This Mexican Grilled Chicken delivers all the bold, zesty flavors of Tex-Mex fajitas in a lighter, more elegant presentation. A quick 30-minute marinade adds big flavor before the chicken hits the hot grill. Served with sweet, caramelized bell peppers and onions and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro or parsley, it’s a vibrant, satisfying dish that’s easy enough for busy weeknights or casual entertaining.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe for Mexican Grilled Chicken
I love the flavors in Tex-Mex fajitas – grilled protein (meat, poultry or shrimp) combined with grilled onions and peppers and served with tortillas, guacamole, cheese and sour cream. One day I decided to create a dish that captured the basic flavors in fajitas into a healthier, more elegant dish – that is, without the tortillas and all the toppings. This scrumptious Mexican grilled chicken dish is the result!
Here’s Why I Love This Chicken With Peppers and Onions recipe, and I think you will, too:
- Quick and easy recipe. With minimal prep, a fast marinade, and short cook time (just 30 minutes or less), this chicken is perfect for busy weekday dinners.
- As delicious as it looks. This juicy and flavorful chicken paired with colorful bell peppers and onions is as pretty on the plate as it is delicious!
- Layering of flavors. Marinating the chicken breasts separately from the seasoned peppers and onion creates a layering and depth of flavor in this dish which takes it to another level.
- Bold, Tex-Mex flavor without the heaviness. Inspired by fajitas, this recipe delivers all the southwestern flavors but in a lighter, fresher way.
- Versatile and crowd-pleasing. Serve it over rice (can create burrito bowls), with warmed tortillas on the side, or on top of a salad.
Easy Mexican Grilled Chicken Ingredients
Here’s all you need to make this recipe, all of which should be available at your local grocery store (for all the details, scroll down to recipe card):
Chicken & Marinade iNgredients
- Chicken – Use 4 ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You can split the chicken breasts if they are too large. Boneless skinless chicken thighs can also be used in this Mexican chicken marinade recipe.
- Lime juice
- Low–sodium soy sauce
- Chili powder
- Fresh garlic
- Worcestershire sauce
- Cayenne pepper
- Honey
Bell Peppers and Onions Ingredients
- Red and yellow bell peppers
- Olive oil
- Ground cumin
- Garlic powder
- Dried oregano, preferably Mexican
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper
Quick Tip
Don’t marinate the chicken for more than 2 hours. The marinade contains fresh lime juice, and after 2 hours, the acid from the citrus juice starts breaking down the chicken’s proteins too much, which can make the texture mushy.
How to make Mexican Grilled Chicken
Step 1: Prepare the chicken.
Rinse the chicken breasts and pat them dry. If they are large, butterfly them and cut into 2 pieces (click on photo for a video with step-by-step instructions). Place the breasts in a large zip top baggie and set aside.
Step 2: Prepare the easy Mexican chicken marinade.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together lime juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, soy sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, honey, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper and salt.
Step 2: Marinate chicken.
Add the marinade to the chicken in the baggie, seal, and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, up to 2 hours, turning occasionally.
Step 3: Prepare the grill and chicken.
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Take the chicken out of refrigerator, to bring to room temperature before grilling.
Step 4: Cook the peppers and onion.
Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add the peppers and onion.
Season with cumin, oregano, and garlic powder and cook until soft, around 10 minutes. Season to taste with kosher salt and ground pepper. Set aside.
Step 5: Cook the chicken.
When grill is hot, using tongs, dip a folded paper towel in vegetable oil and rub it over the grates to prevent the chicken from sticking. Stand back from the grill, in case of any flare-ups. (I also wear an oven mitt.) Grill the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, around 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the heat and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Step 6. Garnish and serve.
Place the cooked chicken breasts on a platter and top with the cooked peppers and onions. Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro or parsley.
Tips for Success
- Pat dry. Pat the chicken breasts dry before marinating to remove excess moisture, which can dilute the marinade and the overall flavor of this dish.
- Turn chicken in marinade. Turn the marinating chicken occasionally by flipping over the baggie, so the sauce is evenly and thoroughly absorbed.
- Bring to room temperature. Let marinated chicken sit at room temperature for 20–30 minutes before grilling. If the meat’s too cold, it won’t cook evenly, and you’ll end up with a charred outside and an underdone center.
- Don’t undercook. Chicken is safe when it registers 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer that has been inserted into the thickest part of the breast.
- Prevent sticking. When grill is hot, using tongs, dip a folded paper towel in vegetable oil and rub it over the grates to prevent the chicken from sticking. Stand back from the grill, in case of any flare-ups. (I also wear an oven mitt.)
- Favorite cuts of chicken. While juicy chicken breasts are used in this chicken fajitas recipe, you could also use boneless chicken thighs. Keep in mind that different sizes and thickness of your preferred chicken pieces will have an impact on the cooking time. Chicken thighs typically require a minute or so less per side on the gas grill.
- Achieve nice grill marks. To get perfect grill marks on each Mexican chicken breast, place the breasts diagonally on your hot outdoor grill, leave for 3-4 minutes, then rotate 90 degrees when flipping.
- Rest before serving. Let the grilled chicken rest for 5–10 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute, preventing dry chicken.
How to Serve
Here are two options for how to serve this delicious grilled chicken recipe:
- Serve on one large platter. You can serve this dish family style, placing the grilled chicken on a platter and top with the cooked peppers and onions – or surround the chicken breasts with the vegetables.
- Serve on individual plates. Alternatively, you can serve this chicken with peppers and onions on individual dinner plates.
My favorite side dish to serve with this meal is our Saffron Cilantro Rice (in my cookbook Fresh Tastes). Mexican grilled chicken is also just as delicious with these tasty side dish options below:
- Instant Pot Red Potatoes Recipe with Herb Butter
- Broccoli Side Dish with Bacon
- Parmesan Cornbread Recipe with Buttermilk
- Grilled Potato Packets (without the truffle oil).
- Tomato Cucumber Salad Recipe
- Lemon Mayonnaise Coleslaw Recipe
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover chicken with peppers and onions in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat, place the chicken and veggies on a baking sheet, cover with foil, and heat for 10–15 minutes at 325 degrees F. Add a splash of water or lime juice to revive the leftovers and for brightness, if needed.
This Mexican grilled chicken can be stored in a freezer-safe plastic bag or airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat as directed above.
Frequently Asked Questions
This dish isn’t super spicy. And, the good news is you can control how spicy you make it! The chili powder and cayenne pepper in the marinade are where the kick comes from. So, add more to amp up the spice, or less to tone it down.
For this recipe I like to use red and yellow bell peppers. They are the sweetest varieties and have less of a grassy flavor than green bell peppers. Orange bell peppers don’t hold up to heat as well, so I wouldn’t use them for this dish.
I don’t recommend marinating the chicken for more than 2 hours. Leaving chicken in a marinade with acidic lime juice for longer can cause the meat to become mushy.
Yes, it’s best to thaw frozen chicken before marinating. When chicken thaws, it releases the water and ice it absorbed when frozen. That water will then dilute your marinade, and dilute the flavor. I even recommend patting thawed chicken dry, to get rid of any excess moisture before you marinate.
In my recipe, the chicken is marinated with one set of flavor-enhancing ingredients, while the peppers and onion are cooked with a different set of seasonings. Layering varying ingredients into the dish at different times during the cooking process results in amazing depth and vibrancy to the flavor.
More Chicken Dinner Favorites
Mexican Grilled Chicken
Southwestern Grilled Chicken with Peppers and Onions – the flavors of fajitas in a healthier, more elegant dish.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Marinating Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Diet: Low Calorie
Ingredients
ChickeN & MARINADE
- 6 (4 ounce) large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (around 3 limes)
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Dash kosher salt or sea salt
Peppers and Onions
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into thin strips
- 1 large yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into thin strips
- 1 medium (8 ounce) onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
- Chopped cilantro or parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry. Place in a zip-top baggie.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the lime juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, soy sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, honey, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, and salt.
- Add to chicken in baggie, seal, and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 30 minutes, up to 2 hours, turning occasionally.
- Preheat grill to medium-high. Take chicken out of the refrigerator to bring to room temperature.
- Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add peppers and onion. Season with cumin, oregano, and garlic powder and cook until tender, around 10 minutes. Season to taste with kosher salt and ground pepper. Set aside.
- When grill is hot, using tongs, dip a folded paper towel in vegetable oil and rub it over the grates to prevent the chicken from sticking. Stand back from the grill, in case of any flare-ups. (I also wear an oven mitt.)
- Grill chicken until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, around 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
- Place cooked chicken breasts on a platter and top with the cooked peppers and onions. Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro or parsley.
Notes
Gluten free: Use gluten free soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce.
- Category: Poultry, main dish, grilled, gluten free
- Method: Grilling, Sautéing
- Cuisine: Southwestern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast with sauce
- Calories: 518
- Sugar: 2.8 g
- Sodium: 145.9 mg
- Fat: 24.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 9.5 g
- Fiber: 2.1 g
- Protein: 62.8 g
- Cholesterol: 198.6 mg
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Made this recipe last night for guests and everyone gobbled it up! Super delish. Love all the flavors.
Thanks Suzie! Glad you all liked my recipe.