This juicy and full of flavour Honey Lime Chicken is just what you need for a winning BBQ this summer. A super easy marinade that is a perfect balance of sweet and salty, with plenty of zest from the lime. We have cooked this lime chicken recipe on the BBQ, but you can do it all in the oven too.
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This honey with lime chicken has such an incredible flavour and with a perfectly crispy skin. Honey + Lime + Coriander is one of my favourite flavour combinations.
We love the combination of sweet and salty, and then this has some freshness from the lime and herbs that just balances it all out.
A new summer BBQ chicken recipe for you to try, that the whole family will love. It's so simple, and you probably already have all the ingredients for the marinade.
If you are looking for more BBQ recipes, why not try our Greek Chicken Skewers, Peri Peri Chicken, Vegetable and Halloumi Kebabs or Cajun Chicken Burger.
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Why You Will Love It
- A new way to make chicken more exciting - If you are bored of having chicken the same was all the time this honey lime chicken recipe is a good way to change things up.
- A super simple marinade - This is so easy to make, with no fancy ingredients.
- Family friendly - Leave the red chilli out and this is perfect for the whole family.
- Great on the BBQ - You can't go wrong with some chicken on the BBQ and this honey lime chicken recipe always goes down well.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Chicken - We have used chicken drumsticks, as they are really budget friendly and juicy. However, you could uses chicken thighs instead. We wouldn't recommend using chicken breast as that tends to dry out. You want to use chicken that still has its skin on, as when it goes on the BBQ it gets nice and crispy.
- Lime - This is the star of the recipe. Depending on how juicy your lime is, you might need to only use half. We used juice and zest.
- Oil - We used a good quality olive oil.
- Ginger and garlic - We saved time and used a garlic and ginger paste. You could crush and grate your own though.
- Honey - This is a key flavour, so use the best quality runny honey you can.
- Soy sauce - This helps to balance out the sweet flavours. Because we have added this, we haven't added any extra salt.
- Coriander - Fresh coriander (cilantro) really adds some freshness to the chicken.
- Pepper - A generous pinch.
- Red chilli - This is optional, but we find the red chilli gives the honey lime chicken a nice kick.
More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.
How to Make Honey Lime Chicken
Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
- Step 1: Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade.
- Step 2: Coat the chicken with the marinade and leave in the fridge for at least an hour.
- Step 3: Put the chicken on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Step 4: Transfer to the BBQ to finish it off for a further 10 minutes.
BBQ or Oven Baked?
We have done both, to ensure that it is fully cooked on the inside, but still has that perfectly crispy skin without getting burnt.
We pre-cooked the lime chicken in the oven for 25 minutes and then finished it on the BBQ for 10 minutes.
If you want that smoky, charred taste then don't skip this step.
Serving Suggestions
This is a must at any BBQ, so you want to serve it up with all the usual delicious BBQ sides. Why not try our Greek Pasta Salad, No Mayo Potato Salad, Sweetcorn Salsa, Grilled Corn with Herb Butter, or Roasted Sweet Potato Salad.
Leftovers are great shredded up and put on a salad or stirred through your favourite pasta and sauce. Why not try our Leftover Chicken Pasta.
Dannii's Top Tips
- You can make this spicy by adding a splash of your favourite chilli sauce to the marinade.
- Feel free to marinate the chicken overnight for a more intense flavour.
- If you don't have a BBQ, then you can cook this chicken just in the oven for 30 minutes, or until cooked through.
- You don't have to use chicken drumsticks, you could swap them for boneless chicken thighs.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before servings. This allows all the juices to redistribute and give the juiciest tasting chicken.
- If you need an alternative to soy sauce, then use Worcestershire sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
The internal temperature of cooked chicken should be at least 75°C (167°F). To get an accurate reading, we'd definitely recommend using a meat thermometer like a Thermapen.
If you don't have a meat thermometer, when cooked the chicken should have no pinkness to the meat and the juices should run clear. For more information, you can read some information form the Food Standards Agency.
For safety and for the quality of cooked chicken, refrigerate the chicken in shallow airtight containers or wrap tightly with heavy-duty aluminium foil or cling-film (Saran wrap). Stored this way, cooked chicken will keep for 3 to 4 days in fridge.
To freeze cooked chicken put in an airtight container or wrap the food well or put in freezer bags before freezing. Label it with a freezing date so you know how long it has been frozen for. Frozen chicken will be good in the freezer for 4 to 6 months.
Defrost on a plate on the bottom shelf of your fridge for at least 5 hours, but ideally overnight.
More Chicken Recipes
If you've tried this BBQ Honey Chicken recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Honey Lime Chicken
Ingredients
- 8 Chicken drumsticks
- 1 Lime - (juice and zest only)
- 3 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Fresh ginger - grated
- 4 Garlic clove
- 4 tablespoon Honey
- 2 tablespoon Soy sauce
- 5 g (0.33 cups) Fresh coriander (cilantro)
- 1 pinch Ground black pepper
- 1 Red chilli - (optional if you want some spice to it)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
- Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade.
- Coat the chicken with the marinade and leave in the fridge for at least an hour.
- Put the chicken on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Transfer to the BBQ to finish it off for a further 10 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- You can make this spicy by adding a splash of your favourite chilli sauce to the marinade.
- If you don't have a BBQ, then you can cook this chicken just in the oven for 30 minutes, or until cooked through.
- You don't have to use chicken drumsticks, you could swap them for boneless chicken thighs.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
melissa major says
This sounds very nice and summery! I haven't had lime and honey on chicken before
Jen says
Summer is so fab for outdoor eating, weather pending; and I do enjoy a good barbeque, with chicken being one of the key ingredients. Your honey and lime recipe sounds divine, and just perfect. Nice to add that little bit of flavour. I've had some terrible experiences with chicken cooked on barbeques at other people's homes, and it has been rather off putting. I stopped using it myself and always used the oven. It wasn't until last year that we got a probe, after my friend suggested it (she works in catering). Cannot recommend one enough, makes all the difference.
[email protected] says
This is new on me Dannii. Honey chicken I've tried (and loved) before but with lime added, that's something
I'll have to try out. Keep your fingers crossed for a BBQ for us this weekend! :D
Jemma says
This chicken marinade sounds so delicious and great for summer.
Anna Johnston says
I absolutely have all these ingredients in my pantry or growing in the garden tubs... time to try this one out. Sounds absolutely yummy and having mastered the art of drumstick on the barbie cooking, I'm thinking this is a done deal for 'dinner tonight' at my pad. Thanks for sharing.
Leah Lander-Shafik says
Ooh - honey and lime! I haven't ever thought to mix those together but I bet it's quite south american inspired really - great inspiration for our next chicken meals, x
Melanie says
Summer already here...time flys and this chicken looks ideal for the bbq season...hopefully we will get some more sun :) x
Rani says
Great recipe, I should try that out next time the weather gets good enough to eat outside!
Sarah Bailey says
Now these sound like the most delicious chicken legs I have come across in a while. I can just imagine that honey and lime go so well together.
Stephanie Merry says
Now these sound delicious! I have a BQQ this weekend so will have to try them x
Ayesha Farhad says
I use this exact recipe! It makes the best bbq dish ever! I do add a bit of Tikka Masala to spice things up!
Rhian Westbury says
I make quite a lot of honey chicken as I love the sweet sticky taste of it, I'd never think to have added lime though x
Gareth Torrance says
This looks like a really nice thing for a BBQ! And I've never heard of this BBQ, but I'm definitely going to be checking it out!
Mummy Times Two says
This recipe sounds delicious. We are big fans of lime here so will definitely be giving it a go!
five little doves says
We do lemon and honey marinades quite often, it's delicious! I haven't tried lime and honey but I'm interested to see how that tastes! Ill try it tomorrow!