This recipe for Chile Lime Chicken blends the great flavors of Mexico, smokiness of street cooking, spicy chiles and fresh limes and into one fabulous dish.
It’s interesting how recipes come together. Chile Lime Chicken came about with the discovery of a new spice. Just one more spice I had to have to add to my Huge collection. Do I use them all? I really do.
I have to say I’m probably Trader Joe’s biggest fan. This store is amazing with all the wonderful, interesting food items. Plus they have great customer service. And the best thing is that they encourage crew members to try just about everything in the store so they can assist customers.
As I was wandering down the aisles, I had to stop at the spice area. They always seem to have something new. And there it was. Chile Lime Seasoning Blend.
I asked one of the crew members if she ever tried this spice and the lady said she had and loved it. I asked her if it was overly spicy and she said not at all. In fact, she said it was very lime forward. That sold me.
When I brought it home and opened it up, she was absolutely right. You can first taste the Chile, and then bing! There comes the lime and lots of it.
Wondering what I was going to do with this new spice, my first thought was Mexico and then I remembered the beautiful sights and the smells of that interesting country. The smokiness of chiles fired over an open flame. The sweetness of flowers and fruit. The pungent smell of limes.
So maybe this new Chile spice deserved Chicken with a touch of smoke and some sweetness. Perhaps some honey to add just the right flavor and to glaze the chicken. And so, Chile Lime Chicken.
Ingredients for Chile Lime Chicken
- Chicken Breasts: The star of the show
- Honey: For sweetness and to provide viscosity for the glaze
- Lime: For fresh tang
- Garlic Powder: For depth of flavor
- Chile Lime Seasoning Blend: For spiciness and freshness of lime
- Smoked Paprika: To add smoky flavor, like cooking over an open fire
How to Make Chile Lime Chicken
Some cooks say there’s no need to rinse chicken before you cook it, but I had a friend who told me his family owned a chicken farm and he said whatever you do always wash the chicken before you cook it. And that was enough for me.
So give the chicken breasts a good rinse. Then pat them down with paper towels until they’re almost dry. The drier the chicken the better the glaze will stick to it.
Spray a baking pan with oil and add the chicken to it.
Next just whisk the honey, lime juice, garlic powder, Chile Lime Seasoning Blend and Smoked Paprika together. Then add the glaze to the chicken. The simplest way is to use a pastry brush to coat the chicken evenly on both sides.
Then bake it for about 20-25 minutes in a preheated 425 degree oven. You’ll know when it’s done because a meat thermometer will register 165.
When it’s done, just remove from the oven and spoon some of the accumulated juices over top. Then let it rest for a few minutes to add extra juiciness.
Chile Lime Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken Breasts Skinless
- 2 Tbsp Honey
- 1/2 Lime Juiced
- 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
- 3/4 Tsp Chile Lime Seasoning Blend Trader Joe's
- 1/4 Tsp Smoked Paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
- Spray baking dish with oil
- Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels. Then add the chicken to the prepared pan.
- In a small bowl whisk honey, lime juice, garlic powder, Chile Lime Seasoning Blend and smoked paprika.
- Brush both sides of the chicken with the glaze.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until chicken registers 165 on a meat thermometer.
- When done remove from oven and spoon accumulated juices over the top. Let it rest for 5 minutes, for extra juiciness, then serve.
Nutrition
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