Cilantro Lime Chicken Recipe (Juicy & Easy!)

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You’re going to love this cilantro lime chicken recipe! It’s easy, it’s flavorful, and it’s so versatile – you can serve it on its own or tuck it into tortillas, taco salads, or burrito bowls. Whip up the cilantro lime marinade for these chicken thighs in just a few minutes with basic ingredients.

It’s no secret that I LOVE chicken dinners! So, there’s no shortage of chicken recipes here on Wholesome Yum. While my juicy baked chicken is a staple around here, the pan-seared chicken breast is another versatile dish, and of course, buffalo chicken wings are always a HIT!

What Is Cilantro Lime Chicken?

This cilantro lime chicken recipe is made with bright and fresh flavors (lime and cilantro!) along with traditional Mexican spices – it’s a great addition to any Mexican meal.

Why You’ll Love This Cilantro Lime Chicken Recipe

Bright, fresh lime and cilantro flavor
Juicy chicken with crispy skin
Made with basic, natural ingredients
Easy, healthy dinner
Takes just 5 minutes to prep (but plan ahead so you can marinate the chicken for about an hour)

Ingredients For Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for chicken thighs with cilantro and lime, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

Chicken thighs – Use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for best flavor. If you prefer, you can make the same recipe with chicken breasts as well.
Avocado oil – We’re using avocado oil in the cilantro lime chicken marinade. You could also use an extra light olive oil, we just need something with a high smoke point and neutral flavor.
Fresh cilantro – Look for bright green cilantro, without any brown leaves.
Lime juice – You can use fresh or bottled lime juice.
Garlic – Use fresh or jarred minced garlic.
Sea salt
Spices – Cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Use more or less of the cayenne, depending on how spicy you like things.

Ingredients to make cilantro lime chicken thighs

How To Make Cilantro Lime Chicken

This section shows how to make cilantro lime chicken thighs with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full instructions, see the recipe card below.

Mix marinade. In a small bowl, whisk together avocado oil, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, sea salt, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper.

Marinate chicken. Add chicken thighs to the marinade and refrigerate for at least an hour, or up to 8 hours. (You can also marinate in a zip lock bag.)

Preheat oven. Bring chicken to room temperature and preheat cast iron grill pan.
Brown chicken. Sear chicken skin side down until browned. Flip over and sear on the other side.

Cilantro lime chicken thighs on a grill pan

Bake. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

TIP: Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature. It’s the best way to know your chicken is cooked through, but not overcooked.

Cooked cilantro lime chicken thighs on grill pan

Storage Instructions

Store chicken thighs with lime and cilantro in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Can you freeze cilantro lime chicken thighs?

Yes, you can freeze the cooked chicken thighs for 2-3 months. Do not freeze them in the marinade, as they will be too mushy.

Reheating instructions:

Reheat chicken in a hot skillet or the oven, until heated through.

Cilantro lime chicken on cauliflower rice

What To Serve With Cilantro Lime Chicken

This quick lime cilantro chicken recipe just needs a side dish for a healthy and easy dinner. Here are a few to try:

Rice, Cauliflower Rice, or Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
Cilantro Lime Taco Slaw
Roasted Broccoli
Sautéed Zucchini

More Easy Chicken Recipes

Tools To Make Lime And Cilantro Chicken

Cast Iron Grill Pan – This pan goes from stove to oven and leaves delicious, gorgeous grill marks on the chicken.
Instant Read Meat Thermometer – The best way to tell when your meat is cooked perfectly.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Recipe

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Ingredients

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4 medium Bone-in chicken thighs (~21 ounces) ▢
1/4 cup Avocado oil ▢
1/4 cup Fresh cilantro (chopped) ▢
2 tbsp Lime juice ▢
2 cloves Garlic (minced) ▢
1 tsp Sea salt ▢
1 tsp Cumin ▢
1 tsp Chili powder ▢
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.

In a small bowl, whisk together avocado oil, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, sea salt, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne peper.
Add marinade and chicken thighs to a zip lock bag and marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, up to 8 hours.
Remove from refrigerator and allow chicken to come up to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
Preheat a cast iron grill pan to medium-high heat. Add chicken skin side down and sear for 2-3 minutes, until browned. Flip chicken and sear on the other side for another 2-3 minutes.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

Last Step: Leave A Rating!

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Share your recipe picture by tagging @wholesomeyum and hashtag it #wholesomeyum on Instagram, or in our Facebook support group, too – I’d love to see it!

Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 chicken thigh

Nutrition info includes 1/4 of the marinade, as the rest is discarded.

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 348

Fat 27.5g

Protein 23.6g

Total Carbs 0.8g

Net Carbs 0.7g

Fiber 0.1g

Sugar 0.1g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Keywords: cilantro lime chicken, cilantro lime chicken recipe, cilantro lime chicken thighs

Calories: 348 kcal

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25 Comments

kpuckster
0 August 7, 2022Reply

Great flavor. Going to try this in a pita with a Mediterranean cucumber salad next!
Denise
0 April 24, 2022Reply

Great marinade we also use it on fish then BBQ it very good. Great also on chicken.
Kathleen Minor
0 March 20, 2022Reply

This makes the most DELICIOUS marinade!!! I had skinless, boneless thighs and no grill pan, so ended up air frying them instead. The marinade is out of this world yummy! Thank you, Maya!
Jodi Dill
0 February 28, 2022Reply

Do you think dried cilantro would work ok? Would you use more or less than fresh?
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 March 1, 2022Reply
  
  Hi Jodi, You would want to use 2 tablespoons of dried cilantro, I have never used dried though so I am unsure of what the results would be.
  - Jodi
    0 March 1, 2022Reply
    
    I am trying it tonight, it’s been marinating all day. It smells so good!
Sharon
0 September 14, 2021Reply

Wow! This chicken is incredibly flavorful! I love the simplicity of the recipe as well. I kept making mmmmmm sounds while I ate. I served with some buttery steamed broccoli and gave my non-keto hubby some rice as well. Delicious meal centered around delicious chicken. Thanks for the recipe!
Wanda
0 September 6, 2021Reply

I can’t wait to try this, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. I wonder if you can do this in a air fryer, might get a crispier skin??
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 September 7, 2021Reply
  
  Hi Wanda, I have not tried this recipe in the air fryer, but it should work. Please share your results if you decide to give it a try!
Samantha
0 July 15, 2021Reply

Oh, I love this flavor combination and how easy this marinade looks! Can’t wait to try it!
Natalie
0 July 15, 2021Reply

It was super delicious. Meat turned out so tender and flavorful. SUper easy to make too. Great recipe.
Kristen
0 July 14, 2021Reply

These were so good. I did not leave a scrap behind on my plate, thanks for the recipe.
Betsy
0 July 14, 2021Reply

Love this marinade! So much great flavor! My chicken turned out so good! And even though I had to use chicken breasts instead of thighs they still turned out fantastic!
Cindy
0 July 14, 2021Reply

This marinade was perfect for wings!
Paula
0 July 14, 2021Reply

This had the perfect flavors and is so easy to make!
Beth
0 July 14, 2021Reply

Yummy! This is so delicious and full of flavor! My hubby and I absolutely loved this recipe, and we can’t wait to remake this recipe! So excited!
Robin Donovan
0 July 14, 2021Reply

This is so delicious!
Laura
0 July 9, 2021Reply

I let this marinade for 1 day and then cooked it in my air fryer. It was amazing and my family loved it!!!
JP
0 February 15, 2021Reply

This is awesome! Easy to make and super flavorful. This is going in my rotation.
Reagan
0 March 2, 2020Reply

My favorite chicken recipe.
Lesley
0 March 2, 2020Reply

This chicken is super flavorful. A family favorite.
Judith Bordner
0 June 23, 2019Reply

How many carbs are in this recipe?
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 June 26, 2019Reply
  
  Hi Judith, The nutrition info is on the recipe card above.
Anna
0 July 27, 2018Reply

Have you tried making this in a slow cooker? It seems like a good match.
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 September 10, 2018Reply
  
  Hi Anna, I haven’t, but I’m sure it would work!