Grilled Coconut-Lime Chicken Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long to leave chicken in lime water? ›

The salt helps to "exfoliate" as you scrub the limes on the chicken like a "sponge". You can add water and let it sit in the solution for up to 30 minutes or you can rinse it off right away. You can rinse off each individual piece under running water or collectively in the bowl until the water is fairly clear.

Coconut Oil

It is a solid oil, at room temperature and has a relatively neutral flavour on the meat. Most of the time it is used as a healthier alternative to more dense fatty oils. Being very versatile it can be used to marinate meats along with complementary spices.

To grill: preheat your grill to medium high and lightly oil the grates. Place chicken skin-side down and grill for 5-6 minutes until grill marks appear. Flip your chicken and cook for another 6-8 minutes more until the internal temp reaches 165 degrees F.

We like a little bit of tenderizing with meat, but when your chicken thighs are exposed to lemon juice, lime juice, yogurt, or vinegars for too long, the texture of the meat turns from tender to mushy and stringy, two words that have never been used in tandem to describe something pleasant.

The chicken should always be sealed well before coming into contact with water; never leave a bowl of raw chicken in water in your sink, as this will contaminate the entire area and the meat will end up absorbing some of the water. Change out the water every 30 minutes until your meat is fully thawed.

Fat: Olive oil has its own fruity, buttery, herbaceous flavors that work well when marinating chicken.

Some good oils for marinating chicken include olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, and peanut oil. These oils are all relatively neutral in flavor and have a high smoke point, which makes them suitable for use in marinades and grilling.

MCT stands for Medium Chain Triglyceride. These fats from C8 Caprylic and C10 Capric remain liquid even at 0 C. To keep coconut oil in liquid form, you can add other liquid oils such as olive oil or sunflower oil. Mixing these oils with coconut oil can help prevent it from solidifying at room temperature.

Uncovered Grilling

Even removing the lid too often from the grill results in heat escaping and the temperature dropping. This may lead to uneven cooking of the chicken. Keeping the lid closed on the grill to cook the chicken more evenly.

For thicker cuts, you want to close the lid to keep the temperature high and even. Large steaks, chicken, and roasts have much more depth for the heat to penetrate, and closing the lid will give the heat time to sink in and cook the meat through in much the same way an oven does.

Should you flip chicken on the grill? ›

Typically, a good rule is to flip your chicken breasts within the first 5 minutes, let them cook for another 3-4 minutes, and then flip them again and cook them until they hit 165 degrees and the juices run clear on the bottom of the breast.”

The reason you do not want to marinate chicken for longer than 4 hours is that the acidic ingredients in the marinade (like vinegar, wine, or lemon juice) will begin to break down the structure of the meat too much and it will start to “cook” before ever touching a heat source.

Marinate the chicken for 2-3 hours for best results.

Lemon helps add flavor and tenderize the chicken, but if left for too long, it will actually start breaking down the proteins way too much, resulting in tough, rubbery, or even mushy texture.

According to current research, lime is effective at preventing the following poultry diseases: Avian influenza. Newcastle disease. Ornithosis.

Whisk together lime juice, oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add chicken, turning to coat. Marinate chicken, covered and refrigerated, turning once or twice, for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.