I used to love cooking for game days! I had a list of crowd-pleasing appetizers, crock pot meals and cocktails I loved to whip up every Saturday for tailgating parties. (Go Vols!) But when I’m cooking healthily, my enthusiasm wanes a little. It doesn’t have to be that way though! For me, the Whole30 plan isn’t just a temporary diet to get thin again. I want to my kids to grow up eating natural, wholesome foods. It’s time to make healthy cooking fun and delicious, and this Jalapeño Lime Chicken Marinade is just that!
I hate spending a lot of time mixing up a chicken marinade, grilling it and then not being able to taste it once it’s done. This Jalapeño Lime Chicken Marinade can definitely stand up to the heat. It’s the perfect blend of spicy, tangy and bold. To beat it all, it’s Whole30- and Paleo-compliant.
I don’t use very many small kitchen appliances, but if you don’t have a NutriBullet, you need one. I use this thing for everything. Smoothies, baby food, and marinades. It can do it all in ten seconds flat.
Here’s the Whole30 Jalapeño Lime Chicken Marinade recipe:
Whole30 Jalapeño Lime Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
- 2 limes
- 1 jalapeño
- 4 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 small handful of cilantro
- 8-10 turns on the sea salt grinder
- 8-10 turns on the peppercorn grinder
Instructions
- Using a citrus zester or fine cheese grater, zest both limes and add to a medium mixing bowl.
- Juice both limes, and add the juice to the bowl. To get the most juice out, warm the limes in your hands for a minute and roll them around on the counter to soften them before juicing. I use this lime juicer
- Chop off the jalapeño stem and add the whole thing to the bowl. (If you don't like spicy food, you can remove the seeds and membrane.)
- Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl.
- Use a high-powered blender, such as a NutriBullet, or an immersion blender until smooth.
We used this Whole30 Jalapeño Lime Chicken Marinade on chicken wings, and it was out-of-this-world delicious. Whatever you do (whether you bake it, roast it, grill it or smoke it), make sure your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
We chose to smoke ours for a couple of hours. (My husband has a Weber Smoker, and we love it.) I brushed on part of the Whole30 Jalapeño Lime Chicken Marinade halfway through the smoking process. About ten minutes before taking off the wings, I brushed on the last half.
Ahh! These wings were pure spicy, tangy tailgating perfection!
How did you use your Whole30 Jalapeño Chicken Marinade? Baked thighs in the oven? Drumsticks on the gas grill? You can even keep some of the marinade separate to drizzle on top after it’s finished if you like. If you do, just make sure to separate it before dipping your brush in it. Any marinade that has touched raw chicken can’t be used later unless it’s been thoroughly cooked.
