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This Chipotle Honey Lime Chicken is charred on the outside, juicy in the middle and bursting with sweet, smoky and tangy flavours. The chicken is marinated in a bold blend of chipotle peppers, honey, citrus and garlic, and perfect for grilling, baking, or air frying. Serve it with a quick-and-easy Creamy Coleslaw and some steamed jasmine rice or keep things Paleo with some roasted sweet potatoes and your favourite veggies. Whatever you do, don’t toss the marinade because it gets transformed into a delicious glaze.
Why You’ll Love This Chipotle Honey Lime Chicken
- Bold and Balanced Flavours: The smoky heat of chipotle pairs perfectly with the sweetness of honey and the brightness of fresh lime juice.
- High Protein: Each serving contains around 41 grams of protein.
- Versatile: Grill, bake, or air fry the Chipotle Honey Lime Chicken – whatever suits your style!
- Meal-Prep Friendly: Store leftovers for quick and easy meals throughout the week.
- Great for Any Occasion: Serve as a main dish, over your favourite salad, or shred the meat for tacos.
Substitution Ideas
- Chicken: Substitute chicken breasts for a leaner option or use the marinade for a whole chicken.
- Honey: Substitute other natural sweeteners like maple syrup or agave nectar.
- Chipotle Peppers: Substitute cayenne pepper and tomato paste if you can’t find canned chipotle peppers.
- Citrus: Experiment with different citrus combinations, such as lemon juice or grapefruit instead of lime and orange.
Serving Suggestions
- Rice Bowls: Pair the chicken with a side of steamed jasmine rice and creamy coleslaw.
- Keep it Paleo: Serve the chicken with a side of Roasted Sweet Potatoes and grilled veggies to keep everything Paleo.
- Salads: Top a fresh salad with some of the sliced chicken, avocado, and a tangy vinaigrette.
- Tacos: Shred the chicken and add it to a tortilla with avocado and fresh salsa for some killer tacos.
For Best Results!
- Don’t Overcook: Use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is fully cooked. For dark meat, such as wings, thighs and drumsticks, you can cook the chicken until it reaches 185F. This will help break down the collagen with little risk of drying it out the meat.
For light meat, such as the breast, cook the chicken until the thickest part reaches 160F then transfer it to a tray, lightly tent it with foil and let it rest for a few minutes. The residual heat will continue cooking the chicken up to 165F. - Let It Rest: Resting the chicken for a few minutes before slicing will allow the juices to redistribute, resulting in a much juicier finished product.
- Adjust Spice Level: Use 1 or 2 chipotle peppers for a milder taste, or 4 peppers if you like things spicy.
Can You Make the Chipotle Honey Lime Chicken Ahead of Time?
Yes, you can cook the Chipotle Honey Lime Chicken in advance and store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I recommend slowly reheating the chicken in a 300F oven or air fryer for around 10 minutes to prevent it from drying out.
Chipotle Honey Lime Chicken
Ingredients
For the Coleslaw:
- 1 small savoy cabbage, roughly chopped
- 4 green onions, finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh curly parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 carrot, coarsely grated
- ½ cup avocado oil mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
For the Chipotle Honey Lime Chicken:
- 2.5 pounds bone-in and skin-on chicken quarters, substitute chicken thighs, breasts or whole chicken
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 3 chipotle peppers packed in adobo, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely grated
- ¼ cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
- 2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lime juice
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
- Steamed jasmine rice, for serving
Instructions
For the Coleslaw:
- In a bowl, combine the cabbage, green onion, parsley, carrot, mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper and toss well to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before tasting and adjust with salt, pepper, mayonnaise or vinegar, as desired.
For the Chipotle Honey Lime Chicken:
- In a bowl, combine the chicken, honey, coconut aminos, chipotle peppers, garlic, orange juice, lime juice, avocado oil, paprika, salt and pepper and toss well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 6 hours.
- Preheat your Traeger Grill to 475F.
- Transfer the chicken to the lowest racks of your Traeger Grill, skin side-down at first, and cook until golden brown, around 30 minutes. Meanwhile, pour the reserved chicken marinade into a small sauce pan along with ¼ cup water. Place the saucepan onto a medium heat, bring the liquid to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until it has reduced in volume by at least ¼. Set aside.
- Flip the chicken and baste each piece with some of the glaze. Continue cooking the chicken, flipping occasionally and basting it once or twice more, until lightly charred all over and the thickest part of each piece reaches 185F, around 15 more minutes (if using chicken breast, cook until the thickest part reaches 160F).
- Transfer the chicken to a serving platter, brush with a bit more of the glaze and serve with a side of steamed jasmine rice and coleslaw.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 954kcal, Carbohydrates: 43g, Protein: 45g, Fat: 69g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 22g, Monounsaturated Fat: 26g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 248mg, Sodium: 1570mg, Potassium: 1228mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugar: 26g, Vitamin A: 6338IU, Vitamin C: 89mg, Calcium: 133mg, Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe? Leave a comment below!
About the Author
Hi, i’m Ronny! In 2013, after a lifetime of struggling with my weight and body issues, I rehabilitated my relationship with food, lost over 40 pounds and completely changed my life.
Wow! This chicken was a real winner for us! My family loved every bite and my son even said he’d never tasted better chicken!
I made this exact meal but with boneless skinless chicken thighs. The combination of sweet and spice on the chicken and the coolness of slaw was perfect! I’ll be making this agin. Thank you!
This recipe was DELICIOUS! I ended up using less adobo chilis because I am sensitive to spice but it was perfect! I also marinated the chicken over night. I could not find savoy cabbage and ended up using napa cabbage and it still worked well with the coleslaw. 10/10 recipe and will be making again for sure 🙂
This recipe was excellent! I used boneless skinless chicken thighs. I will definitely make this again.
Sooooooo good and easy. Really good flavor and different than I am used to when using chipotle peppers. Adding to the rotation!