There’s nothing like being outdoors grilling food in the summer. This grilled chicken asada is one of my favorites to grill. Here in California, Mexican flavors influenced some of our popular cuisines.
I love carne asada so much that I make it with both beef and chicken. Chicken is a good option if you are trying to stay away from red meat.
Here I use boneless chicken thighs for better flavor, but you can certainly opt for breast meat. Also, chicken thighs cooks faster than breast as they are already cut thinner. Sometimes chicken breast can be so thick that you have to slice it thinly across so it will cook faster. And it can also be dry.
The flavor-packed marinade in this recipe lets the juicy chicken thighs cosy up to lime juice, garlic, olive oil, with earthy aroma from cumin and oregano. A little bit of worchestershire sauce balances out the tangy lime flavor.
To get the most flavor in the grilled chicken asada, I try to make the marinade ahead. Then I let the chicken sit in the marinade until I am ready to grill. You can marinate the chicken for at least 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
Since we are already on the subject of grilling chicken, I thought, why not grill vegetables as a side dish? I think grilled vegetables and a pot of garlic rice are the best side dishes to go with this grilled chicken What I love to do is chop some sweet onion, bell peppers, asparagus, mushrooms and zucchini. Or you can perhaps grill seasonal whole tomatoes on the vine with it. Then I season it with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Pop it on the grill and it cooks really fast.
I hope you try this grilled chicken asada recipe and make it at your next barbecue. Stay safe and healthy!
| Prep Time | 10 mins. |
| Cook Time | 15 mins. |
| Servings |
|
- 6 boneless chicken thighs
- 4 minced garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 4 sprigs fresh cilantro
- 1 Tbsp worchestershire sauce
Ingredients
|
|
- Wash the chicken with running water and dry them with paper towels. Set aside on a plate.
- Make the marinade: In a bowl whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, cumin, oregano, worchestershire sauce and freshly ground black pepper. Place chicken in the marinade, making sure it is soaked well. Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Prepare a stove top grill or outdoor grill on medium heat. Brush grill grates or grill pan with a little cooking oil. when the grill is hot, grill chicken thighs for 5-6 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken onto a platter. Garnish with coarsely chopped cilantro leaves.