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It is perfect for your chicken tacos or chicken wrap. The best part of this recipe is that it is an easy and fast recipe to make. Try it once and you will make it over and over again. Are you ready to learn how to make the best Mexican chicken marinade? Let’s get started!
What You Need For This Recipe
If you want to make this chicken marinade recipe, use the following ingredients:
Marinade
- Mexican seasoning
- Garlic
- Lemon juice
- Olive oil
Chicken
- Chicken thighs or chicken breast
Note that the full ingredients list, including measurements, can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Make Mexican Chicken Marinade
- When you make marinaded chicken start with cleaning the chicken and cutting away the fat of the chicken.
- Combine the Mexican seasoning with olive oil and finely chopped garlic and lemon juice in a small mixing bowl.
- The lemon juice neutralizes the chicken and gives it a fresh and crispy taste.
- Add the marinade to the chicken thighs and put it in the fridge for 15 to 30 minutes. You can leave it overnight if you want but I find that the marinade does its work after 15 minutes.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet to high heat. When the skillet is hot, add a little bit of olive to the pan. Add the chicken thighs to the pan.
- Leave the chicken for a couple of minutes. Resist the urge to move the thighs in the pan. The chicken will release after a couple of minutes.
- You can reduce the heat if the chicken is cooked too fast.
- Turn the chicken and pan-fry on the other side as well. After the initial 5 minutes turn the chicken thighs regularly so they get an even brown color.
- Bake the chicken for about 7-9 minutes per side. Add a little water to let all the cooked bit in the skillet release.
- You can slice the chicken, dice it, and serve it with your favorite taco, fajitas, or wrap recipe.
Quick And Easy Chicken Marinade Recipe
This is one of those recipes that you want to have in your fridge or freezer when you do not have a lot of time to prepare dinner but still want to eat something yummy.
It is really easy to make a double batch and freeze half of it for that weeknight when you are stressed for time. If you make this marinade all it takes is 15 minutes of the fridge and you are ready to get started.
I usually make the chicken marinade with chicken thighs because they have a little more fat than chicken breast. However, chicken breast works just nicely as well. You can eat it as a whole, slice it into small strips, or dice it up.
Especially if you are making tacos the diced chicken is perfect.
This chicken recipe is lean and fits perfectly in a Keto or low-carb diet. As long as you do not eat it with flour tortillas you are good to go.
Store Marinaded Mexican Chicken
You can make Mexican chicken marinade ahead of time and use it later:
- Refrigerator – if you eat the chicken within two days you can store your chicken in the fridge. Make sure your chicken has cooled first before you put it in the fridge.
- Freezer – you can also freeze this Mexican chicken. Leave it as a whole, dice it up, and put it in a container. Thaw before using it and warm it in the pan or oven.
More Chicken Recipes
If you are looking for more delicious chicken recipes take a look at these recipes:
- Oven-baked sticky BBQ chicken – when you want to eat barbecue chicken but do not want to fire up the grill then try this recipe
- Slow cooker whole chicken – great Crockpot recipe that gives you fall-off-the-bone delicious chicken
- Chicken pesto – another great chicken recipe out of the oven made with homemade pesto
- Honey garlic chicken – a super-fast recipe, easy, simple, and done in no time. This is a fantastic chicken recipe
- Chicken tinga – a little spice and shredded meat make this chicken tinga and eat as a taco
- Crockpot chicken carnitas – A super-fast recipe in the Crockpot Express put it under the broiler to get crispy chicken carnitas
- Oven baked chicken shawarma – make this recipe with yogurt and shawarma seasoning
- Chicken quesadillas – way fewer calories than the pan-fried version. This quesadilla is super delicious
Have fun with this Mexican chicken marinade recipe!
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Mexican Chicken Marinade
The best Mexican chicken marinade? Try this recipe. It is easy to make, simple, and fast. Just 4 ingredients for delicious chicken marinade
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons Mexican seasoning
Instructions
- Clean chicken thighs and remove excess fat
- Combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, Mexican seasoning, lemon juice and garlic in a small mixing bowl. Add to the chicken thighs and combine so all the chicken is covered
- Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes
- Heat cast iron skillet and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the chicken and let it set for a couple of minutes
- Wait until the chicken is released before moving it in the pan
- Turn and cook the other side as well. Now turn the chicken regularly for 7-9 minutes per side
- Add a little bit of water to release all the baked bit in the skillet. Either slice or dice the chicken
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Nutrition facts
Calories: 290; Fat: 15g; Carbs: 2.8g; Protein: 33g;
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