beans or I have a great spiced black beans recipe in my cookbook.
- Tex Mex chicken salad – Serve on top of greens with green onion, avocado, tomatoes, and peppers, with homemade ranch, or honey mustard ranch.
- Tacos – Use the sliced chicken in warm tortillas with white queso dip.
- Baked chicken flautas – Sub this into the recipe instead of rotisserie chicken.
- Air fryer quesadilla – Cut this Mexican bbq chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to the recipe.
If serving alone, some side dishes that pair well are this dense bean salad, Spanish brown rice, and watermelon basil salad.
Storage Suggestions
- Refrigerator – Keep the chicken in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. It reheats well microwaved in 30 second intervals.
- Freezer – Store this in a sealed freezer bag for up to 6 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, or quickly by placing the bag into warm water. It should defrost within 30 minutes.
- Meal prep – If you double the recipe, you can grill it then slice and store the chicken breast in the freezer. Just defrost in the fridge for lunches or reheat in the microwave for a quick meal. For meal prep for 1 for an entire week, you will need about 3 pounds of chicken. You can use the servings adjuster in the recipe card.
To make the Mexican chicken marinade ahead – place in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 1 week until you’re ready to use.
More Grilled Chicken Recipes
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Green Goddess Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs
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Mexican Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil, canola oil or high heat olive oil will also work
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin powder
- 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 fresh lime (optional)
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Pound them with a heavy skillet or mallet until they are about 1/2 inch thickness and uniform. Pat dry with paper towels.
- lace chicken in a gallon sized bag, combine the oil, soy sauce or coconut aminos, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and minced garlic cloves. Smoosh around to mix everything up. Drop in the chicken breasts (see note on size of chicken breasts), and marinate for at least 2 hours, up to 12 hours.
- Preheat the grill to medium/high heat (about 400-450°F/210°C) and place a little bit of oil onto a paper towel. Using tongs, rub the towel on the grill grates to oil them, being careful to avoid excess oil flare ups. A little bit of oil goes a long way! Place chicken breasts on the grill, close the grill lid, and cook for about 4-5 minutes per side, or until grill marks form and the chicken reaches an internal temp of 165°. The chicken will release easily from the grill grates when it's ready to be flipped.
- Remove from the grill and cover with foil. When ready, slice the chicken breasts and serve warm. Top with a squeeze of lime, if desired.
Notes
- A note on kosher salt – I used diamond brand kosher salt, which is much less salty than other types, like Morton’s. Keep this in mind if also using soy sauce. You may want to adjust the salt to a lower amount if using soy sauce since that has more sodium naturally.
- If using thin-sliced chicken breasts, which marinate and cook much faster, cook for about 4-5 minutes per side.
- To get thin chicken breasts – run a sharp knife down the middle center of the chicken (sideways) or use a mallet to pound to about 1/2 inch thickness.
- Soy sauce substitutes – This recipe also works great with pomegranate juice, tart cherry juice, or lime juice as well.
- A grill pan will also work if you don’t own a charcoal or gas grill. See post for instructions for baking and pan-searing chicken.
- This marinade will keep up to a week without the chicken. Use for other types of meat like pork or flank steak, or brush onto grilled vegetables.
- HYH diet – Use coconut aminos or pomegranate juice and omit the lime.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have been craving chipotle ever since I started the migraine diet and let me tell you, this chicken hit the spot! I know it’s not a recipe copy cat for Chipotle’s chicken but good Lord was this yummy!! Even my husband whose a picky eater loved it! 10 out of 10! I’m adding this in my recipe arsenal!
I’m so glad you all loved it!
Our dinner was scrumptious. All four of us loved the recipe.. I used Perdue chicken strips and grilled them along side sliced yellow and red bell peppers and onions. The peppers and onions were marinated separately, but with the same ingredients.. Side dishes served were yellow rice and fire roasted corn with some sour cream and guacamole .
Thank you, Cathy!
Yum!
First time making this and it was delicious! For the best flavor, plan on at least 1 hour marinating time for thin/small pieces of chicken. This will definitely be in our regular rotation for grilling season!
Two thumbs up from my family. So tasty!
Easy, tasty recipe. Needs to marinade for at least a few hours, though.
So delicious and easy. I made a batch for dinner and one to freeze for later in the week. Thanks!