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Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Chicken

Honey Lime Chicken

Jul 20, 2020 · Written by Dannii Martin · This post may contain affiliate links which earn us commissions if purchases are made · 64 Comments

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Diet: Low Carb
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Honey and lime chicken with a text title overlay.


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.

Eight cooked chicken drumsticks on a baking sheet with lime slices on them.

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.

Jump to:
  • Why you will love it
  • Ingredients needed
  • How to make honey lime chicken - Step by step
  • BBQ or oven baked?
  • What to serve with honey lime chicken
  • FAQs
  • Extra tips
  • More chicken recipes
  • Recipe
  • Feedback

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 needed

  • 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.

How to make honey lime chicken - Step by step

Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6.
One: Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade.

A small bowl containing a herb and oil marinade.

Two: Coat the chicken with the marinade and leave in the fridge for at least an hour.

Chicken drumsticks coated in a herb marinade.

Three: Put the chicken on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 25 minutes.

Eight marinated chicken drumsticks on a baking tray.

Four: Transfer to the BBQ to finish it off for a further 10 minutes.

Chicken drumsticks cooking on a barbecue grill.

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.

Cooked chicken drumsticks with lime slices on them.

What to serve with honey lime chicken

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.

A baking tray with chicken and limes on it

FAQs

How to tell when chicken is cooked

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.

How to store cooked chicken

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.

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Extra 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.

More chicken recipes

  • Chicken Tray Bake containing chicken thighs and roasted vegetables.
    Easy Chicken Traybake
  • Chicken Tikka Kebabs on a wooden serving board
    Chicken Tikka Kebabs
  • Lemon Basil Chicken and spaghetti on a blue plate.
    Lemon Basil Chicken
  • Chicken and Pea Risotto in a blue bowl topped with shavings of Parmesan cheese
    Chicken and Pea Risotto

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 on a baking sheet topped with herbs and lime slices.

Honey Lime Chicken

By: Dannii Martin
This Honey and Lime Chicken is a quick and easy way to add some flavour and it is a must on any BBQ this summer.
The words low carb in a white circle.
Low Carb
5 from 46 votes
Pin Print Save recipe Saved!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Barbecue
Prep: 5 minutes mins
Cook: 35 minutes mins
Marinating time: 1 hour hr
Total: 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 314kcal
Allergens:
An illustration of two ears of wheat.
Gluten
An illustration of a cow's head.
Meat
An illustration of soyabeans.
Soya

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

Serving: 2drumsticks | Calories: 314kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 139mg | Sodium: 410mg | Potassium: 380mg | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 145IU | Vitamin C: 5.6mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1.2mg

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.

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Comments

  1. Jemma says

    July 06, 2017 at 10:40 am

    This chicken marinade sounds so delicious and great for summer.

    Reply
  2. Anna Johnston says

    July 06, 2017 at 12:19 am

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
  3. Leah Lander-Shafik says

    July 05, 2017 at 9:46 pm

    5 stars
    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

    Reply
  4. Melanie says

    July 05, 2017 at 9:39 pm

    5 stars
    Summer already here...time flys and this chicken looks ideal for the bbq season...hopefully we will get some more sun :) x

    Reply
  5. Jess | The Indigo Hours says

    July 05, 2017 at 9:34 pm

    5 stars
    This looks gorgeous, my mouth is watering now.. I've yet to manage a BBQ this year but I seriously have to now, and I might have to get this as a new BBQ for us!

    Reply
  6. Rani says

    July 05, 2017 at 6:51 pm

    Great recipe, I should try that out next time the weather gets good enough to eat outside!

    Reply
  7. Sarah Bailey says

    July 05, 2017 at 2:21 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
  8. Stephanie Merry says

    July 05, 2017 at 11:28 am

    5 stars
    Now these sound delicious! I have a BQQ this weekend so will have to try them x

    Reply
  9. Ayesha Farhad says

    July 05, 2017 at 11:18 am

    I use this exact recipe! It makes the best bbq dish ever! I do add a bit of Tikka Masala to spice things up!

    Reply
  10. Rhian Westbury says

    July 05, 2017 at 10:12 am

    5 stars
    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

    Reply
  11. Gareth Torrance says

    July 05, 2017 at 9:30 am

    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!

    Reply
  12. Mummy Times Two says

    July 04, 2017 at 9:42 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe sounds delicious. We are big fans of lime here so will definitely be giving it a go!

    Reply
  13. five little doves says

    July 04, 2017 at 7:35 pm

    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!

    Reply
  14. Emily says

    July 04, 2017 at 7:07 pm

    5 stars
    Mmm that chicken looks so juicy, I love the sound of the marinade!

    Reply
  15. Jen @ Blue Kitchen Bakes says

    August 08, 2014 at 11:45 am

    Honey and lime is such a great flavour pairing, I can just imagine how good this would taste after being cooked over the BBQ, yum!

    Reply
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My name is Dannii. Here you will find easy family recipes with a healthy twist.

Established in 2011, Hungry Healthy Happy has become one of the UK's most popular food blogs, with two successful recipe books published.

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