This grilled honey lime chicken elevates classic bbq chicken by finishing it with a tangy buttery glaze that infuses the tender, juicy meat with plenty of flavor.
A rotation of grilled chicken recipes are a summer staple at our house, particularly on the weekends, when the days are spent working in the yard and garden. In addition to mozzarella-stuffed grilled chicken, this tangy honey lime grilled chicken has been on repeat, thanks to its simple preparation and outstanding flavor. Spatchcocking the chicken allows it to cook faster and more evenly than a whole uncut chicken, so it stays juicy and tender.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's an easy, healthy way to make a whole grilled chicken.
- It stays juicy and tender and cooks faster than a whole uncut chicken.
- There is minimal hands-on time.
- You can easily scale it to make extra chickens if you're feeding a crowd.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Whole chicken--I used a 3 to 3 ½-pound chicken to feed my family of four for this honey lime chicken recipe. If you have a much larger chicken, or are cooking two chickens, increase the amount of seasoning and hot honey sauce accordingly. You can ask your butcher to spatchcock your chicken for you, if you prefer.
- Hot honey--There are many brands of hot honey available for purchase online or at the supermarket. It won't make the chicken overly spicy, but if you prefer to avoid any heat, you can use regular honey.
- Lime--A single lime should yield about 2 tablespoons juice and 2 teaspoons of zest. If your lime is stingy, grab a second one and juice that as well.
Important Steps
- Cut the back bone from the chicken and press firmly on the breasts to create a flat spatchcocked chicken. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Mix the hot honey, butter, lime zest, and lime juice in a small bowl.
- Grill the chicken on medium heat, skin side up, for 30 minutes. Flip and cook skin side down for 5 minutes.
- Flip the chicken skin side up and baste with the hot honey mixture. Continue to cook, basting frequently, until the chicken is cooked through.
FAQs
The best way to check for doneness is by measuring the internal temperature of the chicken in a few spots, including the thickest spots of the breasts and thighs where it should read 165°F for fully cooked chicken.
If you don't have a thermometer, cut into the thickest part of the breast. The meat should be completely white and juices should run clear.
First, let your chicken cool for about 10 minutes before carving. This will help to prevent the juices from gushing out when you carve it. Always use a sharp heavy knife for carving.
To carve the chicken, I like to slice the wings off first by cutting through the joint that attaches them to the chicken.
Similarly with the legs, I slice through the joint that attaches each leg to the chicken. Once detached, slice between each thigh and leg to create four separate pieces.
At this point, you should be left with the two connected breast pieces. Slice along the length of the breast bone to create two breasts, then cut each breast piece in half.
My favorite sides with grilled chicken are fresh spring vegetables when in season, roasted potatoes and tangy coleslaw, but since you've got the grill fired up, smoked sweet potatoes or grilled beets with goat cheese would also be excellent side dishes.
Tips and Troubleshooting
- If your hot honey glaze solidifies, give it a quick zap in the microwave or rewarm in a saucepan over low heat until it melts.
- For the most accurate results, use an instant read thermometer for measuring the internal temperature of the chicken.
- Leftover chicken can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To use leftover grilled chicken, shred it and make shredded chicken tacos or stuff it into a sandwich.
- This recipe is suitable for gluten-free diets.
More Chicken Recipes You'll Love
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Recipe
Grilled Honey Lime Chicken
Ingredients
- One 3 ½-pound whole chicken
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 tablespoons hot honey
- 1 lime zested and juiced
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to 375°F. This works best if you can keep multiple burners on low heat.
- Remove the back bone from the chicken by cutting along each side of the backbone with sharp kitchen shears or a large knife. Remove the back bone, then flip the chicken over so that the breasts are facing up. Use the heel of your hand to firmly press on the breast bone until you hear it crack. The chicken should lay flat.
- Combine the salt, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle it all over the chicken.
- Mix the melted butter, hot honey, lime zest, and lime juice together in a small bowl.
- Place the chicken breast side up on the grill and cook for 30 minutes. Flip and cook for 5 minutes to crisp up the skin.
- Flip the chicken so it is breast side up again, and brush generously with the hot honey and lime glaze. Continue cooking, basting every 5 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, 45 to 50 minutes total.
- Give the chicken one last brush of glaze before removing it to a cutting board. Let it rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.
Notes
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- Melting the glaze--If your hot honey glaze solidifies, give it a quick zap in the microwave or rewarm in a saucepan over low heat until it melts.
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- Measuring internal temperature--For the most accurate results, use an instant read thermometer for measuring the internal temperature of the chicken.
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- Leftovers and storage--Leftover chicken can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To use leftover grilled chicken, shred it and make shredded chicken tacos or stuff it into a sandwich.
- Dietary--This recipe is suitable for gluten-free diets.
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