Grilled Sazon Chicken Thighs
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These Grilled Sazon Chicken Thighs are juicy, flavorful, and packed with bold Latin-inspired spices! Marinated in a homemade sazon seasoning and orange juice, then grilled to perfection, this recipe is super easy to make and perfect for a weeknight dinner, meal prep, or summer cookout.
Why you’ll love this recipe
After making the best homemade sazon seasoning, I knew that I had to make a traditional Puerto Rican chicken dish with the spice blend. This is that dish!
Inspired by the traditional Pollo Guisado, I took the flavors of this Puerto Rican chicken stew and made this incredibly flavorful grilled chicken dish. Here’s why I love it and I know you will too!
- You only need 4 ingredients! A combination of sazon seasoning, olive oil and orange juice is used to marinate boneless, skinless chicken thighs. This dish has a ton of flavor, with just a few simple ingredients! While I do recommend making my homemade sazon seasoning, you can also pick up a packet of seasoning at the grocery store to keep things simple.
- It’s so easy to make! In just two steps this chicken is ready to go. Marinate it, then grill it, simple as that you have incredibly flavorful chicken to serve over rice, in tortillas, or with your favorite sides, perfect for busy weeknights!
- It’s so flavorful! I think I might have mentioned this, but seriously, the flavor of the sweet and citrusy orange juice, combined with the earthy, peppery sazon seasoning, and the smoky flavor from the grill is a combination of flavors that I know you’ll love!
Ingredients
Here I explain the best ingredients for this sazon chicken recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For the exact ingredient measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Sazon seasoning – click the link for my homemade seasoning made with a combination of garlic powder, ground cumin, coriander, Mexican oregano, salt, and other pantry staples. If you prefer not to make your own spice blend, Goya sazon seasoning, sold at most grocery stores, is a good substitute.
- Orange juice – I recommend fresh-squeezed for the best flavor!
- Olive oil – or another neutral-flavored vegetable oil.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts – I prefer thighs because they’re juicier and have more flavor, but you can easily make this recipe with breasts. Just make sure if the breasts are more than 1/2 inch thick that you slice them in half lengthwise through the middle before you marinate and grill them. If chicken breasts are too thick, in the time it will take to cook them all the way through, they’re more likely to dry out and burn on the outside.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Marinate the chicken. In a large zipper bag, combine orange juice, olive oil and sazon seasoning. Add the chicken and toss to coat it in the marinade. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours. You don’t want to marinate the chicken in citrus for too long or it will start to “cook” the chicken and can compromise the texture.
- Grill the chicken. Once the chicken is marinated, heat a grill up to medium-high heat. When the grill is hot, add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F on an instant-read thermometer. The temperature will rise 5-10 degrees as the chicken rests. Remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest on a cutting board for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Ways to serve it
My favorite way to serve the chicken is with yellow rice, seasoned with sazon seasoning, diced tomatoes, onion and bell pepper. You can make it into a bowl with sliced sazon chicken served on top of the rice. Add a sprinkle of fresh cilantro and lime wedges on the side for squeezing lime juice over the chicken.
The grilled sazon chicken is also delicious wrapped up in warm tortillas to make incredibly flavorful tacos. You can also use the chicken in quesadillas, air fryer taquitos, or burritos.
How to make it on the stove
If you don’t have a grill available, you can cook the chicken in a cast iron skillet on the stove. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet available, use the heaviest skillet that you have on hand.
Once the chicken is marinated, use tongs to remove the chicken from the bag. Place chicken in a hot skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F on an instant-read thermometer.
Storage and reheating
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
I recommend reheating the sazon chicken in a hot skillet on the stove, or in an air fryer. On the stove, you’ll want to add the chicken to a hot skillet and reheat for 2-3 minutes per side, or until heated through. To reheat it in an air fryer, add the chicken in a single layer to an air fryer basket and reheat for 4 minutes at 400°F.
More chicken recipes
If you love this sazon chicken recipe, then I know you’ll love these other tested and perfected chicken recipes!
Sazon Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons sazon seasoning, click link for homemade recipe
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, or chicken breasts
Instructions
- Add the sazon seasoning, olive oil and orange juice to a large zipper bag. Toss to combine. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels, then add them to the bag with the marinade and toss until they're fully coated. Place in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours.
- Preheat a grill over medium-high heat.
- Once the grill is hot, use tongs to remove the chicken from the marinade and place the thighs on the grill. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F on an instant-read thermometer. The temperature will rise 5-10 degrees as the chicken rests.
- Remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest on a cutting board for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- If you’re making this recipe with chicken breasts, make sure they’re ½ inch thick. If they’re thicker than this, slice them in half lengthwise through the middle before marinating and grilling.
- If you don’t have a grill available, refer to the blog post above for instructions on how to cook the chicken on the stove.
Nutrition Facts
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