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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 chicken marinade in just a few minutes with simple ingredients. It’s a great main dish for 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
- Takes just 5 minutes to prep (but plan ahead so you can marinate the chicken for about an hour)
- Easy, healthy chicken dinner
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for cilantro lime chicken marinade, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
Chicken:
This cilantro lime chicken recipe uses bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, which will have the best flavor.
However, you can substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs or boneless skinless chicken breast if you like. The cook time will vary depending on the cut of chicken you use, and boneless will cook faster.
Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade:
- Avocado Oil – I used avocado oil, but you could also use a light olive oil. You just need something heat-safe with a neutral flavor.
- Fresh Cilantro – A must for cilantro lime chicken marinade! If you’re not a cilantro fan, make one of my other chicken recipes instead. 😉 I don’t recommend using dried cilantro here either, but if you really want to, use 1/3 the amount.
- Lime Juice – Fresh lime juice tastes best, but you can use bottled for convenience. You can also add the lime zest if you’re using fresh limes.
- Garlic – I highly recommend fresh minced garlic, but 1 teaspoon of jarred garlic would also work. Feel free to add a few more garlic cloves if you love garlic! You can also use 1/2 teaspoon (or more) of garlic powder in a pinch, though it doesn’t taste as good as fresh.
- Seasonings – Sea salt, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Use more or less of the cayenne, depending on how spicy you want it, or toss in some red pepper flakes for even more heat.
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, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Mix the cilantro lime chicken marinade. In a small bowl, whisk together the avocado oil, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, sea salt, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper.
- Marinate the chicken. Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl or in a zip lock bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken and move around to coat well. Refrigerate for at least an hour, or up to 8 hours.
- Brown the chicken. Preheat a cast iron grill pan or cast iron skillet on the stove top over medium-high heat. Sear chicken skin side down until browned. Flip over and sear on the other side.
- Bake. Transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake cilantro lime chicken until cooked through.
- Serve. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving, to let the juices settle inside. Garnish with cilantro leaves and lime wedges or slices.
TIP: Check internal temperature for perfect doneness.
Using a meat thermometer is the best way to know your chicken is done perfectly. Aim for 170 degrees F for chicken thighs (which will make them more juicy and tender), or 165 degrees F for chicken breasts.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Reheat: Warm up the chicken in a hot skillet, or in the oven at 350 degrees F. You can microwave it, but the skin will be less crispy.
- Freeze: Cool completely, then transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Do not freeze the chicken in cilantro lime marinade, because it will get mushy after 24 hours.
What To Serve With Cilantro Lime Chicken
This cilantro lime chicken recipe goes with all kinds of Mexican dishes! Here are some of my favorites to go with it:
- Rice – Serve with your favorite rice! For lighter options, try cauliflower rice (shown above) or cilantro lime cauliflower rice.
- Slaw – Taco slaw has the same flavors as this cilantro lime chicken, so they go together perfectly.
- Salsa – Top the chicken with a scoop of mango salsa or drizzle with fresh tomato salsa. You can also serve them on the side with your favorite tortilla chips.
- Veggies – Try Mexican street corn for a classic pairing! If you need something fast to pair with lime cilantro chicken, make some simple veggies, like roasted broccoli or sauteed zucchini.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
If you like this recipe, you’ll probably like these other simple ways to make chicken:
Tools I Use For This Recipe
- Cast Iron Grill Pan – This pan goes from stove to oven and leaves delicious, gorgeous grill marks on the chicken. However, you can also use a cast iron skillet.
- Instant Read Meat Thermometer – The best way to tell when your meat is cooked perfectly.
Cilantro Lime Chicken Recipe
Cilantro Lime Chicken (Juicy & Easy!)
You'll love this easy cilantro lime chicken recipe, with a flavorful marinade and simple prep! It's a zesty, flavorful chicken dinner.
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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In a small bowl, whisk together avocado oil, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, sea salt, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne peper.
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Add marinade and chicken thighs to a zip lock bag and marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, up to 8 hours.
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Optional step if you have time: Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and allow it to come up to room temperature, about 20 minutes. (This is not required, but will help it cook more evenly.)
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Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
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Preheat a cast iron grill pan or cast iron skillet over 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.
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Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F (76 degrees C). Rest for a few minutes before serving.
Last Step: Leave A Rating!
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 chicken thigh
Nutrition info includes 1/4 of the marinade, as the rest is discarded.
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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30 Comments
Jamie
0This now one of my go-to marinades, especially for boneless pork chops. It works well for chicken breasts, however I believe the flavors truly shine when coupled with boneless pork chops. I do not use the cayenne pepper as I avoid spicy foods, yet the chili powder mixed with cumin adds enough spiciness for me. When I make this again, I may try adding a 1/4 tspn of red pepper flakes to provide an additional hint of flavor to this already flavorful marinade. When purchasing your cilantro, break the bottom of one of the stems and smell it for freshness. The more pungent the odor, the fresher the cilantro is. For cooking, I use a 12” lodge cast iron pan with 1/2 cup organic Avocado oil. Heat the pan on high until it reaches about 375 degrees, turn the heat down to medium, put in your chops/chicken, sear for 6-7 minutes, flip and cook until internal temp reaches 165 degrees, approx an additional 6-9 minutes normally. I highly advise to cook thoroughly (no pink in center) to avoid salmonella. TY once again Maya for another delicious marinade.
Dottie Bacon
0Great recipe! Thank you! The combination of lime, garlic and cilantro was very fresh and flavorful! The cayenne was just warm enough to let you know it was in the recipe. Delicious!! This recipe is a “keeper!”
Maria
0I don’t have one of these cast iron pans, so baked this recipe in a 9 X 13 aluminum pan. Hubby and I both loved it and it’s on the menu for out of town company. Thank you, Maya.
Abi
0I love this recipe! I eat it with cauliflower rice 🙂
kpuckster
0Great flavor. Going to try this in a pita with a Mediterranean cucumber salad next!
Denise
0Great marinade we also use it on fish then BBQ it very good. Great also on chicken.
Adriana
0YUM! What kind of fish, Denise? Can’t wait to try this on chicken thighs, but always looking for yummy ways to add fish into the diet. Thanks!
Kathleen Minor
0This 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
0Do you think dried cilantro would work ok? Would you use more or less than fresh?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi 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
0I am trying it tonight, it’s been marinating all day. It smells so good!
Sharon
0Wow! 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
0I 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
0Hi 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
0Oh, I love this flavor combination and how easy this marinade looks! Can’t wait to try it!
Natalie
0It was super delicious. Meat turned out so tender and flavorful. SUper easy to make too. Great recipe.
Kristen
0These were so good. I did not leave a scrap behind on my plate, thanks for the recipe.
Betsy
0Love 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
0This marinade was perfect for wings!
Paula
0This had the perfect flavors and is so easy to make!
Beth
0Yummy! 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
0This is so delicious!
Laura
0I let this marinade for 1 day and then cooked it in my air fryer. It was amazing and my family loved it!!!
JP
0This is awesome! Easy to make and super flavorful. This is going in my rotation.
Reagan
0My favorite chicken recipe.
Lesley
0This chicken is super flavorful. A family favorite.
Judith Bordner
0How many carbs are in this recipe?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Judith, The nutrition info is on the recipe card above.
Anna
0Have you tried making this in a slow cooker? It seems like a good match.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Anna, I haven’t, but I’m sure it would work!