Tajín Grilled Chicken

By Rick A. Martínez

Published May 24, 2022

  • Two plates topped with chicken and grilled scallions sit against a light colored background amid a couple of drinks and forks.
    Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
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Total Time
35 minutes
Rating
4(4,423)
Comments
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Tajín is a Mexican seasoning made from dried, ground red chiles, sea salt and dehydrated lime juice. It is great sprinkled over fresh cut fruit like mango and pineapple, or rimmed on an ice cold margarita. But it is also an easy way to add chile and lime to your favorite grilled meats, rubs or sauces. In this dish, the lime in the Tajín balances out the sweetness from the agave syrup, while the red chiles complement the smoky flavor of the chipotles. Serve the chicken as is or on toasted hamburger buns with a schmear of mayonnaise, chopped grilled scallions, cilantro leaves and sliced pickled jalapeños. This Tajín sauce also would pair well with grilled bass, cod or salmon, or with shrimp skewers.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • Vegetable oil, for the grill

  • 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)

  • Sea salt (or kosher salt)

  • ½ cup light agave syrup or honey

  • ½ cup fresh orange juice

  • 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

  • 3 chipotle chiles in adobo, finely chopped, plus ¼ cup adobo sauce

  • 6 garlic cloves, finely grated

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon Tajín Clásico

  • 8 scallions, root ends trimmed

  • ½ cup cilantro leaves and tender stems

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

42 grams carbs; 222 milligrams cholesterol; 769 calories; 25 grams monounsaturated fat; 10 grams polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 50 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 988 milligrams sodium; 39 grams protein; 35 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare a grill for medium-high, direct heat; clean the grates well, then brush them with vegetable oil. Alternatively, heat a grill pan on medium-high and brush the pan with oil.

  2. Step 2

    Arrange the chicken on a sheet tray and generously season both sides with salt. Whisk together the agave syrup, orange juice, orange zest, chipotles, adobo, garlic, olive oil and Tajín in a medium bowl.

  3. Step 3

    Brush both sides of the chicken with the Tajín sauce. Grill the chicken, turning and basting often with the Tajín sauce, until cooked through, charred but brick red and glazed, 7 to 9 minutes. Grill the scallions, turning occasionally, until lightly charred on all sides, about 5 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Serve the chicken with the grilled scallions, topped with cilantro.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
4,423 user ratings
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Comments

Jessica

for everyone snarking about this question have you considered a) that not everyone has a grill pan b) that grill pans are a pain to clean c) being nice

Seattle does NYT Cooking

oh for foodness sakes...bake it in the oven. 375/30-40 minutes. Line your pan with foil for easy clean up.

John

Sure. From Chile Pepper Madness: 1 tablespoon of paprika powder or red chili powder 1 teaspoon dried lime zest 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, grounded coriander, salt, cayenne pepper powder 1/8th teaspoon sugar

Sue Goldstein

This was delicious. I used a tbs of chili crisp instead of chiles in adobo and used maple syrup instead of agave or honey. I made more sauce later and cooked it down a bit and used for a sauce to serve with the chicken. So yummy!

JoaninMaine

Made these last night and they were yum! I marinated them for about an hour before cooking them in the oven. The sauce is just delicious!

Sarah D

My chipotles came sliced in the adobo sauce so whisking worked fine. But after basting and flipping for about 9’ the chicken was not quite cooked (per my thermometer) so I closed the grilll and turned it down a bit for another 4’. I will add this to my summer rotation.

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Credits

By Rick A. Martinez

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