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This Citrus Chicken recipe is as beautiful as it is delicious. Tender chicken, zesty citrus marinade, and avocado salsa make for the perfect summertime dinner.
5-Star Reader Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“The marinade was exceptional as promised! It’s my new go-to. And anytime I have an avocado this is what I’m making.” – Tara
“My family LOVED this! We will be adding it to the rotation, thank you!” – Courtney
“I’m using this avocado salsa for so many things. Chips mostly! Thanks for the recipe” – Kim
The Chicken + Citrus Combo You Never Knew You Needed
I first had this Citrus Chicken while I was visiting our cousins in Hawaii. It was so beautiful and full of fresh flavors, I immediately asked if I could share the recipe here on FFR. It has since become a family favorite. It looks fancy enough for entertaining, yet it’s surprisingly simple to make. You’ve gotta pull out your grill and try this recipe ASAP!
This bright and zesty chicken pairs perfectly with a rice side such as our Cilantro Lime Rice or our popular Yellow Rice recipe. Plain white rice, like our Instant Pot Jasmine Rice recipe, also works great (and is so easy)!
🩷 Erica
Key Ingredients
- Chicken: I usually make this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken breasts but chicken thighs are a great substitute (I may even like them better). You can even use bone-in chicken if you want them to be extra juicy.
- Citrus Avocado Salsa: The salsa combines segmented limes, oranges, and grapefruit with a minced Serrano chile, Anaheim chile, and green onion. Fresh basil, cilantro, and a touch of honey round it out for a bright, sweet-spicy topping.
- Citrus Chicken Marinade: The marinade is made with reserved citrus zest and juice from the salsa, honey, olive oil, garlic, Serrano chile, basil, cilantro, and cumin. It infuses the chicken with zesty, sweet, and savory flavor before cooking.
How to Make Citrus Chicken
- Wash and dry the limes, oranges, and grapefruit. Grate the zest and set aside for the marinade. Peel and section the fruit, discarding membranes, then cut each segment into smaller pieces. Reserve any juice for the marinade.
- Place the citrus pieces in a large bowl. Add the Serrano chile, Anaheim chile, green onion, basil, cilantro, and honey. Toss gently, then refrigerate until one hour before serving.
- Whisk together the reserved citrus zest and juice with honey, olive oil, garlic, Serrano chile, basil, cilantro, and cumin.
- Rinse and pat dry the chicken breasts. Place them in a large resealable bag, pour in the marinade, and seal tightly. Refrigerate for 4-8 hours, turning the bag occasionally.
- One hour before serving, cut the avocados into chunks and fold them into the salsa. Let the mixture sit at room temperature.
- Discard the marinade and grill the chicken over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, or until juices run clear and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Serve hot with citrus avocado salsa spooned over the top.
Expert Tips for Making This Chicken Recipe
Tip for segmenting citrus – To easily section limes, oranges, and grapefruit, use a sharp paring knife and cut along the membranes. Work over a bowl to catch all the juices for the marinade.
Choose your spice level – Serrano and Anaheim chiles add a mild-to-medium kick. If you prefer less heat, use only half or swap in a milder pepper. For extra spice, leave some seeds in.
Grill tip – Oil your grill grates before cooking to prevent sticking, and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes after grilling so the juices redistribute.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Store leftover chicken and salsa in separate airtight containers. The chicken keeps 3-4 days, salsa up to 2-3 days (or 24 hours if it already has avocado). Cooked chicken can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Reheat in the oven at 325°F or in a skillet with a splash of broth or citrus juice to keep it moist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can marinate the chicken up to 24 hours in advance. The salsa can be prepped a few hours ahead, but wait to add the avocado until just before serving.
There’s just something about grilling that can’t be beat, but if you don’t have a grill or would rather bake, you can bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
It has a mild to medium heat from the Serrano and Anaheim chiles. You can reduce the heat by using fewer chiles or substituting with milder peppers.
Fresh juice gives the best flavor, but bottled juice can work in a pinch. Just avoid juices with added sugar for the marinade.
More Grilled Chicken Recipes
Have you tried this Citrus Chicken? I’d love to hear what you think! Drop a comment below and let me know how you liked it. And don’t forget to take a pic and tag us on Instagram @favoritefamilyrecipes! 📸🍊🍋🟩🥑
Citrus Chicken with Avocado Salsa
Ingredients
Salsa:
- 2 limes , segmented
- 2 oranges , segmented
- 1 medium grapefruit , segmented
- 1 Serrano Chile, stemmed, seeded and minced
- 1 green onion, white part only minced
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon minced Anaheim Chile pepper
Marinade:
- 2 tablespoons citrus zest, reserved from the salsa
- 1/2 cup citrus juice, reserved from the salsa
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 Serrano Chile, stemmed, seeded and minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 Firm Ripe Avocados
Instructions
Citrus Avocado Salsa:
- Wash and dry the limes, oranges, and grapefruit. Grate their zests and set aside for use in the marinade.
- Peel and section the citrus fruit, discarding the membranes, and reserve the juice for the marinade. Cut each citrus segment into three or four pieces and place in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the remaining salsa ingredients to the mixing bowl. Mix and refrigerate until one hour before serving.
Citrus Marinade:
- Whisk the reserved citrus zest and juice with remaining ingredients.
- Rinse chicken breasts under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place in large plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Press out the air and seal tightly. Turn the bag to distribute the marinade and refrigerate for 4-8 hours, turning occasionally.
1 Hour before serving:
- Cut the avocados into chunks and mix with salsa, Let sit at room temperature.
15 minutes before serving:
- Grill the chicken! Discard the marinade and grill at direct medium heat until juices run clear. (8-10 minutes)
- Serve with citrus avocado salsa on top.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Is there a different citrus fruit I could use? I can’t have grapefruit? I take a medication that reacts badly with grapefruit.
This recipe sounds so delicious, I can’t wait to fix it!
Yum!
Of course, you can just use an additional orange and leave out the grapefruit. Thanks for asking!
The marinade was exceptional as promised! It’s my new go-to. And anytime I have an avocado this is what I’m making.
My family LOVED this! We will be adding it to the rotation, thank you!
I’m using this avocado salsa for so many things. Chips mostly! Thanks for the recipe.
THANK YOU so much for catching this! We have never heard this rule before but after reading your comment it makes complete sense. I will start going by this rule from now on. Thank you! (I changed the recipe instructions as well)
I need to make a correction. Instruct to make marinade first, Salsa next. Instruct to have extra juice in a different way . Chronologically that would have helped. Looking forward to it!
Happy New Year-& Here’s to a Prosperous & Healthy One! Boy-you pretty ladies always have the best recipes & I can come here & find something different every time! Thanks! Can’t wait to try this one!
Karen– you are so awesome 😀 Thanks so much! You are going to live this recipe… SO good, Seriously.
Hooray! I am so glad you tried this! You should try the pork chop recipe that Karen put up a month or so ago – I ate them tonight and they were good. You guys have to buy the Weber Grill book – it is amazing. Everything that I have made from it has been great. Most has been incredible.