Mexican Style Grilled Chicken

In an attempt to spend quality time together and in an ode to the Surgeon General's minimum daily exercise recommendation, my husband and I try to go for a 30 minute walk every evening that is not too egregiously hot, cold, or busy.  Even though my long-legged husband walks a little too fast, and the untrimmed trees along the sidewalk create an eye-gouging obstacle course for us to navigate, and the weather is frequently less than ideal, I really enjoy these walks with my hubby - holding hands and talking about the weird patients I had that day or the cylinder designs he reviewed or the goofy thing our kid did lately.

Once the weather turns warm, our daily walk is almost always perfumed by the scent of grilling meat, sizzling on the barbeque of one neighbor or another.  Since we usually go after we've already had dinner, the fragrance is enjoyable, but not too tempting, especially since, in my experience, grilled meat never tastes nearly as delicious as it smells.  That all changed tonight, though, when I tried this amazing recipe for marinated grilled chicken.

I can't even begin to explain how great this was!  The flavors were fresh and intense and the marinade penetrated all the way to the bone, leaving the chicken juicy and succulent, down to the last bite.  I only made three pieces of chicken instead of six, and I seriously regretted not making a full batch.  Next time I might even double the recipe, because it wouldn't surprise me if some of my neighbors came wandering in, following the fabulous scent!

Mexican Style Grilled Chicken
Prep time: 5 min (plus 1+ hr marinating)
Grill time: 25 min
Serves 6

6 bone-in chicken thighs (or breasts)
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs hot paprika (or regular if preferred)
1/2 tsp dried chile powder
2 tsp kosher salt
3 Tbs chopped cilantro

Place the chicken in a large ziptop bag. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour over the chicken and marinate for 1 hour.

Take the chicken out of the refrigerator an hour before cooking. Heat the grill to medium high. Grill chicken about 10 to 12 minutes per side, turning often to avoid burning.

Boil leftover marinade for several minutes and use to baste chicken while grilling, if desired.

410 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!