5 Ingredient Crispy Lime Chicken

By The Modern Nonna

on May 10, 2022, Updated Aug 26, 2023

4.67 from 9 votes
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My 5 Ingredient Crispy Lime Chicken is made with a very special “secret” ingredient called Tajín. Tajín is a chili-lime seasoning that is absolutely incredible on pretty much anything and everything. It takes this chicken recipe to a whole new level, and I hope you give it a try. You can find Tajín online or at most local grocery stores. It’s a staple in my house and I love it sprinkled on my Mango Lime Salsa, dusted on Watermelon Fries, coating Mexican Street Corn (Elote), and so much more. Here, it adds tang, zestiness, and a little bit of fiery heat to this crispy chicken.

Table of Contents

This recipe only take a few minutes to prepare, making it perfect for weeknight meals or meal prep, and it can be made in the oven or in an air fryer. The crispiness takes place by running the chicken under the oven’s broiler for just a few minutes, to turn the chicken skin into a crackly crust. You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, but they will not get as crispy without skin, and they will cook a bit faster than bone-in cuts of chicken. I prefer bone-in and skin-on, as it stays juicier throughout cooking.

5 Ingredient Crispy Lime Chicken

My 5 Ingredient Crispy Lime Chicken is made with a very special “secret” ingredient called Tajín. This recipe only take a few minutes to prepare, making it perfect for weeknight meals or meal prep, and it can be made in the oven or in an air fryer.
4.67 from 9 votes
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Servings: 3
Author: The Modern Nonna
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients 

  • 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, (or any cut of chicken)
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • Tajín seasoning to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • lime wedges for serving

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 400F.
  • Add the chicken to a baking dish large enough so that the chicken does not overlap. Add a generous drizzle of oil, season with salt, pepper, Tajin, and paprika. With clean hands, massage the chicken to evenly distribute the seasoning.
  • Bake, uncovered, for 45 to 60 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a piece of chicken registers 165F.
  • I like to put the top broiler on for 1 to 2 minutes at the very end of cooking, to crisp up the chicken skin. Please keep an eye on the chicken as it cooks, as it can burn quickly.
  • Enjoy the chicken with lime wedges and serve with rice, salad, or veggies, or pull apart the meat and serve in tacos.

Notes

You can find Tajín online or at most local grocery stores. If you don’t have Tajín I recommend adding chili seasoning instead with some fresh lime juice and zest.
You can use any cut of chicken that you like. If you are using chicken breast please make sure you bake it for 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the size, as chicken breast cooks faster than thighs and should not be overcooked. I prefer bone-in, skin-on chicken, as it has more flavour. 
You can absolutely make this in an air fryer, but make sure to check on your air fryer settings and the temperature which will be in your air fryer pamphlet. This recipe pairs perfectly with any of my green salads, like my Bulgarian Yogurt Salad.
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Hi! I'm Sneji. Nice to meet you!

I am more commonly known as “The Modern Nonna” on social media where I create easy home cooked meals with a modern twist. I was born and raised in Sofia, Bulgaria and learned how to cook at the best culinary school in the world – my grandma’s kitchen. I lived in Greece on the Island of Crete with my parents for a while and then moved to Toronto, Canada when I was in grade 5. I started to really cook and experiment with food 11 years ago when I was 21 years old. Everything I currently know is a reflection of some part of my life…

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10 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Omg I recently discovered Tajin, which I’m hooked. Then I found your recipe and it takes chicken to a whole new level of yum! Absolutely love this and I make it all the time. Family and friends are hooked now too. And so easy!!! Thanks!

    Reply

    1. The lime taste comes from the Tajin which is a lime seasoning. You CAN however add lime juice too though 🙂

      Reply

  4. Omg! I remembered this recipe when I saw chicken thighs at home and decided to try it. It was bomb! I never thought of baking chicken with tajin, loved the zesty and savoury flavour it gave. Thank you 😀

    Reply

    1. You absolutely can but take a look at the air fryer manual that you have because every air fryer is a little bit different so check for chicken thighs or the cut of chicken you are using for the time and temperature

      Reply