These Smoked Chili Lime Chicken Breasts are one of my family's favorite grill recipes; they are quick and easy to make! Skinless chicken breasts are marinated in a delicious homemade chili lime sauce and then smoked to perfection on the grill. The chicken is so amazingly moist, tender, and full of flavor. They're great for meal prep and work for Keto, Whole30, Paleo, and low-carb diets!
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In case you don't know yet, I love making delicious recipes that are quick and easy. Now that the weather has warmed up, my favorite place to cook is outside, on the smoker.
I recently purchased a pellet grill, and everything I have made is so darn good! You just set it and forget it! There are no flare-ups, and you don't have to worry about flipping the meat every 5 minutes. Everything is tender, moist, and loaded with flavor!
For more delicious smoked chicken recipes, try my Crispy Pit Boss Smoked Chicken Wings, Smoked Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, Smoked Beer Can Chicken, and Smoked Whole Chicken on Pellet Grill.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This chicken has such an incredible flavor. It has a bright, fresh taste from the tangy lime juice and just a hint of spice from the chili powder.
- This smoked chicken is ready in just 1 hour! While the chicken is cooking, you can prepare your sides or salads.
- This chicken can be sliced, enjoyed as-is, or sliced and served with Pressure Cooker Rice or Carrot Salad. It is also super delicious sliced thin and served in tacos or on a salad.
- This chicken is good any day of the week or on weekends to serve friends and family. Make sure you double or triple the recipe, though; it'll be gone fast!
What You Need To Make Chili Lime Smoked Chicken
You only need a few simple ingredients to make this delicious meal:
Ingredient Notes:
- Chicken breasts. I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You could also use bone-in skin on chicken breasts or chicken thighs.
- Marinade Ingredients: The marinade is made with lime juice from fresh limes, olive oil, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Feel free to add some cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or a splash of hot sauce to add more heat.
See the printable recipe card for quantities and a full list of ingredients.
How To Make Smoked Chili Lime Chicken
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the marinade. Mix garlic powder, lime juice, olive oil, chili powder, pepper, salt, and pepper in a large bowl with a whisk.
Step 2: Add chicken. Place whole chicken breasts in the marinade and flip them over to ensure all parts are coated. Let marinate for 1 hour or all day if you can.
Step 3: Preheat the smoker. The smoker I used is a Pit Boss 8-in-1 grill and smoker. Set the temperature to 225 degrees F. Make sure you have topped it up with wood pellets of your choice. My favorite pellets to use are the Competition Blend.
Step 4: Smoke. Place the chicken breast directly on the preheated grill using tongs and put your meat thermometer in. Close the lid and smoke for about 1 hour until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees F.
Step 5: Serve. Remove chicken breasts from the smoker, and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes (if you can wait that long). Top with chopped fresh cilantro if desired, then slice and serve with extra lime wedges or lime slices. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve this chili lime chicken with my Authentic Elote Recipe and Miracle Whip Coleslaw. My friend Lexa over at Lexa's Recipes has a fantastic Melon and Prosciutto Salad that goes perfectly with this smoked chicken.
They also go great with Smoked Baked Potatoes, Smoked Corn on the Cob in Foil, and Old-Fashioned Cucumber Salad With Mayo.
Expert Tips
- Add lime zest to the marinade for even more flavor.
- To save on doing dishes, place marinade in a large freezer bag and add your chicken directly to the bag. Squeeze out excess air and seal it up nice and tight. When you are done marinating, throw the bag away.
- For the best flavor, marinate the chicken all day; it is so much better. The longer it sits, the better the flavor.
- Use a temperature probe for your chicken. The temperature probe beeps when the meat reaches the appropriate temperature. It is not advisable to keep opening up the lid of the smoker to check the meat, so invest in a good meat probe.
Recipe FAQs
Smoke chicken breasts at a temperature of 225 degrees F, which will take approximately 1 hour, or until the internal temperature measured in the thickest part of the chicken breast reaches 165 degrees F.
Absolutely! Use whatever cut of chicken you have. The cooking time may vary, but as soon as the internal temperature is 165 degrees F, they will be ready.
We've always been taught that seeing pink in chicken means that it is not fully cooked and cannot be eaten safely. However, when you smoke chicken, the meat is cooked low and slow and the pink tinge is normal. As long as the internal temperature is 165 degrees F, it is perfectly safe to eat.
My favorite types of wood for smoking chicken are hickory, maple, applewood, cherry wood, and pecan. I also like the Competition or Signature blends.
Yes, you can. Marinate the chicken as above, and bake the chicken on a baking sheet at 350 degrees F for about 25 minutes.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerator: Store leftover chili lime smoked chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freezer: Slice the leftover chicken into thin slivers of meat, then freeze them on a baking sheet. After it is frozen, transfer it to a freezer bag. Grab chicken whenever you want some - great for meal prep! Store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Reheating: You can reheat leftover chili lime chicken in a few ways:
- Add chicken to a saucepan and just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Heat on the stovetop over low to medium heat.
- Place chicken in a baking dish with enough water to cover the bottom and reheat at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until hot.
- Place chicken in a single layer of the air fryer basket and reheat at 360 degrees for 3-4 minutes until hot.
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Recipe
The Best Smoked Chili Lime Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
Chili Lime Marinade
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Make the marinade. Add all ingredients for the chili lime marinade to a bowl and whisk together to combine.
- Marinate the chicken. Place the chicken in a large bowl or ziplock bag and add marinade. Turn the bowl or bag over a few times to ensure the chicken is coated well. Refrigerate and allow the chicken to marinate for 6-8 hours. If you are pressed for time, 1 hour will still give you delicious flavor.
- Preheat the smoker. Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees F.
- Grill the marinated chicken. Remove the chicken from the marinade with tongs and place the breasts directly on the preheated grill. Discard the remaining marinade. Put your thermometer probe into the thickest part of the breast. Close the lid and smoke the chicken for about 1 hour, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
- Rest, slice, and serve. Remove the chicken immediately from the grill when it reaches 165 degrees F. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
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Recipe Notes:
- Add lime zest to the marinade for even more flavor.
- To save on doing dishes, place marinade in a large freezer bag and add your chicken directly to the bag. Squeeze out excess air and seal it up nice and tight. When you are done marinating, throw the bag away.
- For the best flavor, marinate the chicken all day; it is so much better. The longer it sits, the better the flavor.
- Use a temperature probe for your chicken. The temperature probe beeps when the meat reaches the appropriate temperature. It is not advisable to keep opening up the lid of the smoker to check the meat, so invest in a good meat probe.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Brianna says
This chicken turned out amazing! I had all the ingredients already and it was super easy to make.
Jeri says
I'm so glad you liked it, Brianna!
Gloria says
Yes to grill season. This chicken looks delicious. Love the seasoning. Chili-lime is the perfect match for this summer dish.
Jeri says
Thanks, Gloria! It's so easy to make as well!
Brynn says
Love the simple ingredients used in this recipe...easy meals are the best meals. Totally using this recipe as reason #456 why I need a pellet grill.
Jeri says
Thank you, Brynn, pellet grills make cooking so easy! You would love it!
Kyleigh says
This is the perfect recipe for grilling in the summer!! So good!!
Jeri says
Thank you, Kyleigh. It is one of my favorite recipes for sure!
Alexandra says
Delicious flavours with this chicken - and the smoker adds such great depth! Perfect to enjoy with a green salad for an easy and tasty dinner.