30 Day Clean Eating Challenge – Smoky Citrus Chicken

You’re going to love this tangy, smoky grilled chicken dish! The chicken is marinated ahead of time to soak up the citrus and spices. The outcome is a bright, flavorful summer dinner.

To accompany the chicken, I grilled some fresh pineapple chunks and some 1/2 corn on the cob. I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you can use skinless chicken thighs as well.

I usually make more than what recipes call for so I can meal prep with the extras. This is a great dish to make up some meals with, for lunches.

You will Need:

5-7 Skinless Chicken Breasts or Thighs

Zest and juice from one orange

Zest and juice from one lime

3 cloves garlic minced

3 teaspoons chile powder,divided

2 teaspoons each, ground cumin, coriander, and oregano

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon sea salt and black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

1 lime sliced to garnish

Take the chicken pieces and place in a gallon sized zip-loc bag. Mix the other ingredients except 1 teaspoon of the chile powder, the basil, and the lime for garnish. Pour the marinade over the chicken in the bag. seal tightly and refrigerate on one side for at least four hours, flipping it over on the other side at least once.

When it is fully marinated, pre-heat the grill to med-high.. Place chicken on the grill pretty side down. (Yes chicken has a prettier side). Leave on the grill for about 8-10 minutes, or until grill marks appear on the underside. Flip and cook for another 10-12 minutes, then turn heat down to low and cook until internal thermometer reaches 165 F.

To serve, lightly sprinkle with the remaining chile powder and the torn fresh basil leaves. Slice the remaining lime and serve on the platter. Serve the accompaniments of your choice. The grilled pineapple and fresh corn were great with it! Enjoy!