There are almost too many flavor adjectives to describe this chicken. It has the honey and lime I noted in the title, but there is also a very strong soy sauce and garlic flavor to the profile. When you combine soy, garlic, lime, and something sweet, it all comes together in a really wonderful way. That can be the base for a marinade, a stir-fry, or even a dipping sauce. This takes it a step further by using it as a marinade and then reducing it down into a great sticky sauce.
Start by marinading chicken (I used a breast for the Mrs and a leg for me) in 1/4 cup of lime juice, two cloves of garlic (minced), 1/4 cup of soy sauce, and 2 Tbsp of honey. I threw the squeezed lime halves in too. Let that sit for 30-60 minutes. I usually like to poke some holes in my chicken with a fork to let some of that flavor permeate the flesh of the meat.
The recipe said to bake this dish, but it's summer time and I'm in a grilling mood. So I put the whole darned thing on the grill! I like to sear the outside of the meat to get a nice crust, and also to lock in the juices. The limes will get a nice char on them on the grill as well and it will bring out some of the remaining moisture that I couldn't squeeze entirely out. I had them above the chicken so that juice could drip down onto the meat while it was cooking.
Let the sauce bubble away until it reduces and become sweet & sticky. Warning: it's a pain in the butt to clean that pan afterward. Sorry folks.
Baste the chicken in that wonderful sauce and serve the charred lime halves as a garnish. There is a wonderful combination of sweetness and acidity in this sauce. And I just love a sticky glaze on chicken or pork. The garlic and soy lend what many call "umami" to the flavor profile. All in all this is a really jam-packed and balanced piece of chicken. My wife made a quick Asian slaw out of cabbage, apples, carrots and cilantro. This is a really fun twist on your every day grilled chicken dinner.
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