Key West Grilled Chicken (Printable)

Citrus-honey marinated Key West grilled chicken with lime, garlic, and island spices—grilled for bright tropical flavor.

# What You Need:

→ Poultry

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

→ Marinade

02 - 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
03 - 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
04 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
05 - 2 tablespoons honey
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce (gluten-free variety if needed)
08 - 1 teaspoon salt
09 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 - ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
11 - ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
12 - ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Garnish

13 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
14 - Lime wedges for serving

# Steps:

01 - In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the lime juice, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, minced garlic, soy sauce, salt, black pepper, cumin, dried thyme, and red pepper flakes until well combined.
02 - Place the chicken breasts in a large resealable plastic bag or shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the chicken, seal tightly, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours for deeper flavor penetration.
03 - Preheat your grill to medium-high heat (approximately 375°F to 400°F). Lightly oil the grates to prevent sticking.
04 - Remove the chicken from the marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Discard any remaining marinade. Place the chicken onto the hot grill and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F when checked with a meat thermometer.
05 - Transfer the grilled chicken to a serving platter and let it rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and serve alongside lime wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The double citrus hit of lime and lemon makes the chicken incredibly juicy without needing much oil or butter.
  • Honey in the marinade creates gorgeous caramelized grill marks that look as good as they taste.
  • It comes together in under an hour, and most of that is hands off marinating time.
02 -
  • Never reuse the leftover marinade as a sauce unless you bring it to a full rolling boil for at least five minutes to kill any bacteria from the raw chicken.
  • Letting the chicken rest after grilling is not optional, slicing too early means all those beautiful juices end up on your cutting board instead of in the meat.
03 -
  • Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness before marinating so the thin end does not dry out while the thick end finishes cooking.
  • Take the chicken off the grill when it reads 71 degrees Celsius internally, as carryover heat will push it to a perfect 74 while it rests.

Go Back