- Juice of 3 limes
- Zest of 2 limes
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon McCormack® Peppercorn Medley
- Extra chopped cilantro for garnish, optional
Directions:
Zest two of the three limes and set aside.
Place lime juice, cilantro, and chicken breasts in a glass bowl. Make sure the chicken breasts are covered in the mixture. Let marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes, turning the meat half-way through to redistribute the lime juice mixture.
While the chicken is marinating, make the rub. Mince the garlic cloves. If you have a large zester (makes curls), mince the lime zest together with the garlic. Then, in a small bowl, combine the lime zest, garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, sugar, salt, and black pepper.
Remove the chicken breasts from the bowl and discard the marinade. Place the chicken on a plate and cover breasts generously with the rub mixture.
Brush cold, clean grill lightly with oil or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Grill chicken breasts until chicken is cooked through, about 5-8 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the chicken. Remove from the grill and let the meat rest for a minimum of 5 minutes, tenting with foil to keep warm. Garnish with cilantro, if using. Serve warm.
Myrtle's Note: I have the Oxo zester that makes curls, so I always mince my zest before I use it. Here, I minced the garlic along with the zest. This was my first time of making a rub and the recipe turned out rather succulent. I am very impressed. The changes I made were to add a clove of garlic, use dried cilantro, and to switch out my favorite ground pepper. Next time, I might use Ancho Chili Pepper or Chipotle Pepper instead. This will most definitely be a regular on my menu. Finally, I used the chicken to make a Southwest Chicken Salad. I plan to use my leftovers in tacos, too.
