Buy Now → Grilled Lime Chicken with Corn, Zucchini & Basil
In this fresh, colorful, aromatic late-summer dish juicy, garlicky lime-marinated chicken is grilled until beautifully charred, then served over sweet corn and tender zucchini with a scented basil-lime butter.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 servings 1x
- Category: Chicken, Main Dish
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten-Free, Paleo
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
- 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- black pepper
- Juice and zest of 2 limes
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup basil leaves
- 4 ears of corn, thick outer leaves removed*
- 1 zucchini cut sliced lengthwise into thick slice about 1/4″
- Olive oil for brushing zucchini
- Flaky sea salt, to finish
Instructions
- Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl and season with the garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ¾ teaspoons salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper and juice of 1 lime. Toss to coat. Let marinate at room temperature while the grills heats up or, ideally, refrigerate, covered, overnight.
- To make the lime-basil butter, place the butter, lime zest of 2 limes, ¾ cup basil leaves, ¼ teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in a food processor and process until basil is chopped and incorporated. Refrigerate overnight or leave out of the fridge if you’re ready to grill. (See above for how to make without a food processor).
- When ready to cook, light the grill to medium-high. If needed, remove the chicken and lime-basil butter from the fridge so it softens.
- Place the ears of corn on one side of the grill, turning every 3 minutes or so, until cooked through and lightly charred, 10 to 20 minutes total. Remove from the heat and let cool.
- While the corn is cooking, brush both sides of the zucchini slices with olive oil. Place on the grill. Grill 2-3 minutes, turn and grill the other side until tender but firm. Remove from the heat.
- Pull the corn off the grill and slice off the charred kernels. Place onto a serving platter.
- Cut the zucchini slices in half and then into1/2” slices. Add to the serving platter and mix to distribute evenly.
- Top the corn zucchini mix with 1/3 of the basil butter.
- While the corn is cooking and being sliced, place the chicken on the grill flat sides down. Char until it releases from the grates easily, 5 to 7 minutes. Once it’s nice a brown flip the chicken and grill for another 3 to 5 minutes until the juices run clear when poked with a knife.
- Remove the chicken from the grill, slice each into thirds and place slices on top of the corn. Spoon the remaining basil butter on top of the hot chicken and sprinkle with remaining basil leaves, the remaining lime juice and flaky salt. Grind some extra black pepper over the top.
Notes
Remove the thick dried outer leaves and trim the excess silk before grilling corn in the husk.