Grilled Lime Chicken with Corn, Zucchini & Basil

This fresh, colorful, aromatic late-summer dish has juicy, garlicky lime-marinated chicken grilled until beautifully charred, then served over grilled sweet corn and tender zucchini with a scented basil-lime butter melting over everything.

I love this dish because the vegetables are sweet and smoky from the grill, the chicken is juicy and bright with lime, and the basil butter melts over the whole platter, making every bite incredibly flavorful. It’s fresh, satisfying and relaxed—the perfect meal to enjoy outside while grilling season is still here.

I use butter because it tastes so good and contrary to the media telling us it was bad for our health in the 1950s and 1960s, the new scientific research now confirms it is a healthy food (in moderation, of course). You can read more about why in my post Is Butter A Heathly Food? If you don’t eat butter the dish can be made with vegan butter or ghee.

Why You’ll Love This Grilled Lime Chicken

It’s a complete meal with a delicious floral taste, packed with protein, healthy carbs, vegetables and herbs. Great for company or simple enough for an easy weeknight dinner.

• Full of fresh summer flavor. Sweet corn, zucchini, basil and lime are a delicious combination.
• Juicy, flavorful chicken. Lime, garlic and olive oil make a simple marinade that gives the chicken lots of flavor.
• That basil butter! It melts into the warm chicken and vegetables, creating a rich, silky sauce with bright floral lime flavor.
• Everything cooks on the grill. No need to heat up the kitchen on a warm day.
• Easy to prep ahead. Marinate the chicken and make the basil butter the night before, then dinner comes together quickly.
• Naturally gluten-free. It’s a satisfying complete meal made with simple, wholesome ingredients.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Chicken thighs – Juicy and flavorful, they stay tender on the grill. Breasts can be used but don’t marinate in the lime juice for more than 4 hours and cook for a shorter time.
• Garlic – Adds a deep savory flavor to the lime marinade.
• Lime Zest – This is what gives the lime basil butter a bright, intensely citrusy, and deeply aromatic flavor, cutting through the rich, taste of the butter.
• Lime Juice – Used to marinate the chicken along with the garlic .
• Butter – Creates the rich, silky sauce that melts over the warm chicken and vegetables. Vegan butter or ghee can be substituted.
• Fresh basil – Adds a fragrant, summery freshness. It also supplies beneficial plant compounds that have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties.
• Corn – Grilling brings out its natural sweetness with a little smoky char. Remove the thick dried outer leaves and trim the excess silk before grilling corn in the husk.
• Zucchini – Grilling makes it tender and lightly charred while staying firm.
• Olive oil – Just a little for the marinade and brushing the zucchini.
• Sea salt & black pepper – Simple seasonings that bring all the flavors together.

Steps To Make Grilled Lime Chicken with Corn, Zucchini and Basil

It’s a simple recipe with everything cooked on the grill, easy clean up. Here are the steps:

1. Marinate the chicken
Toss the chicken thighs with garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh lime juice. Marinate while the grill heats, or refrigerate overnight for even more flavor.

2. Make the basil-lime butter
In a mini food processor, process the softened butter with lime zest, fresh basil, salt and pepper until the basil is finely chopped. If you don’t have a food processor, finely chop the basil by hand and mix everything together in a small bowl. Make it ahead if you like, then let it soften before serving.

3. Grill the Corn and Zucchini
Grill the corn until tender and lightly charred. Brush the zucchini with olive oil and grill until tender but still firm.

4. Grill the chicken.
Grill the chicken until juicy, cooked through and nicely charred.

5. Cut the vegetables for serving.
Cut the kernels from the corn and chop the zucchini, then arrange on a platter with some of the basil butter.

6.Bring everything together.
Slice each chicken thigh into several pieces and arrange them over the grilled corn and zucchini. Spoon the remaining basil-lime butter over the hot chicken. Finish with fresh basil leaves, a generous squeeze of lime juice, flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

The warm chicken melts the basil butter into the vegetables underneath, bringing all those smoky, sweet, citrusy flavors together.

Make It Dairy-Free

You can easily make this recipe dairy-free by replacing the butter with your favorite dairy-free butter. Choose one with a rich, buttery flavor since it’s an important part of the finished dish.

What to Serve with Grilled Lime Chicken

This really is a complete meal all by itself. You’ve got juicy chicken, zucchini and sweet summer corn all together on one platter.

For a larger gathering, you could serve it with sliced ripe tomatoes or a fresh cucumber salad.

And since the grill is already hot, peaches or nectarines brushed with olive oil and grilled for a few minutes make a fabulous easy dessert.

Storing & Reheating

• Store leftover chicken and vegetables together in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Reheat gently in a skillet or covered in the oven just until warm.

More Chicken Thigh Recipes

• Ginger Chicken with Grilled Mandarin Oranges
• Chicken with Figs, Olives and Lemons
• Balsamic Chicken with Tomatoes & Corn
• Sheet Pan Chicken with Zucchini, Tomatoes & Basil

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Grilled Lime Chicken with Corn, Zucchini & Basil

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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.

• Author: Ingrid DeHart
• 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

• 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

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Instructions

1. 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.
2. 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).
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Pull the corn off the grill and slice off the charred kernels. Place onto a serving platter.
7. Cut the zucchini slices in half and then into1/2” slices. Add to the serving platter and mix to distribute evenly.
8. Top the corn zucchini mix with 1/3 of the basil butter.
9. 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.
10. 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.

Equipment

microplane

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Mini Food Processor

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Notes

Remove the thick dried outer leaves and trim the excess silk before grilling corn in the husk.