Julie Clark
Updated:
Key West Chicken
May contain affiliate links. Disclosure policy.
A homemade marinade recipe for a famous Key West Chicken. This grilled chicken has a cilantro lime marinade that is slightly sweet and tangy.
I came across a chicken recipe on Allrecipes.com that got rave reviews. It was called Key West Chicken and had flavors of fresh lime, garlic, zesty soy sauce and honey. It was summer grilling season so it was the perfect time of year to test it out!
In trying it, we tweaked the recipe slightly to have more flavor. Fresh herbs such as thyme and cilantro, cumin and a jalapeño pepper for kick. This is an easy chicken marinade loaded with flavor. The Key West grilled chicken is considered a best marinade on its own, but also delicious on a salad topped with fresh fruit salsa.
About this Key West Chicken Recipe:
- Flavor: The soy sauce, vinegar, honey and lime make this chicken sweet & tangy. You’ll love the added spice from the jalapeño pepper.
- Texture: The vinegar and lime juice tenderize this chicken. And as long as you don’t overcook it, the chicken will be tender and juicy. Perfectly sliceable.
If you love this, you may also love our Mexican Chicken Marinade!
Ingredients Needed
The list for this fabulous marinade may seem long, but it is super easy to mix up and it is such a great blend of flavors.
You’ll need:
- Chicken. Boneless chicken breast halves are our favorite choice for marinating. However, you could use chicken thighs or chicken tenderloins and it would be great, too.
- Soy sauce. Use coconut aminos to have this be gluten free.
- Olive oil. Or vegetable oil.
- Honey
- Lime
- Red wine vinegar
- Orange
- Garlic
- Jalapeño
- Fresh thyme and fresh cilantro
- Cumin seed
- Dried oregano
- Salt and pepper
For the fullest flavor, use the ingredients as they are stated. Make sure the thyme and cilantro are fresh and that you are using fresh pressed garlic and fresh limes juice and oranges.
How to Make Key West Chicken
- Combine soy sauce, oil, honey, lime juice, red wine vinegar, orange juice, crushed garlic, chopped jalapeño, thyme, cilantro, and cumin seed in a food processor or blender. Purée the mixture.
- Place chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Lightly pound meat with a meat mallet until it is even thickness. This will tenderize the meat and make it easier to cook. You can also slice the chicken breasts in half.
- Place chicken breast halves in a casserole dish and pour marinade over the top. Marinate for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
- Preheat the outdoor grill to a high heat, about 450º Fahrenheit.
- Remove the marinated chicken. Do not pat dry. Season chicken with oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Place chicken directly onto the grill grate. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side. The internal temperature of the chicken should read 165ºF.
We LOVE our Thermoworks ThermaPen meat thermometer to quickly test chicken temperatures. This probe thermometer is AMAZING. Get it here.
Make it a meal.
This Key West chicken is excellent served with cilantro lime rice and a fruit salsa such as mango salsa or pineapple salsa. Load up a bowl with rice, top with chicken and then salsa on the top.
Looking for veggies to have with it? Our favorite sides are a grilled veggies, cooked broccoli or roasted asparagus.
For dessert, serve with our key lime pie, key lime sheet cake or key lime cookies.
Key West Chicken
A copycat recipe of the famous Key West Chicken. This grilled chicken has a cilantro lime marinade that is slightly sweet and tangy.
Servings 4
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Marinate Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Ingredients
For the chicken marinade:
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 lime juiced
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 orange juiced
- 8 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 jalapeño seeded and chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon cumin seed
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Optional Toppings:
- chopped cilantro
- lime wedge
- cilantro rice
- mango salsa
Instructions
- Combine soy sauce, oil, honey, lime juice, red wine vinegar, orange juice, crushed garlic, chopped jalapeño, thyme, cilantro, and cumin seed in a food processor or blender. Purée. 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 lime, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 orange, 8 cloves garlic, 1 jalapeño, 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, 1 teaspoon cumin seed
- Place chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Lightly pound meat with a meat mallet until it is even thickness. This will tenderize the meat and make it easier to cook. 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Add chicken to a casserole dish or other shallow container and pour marinade over the chicken. Marinate for 1 hour in the refrigerator. (You can also marinate the chicken in a Ziplock bag.)
- Preheat the grill to 450º Fahrenheit. Remove chicken from the marinade. Do not pat dry. Season chicken with oregano, salt, and pepper. Discard marinade that is left over. 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper
- Place chicken directly onto the grill grates. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side. The internal temperature of the chicken should read 165ºF.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro, then serve with cilantro lime rice, lime wedges and mango salsa.
Video
Notes
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
This chicken makes great kebabs, too! Simply use wooden skewers or bamboo sticks to skewer the chicken in bite size pieces.
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
The calories shown are based on the recipe making 4 servings, with 1 serving being 1 chicken breast. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**
Nutrition
Calories: 183kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 967mg | Potassium: 561mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 216IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg
Can the uncooked chicken and marinade be combined and frozen? I’m thinking meal prep ideas. I’m making this for tonight’s dinner and I think I’d like to add more chicken to the marinade to have again next week.