This Southwest Chicken is so juicy and has the most incredible bold flavors! The simple marinade is made up of lime juice, cilantro, and a blend of earthy, smoky, garlicy dried spices. Grill or bake it and add it to salads, rice bowls, or pasta. It’ll be your go-to marinated chicken!
Looking for more delicious marinated chicken recipes? Try my grilled honey mustard chicken and grilled balsamic chicken!
Why You’ll Love Southwest Chicken
Bold flavors – Thanks to the blend of smoky, earthy spices, the pop of fresh lime juice, and cilantro, this chicken marinade truly elevates the flavor of chicken breasts!
Versatile – Not only is this chicken amazing right off the grill with a couple of side dishes, but you can also add it to salads, use it as filling for enchiladas, make a rice bowl with it or use it for chicken tacos.
Meal prep – I always prep a batch of chicken on a Sunday to use throughout the week. It’s so convenient to have it already cooked and ready to use when I need a quick dinner.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken – Boneless skinless chicken breasts are what I use the most, but you can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer dark meat.
Lime – Squeeze the lime juice yourself for the best flavor.
Cilantro – Cilantro adds a wonderful fresh herb flavor. If you don’t like cilantro you can omit it, but the chicken will lack some of the flavor.
Olive oil – Olive oil is needed to balance the acidity of the lime juice and it helps to tenderize the chicken.
Garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, oregano – The flavorful spice blend that I use in many of my southwest recipes. Be sure you are using mild chili powder, unless you want the chicken to be spicy.
Tips for Making Southwest Chicken
- If you are grilling the chicken preheat your grill to 400° F. Let the chicken sit out for 30 minutes before grilling. Use a meat thermometer to ensure that it’s cooked properly. Chicken needs to have an internal temperature of 165° F. to be fully cooked.
- If you bake the chicken follow the same directions and tips as grilling. I like to bake chicken on a foil lined baking sheet so cleanup is easy.
- Use chicken breasts that are similar in size and thickness or pound them out with a mallet so that they are. This ensures that they cook evenly.
- Don’t marinate the chicken too long. I’ve found that marinades that use citrus don’t need to be marinated overnight and it can often change the texture of the chicken if you do. I marinate the chicken for 1-3 hours and it’s plenty of time to infuse the flavor into the chicken.
- Let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting into it. This allows the juices to redistribute in the chicken rather than leaking out all over your cutting board.
Substitutions and Variations
- Garlic powder can be replaced with 2 cloves of grated or minced fresh garlic.
- If you love cheese and a slice of cheddar, monterey jack or pepper jack cheese to the top a couple minutes before it’s finished cooking.
- Make it spicy and add a teaspoon of hot sauce to the marinade. You can also use a spicier chili powder. I love this green chile powder.
- Add a tablespoon of honey to the marinade to give the chicken a sweet and spicy flavor.
Serving Suggestions
Storage
The leftover southwest chicken can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the chicken for up to 3 months. Be sure it’s cooled completely before freezing it.
More Southwest Dinner Recipes
Southwest cuisine is a personal favorite of mine! Below are some of my favorites and reader favorites as well.
If you make this Southwest Chickenplease leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love hearing from you and do my best to respond to your comments. And if you’re on Instagram tag @reciperunner so I can see your beautiful creations!
Place the chicken breasts in a freezer bag. In a bowl or glass measuring cup add all of the ingredients for the marinade. Whisk together and pour it in with the chicken.
Press the air out of the bag and seal it. Massage the marinade into the chicken, then refrigerate it for 1-3 hours.
Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking it. Preheat your grill or oven to 400° F. If grilling, clean and oil the grates. If baking, line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 4-6 minutes then flip it over and cook another 4-6 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165° F. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the chicken breasts.
To bake the chicken, place it on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165° F.
Let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting into it. Serve the chicken with your favorites side dish, add it to a salad, put it on top of a rice bowl, or using it as a filling for tacos or enchiladas.
The cooked chicken will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also freeze the chicken for up to 3 months.
Calories: 264kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 36gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 109mgSodium: 789mgPotassium: 675mgFiber: 1gVitamin A: 355IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
