With bright citrus, garlic, and jalapeño pepper, Baja Chicken is so full of flavor! This chicken is so juicy and tender, delicious on its own or in tacos, bowls, wraps, and so much more.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Marinating time20 minutesmins
Total Time50 minutesmins
Servings: 4
Calories: 374kcal
Ingredients
2poundsboneless, skinless chicken breast
2tablespoonslime juicejuice of about 2 limes
¼cuporange juicejuice of about 1 orange
2jalapeñossliced
4clovesgarlic minced
2teaspoonsoregano
2teaspoonscumin
1teaspoonsalt
½teaspoonpepper
3tablespoonscooking oildivided
Garnish (optional)
freshly chopped cilantro
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
Place the chicken breast in a zip top bag, or covered container. Add the lime juice, orange juice, jalapeno slices, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, and half of the cooking oil.
Mix well until the chicken is evenly coated in the marinade. Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes, or up to 3 hours.
Heat the remaining oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add the chicken breast to the skillet and let sit on the first side 2-3 minutes without moving to sear. Once a nice golden brown sear has formed, flip the chicken and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes or until chicken reaches 165˚F internal temperature. Note: if you don't have an oven-proof skillet, you can transfer the chicken to a baking sheet or casserole dish, but it may take a couple of extra minutes to cook.
Let sit 5 minutes, then garnish with fresh cilantro if desired.
Notes
Substitutions:
Chicken breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs will work. Chicken tenders work as well, but will require a shorter cooking time.
How to Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 4 days. How to Freeze: This Baja Chicken recipe freezes well. It can be frozen after cooking. See “how to freeze” section in the original post for full instructions.How to Reheat: Baja Chicken can be thawed in the refrigerator, then reheated in the microwave in 30 second increments, or cover with tin foil and place into the oven to reheat. How to Scale: This recipe can easily be doubled if you are feeding a crowd or halved for smaller portions. For doubling, use the largest skillet you can to avoid crowding.