Combine the olive oil, honey, minced garlic, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, cumin, salt, and black pepper in a blender. Blend until smooth and completely combined, creating a thick, cohesive marinade. The mixture should be uniform with no large pepper chunks remaining. Finish by adding the fresh lime juice and pulse briefly to incorporate—this preserves some of the lime's bright acidity rather than fully breaking it down.

Place the chicken chunks into a resealable bag or container, then pour the marinade from Step 1 over the chicken. Seal the bag or cover the container, then shake or stir vigorously to ensure every piece of chicken is thoroughly coated with the marinade. I like to use a resealable bag because you can easily flip and massage it during marinating without making a mess.

Refrigerate the chicken and marinade for at least 6 hours, flipping or shaking the bag or container every 1-2 hours to redistribute the marinade evenly. This ensures all surfaces of the chicken absorb the flavors consistently. The longer marinade time allows the acidic lime juice and spices to penetrate the meat, creating deeper, more complex flavor throughout.

Remove the marinated chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before you plan to cook it. This allows the chicken to come closer to room temperature, which promotes more even cooking and helps the exterior develop a better sear or char if grilling or searing. I always let protein rest at room temperature before cooking—it makes a noticeable difference in how evenly it cooks through.