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- What Is Cilantro Lime Chicken?
- Why You’ll Love This Cilantro Lime Chicken Recipe
- Ingredients For Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs
- How To Make Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Storage Instructions
- What To Serve With Cilantro Lime Chicken
- More Easy Chicken Recipes
- Tools To Make Lime And Cilantro Chicken
- Cilantro Lime Chicken Recipe
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.
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.
- 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.
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.
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
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Crispy Baked Chicken Legs
- Baked Basil Pesto Chicken
- Asparagus Stuffed Chicken Breast
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
Reader Favorite Recipes
The recipe card is below! Readers that made this also viewed these recipes:
Cilantro Lime Chicken Recipe
This easy cilantro lime chicken recipe is quick and easy! The perfect marinade makes cilantro lime chicken thighs juicy and flavorful, with a crispy skin.
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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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Remove from refrigerator and allow chicken to come up to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
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Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
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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.
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Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
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Readers Who Liked This Easy Recipe Also Made:
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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24 Comments
Denise
Great marinade we also use it on fish then BBQ it very good. Great also on chicken.
Kathleen Minor
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
Do you think dried cilantro would work ok? Would you use more or less than fresh?
Wholesome Yum D
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
I am trying it tonight, it’s been marinating all day. It smells so good!
Sharon
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
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
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
Oh, I love this flavor combination and how easy this marinade looks! Can’t wait to try it!
Natalie
It was super delicious. Meat turned out so tender and flavorful. SUper easy to make too. Great recipe.
Kristen
These were so good. I did not leave a scrap behind on my plate, thanks for the recipe.
Betsy
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
This marinade was perfect for wings!
Paula
This had the perfect flavors and is so easy to make!
Beth
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
This is so delicious!
Laura
I let this marinade for 1 day and then cooked it in my air fryer. It was amazing and my family loved it!!!
JP
This is awesome! Easy to make and super flavorful. This is going in my rotation.
Reagan
My favorite chicken recipe.
Lesley
This chicken is super flavorful. A family favorite.
Judith Bordner
How many carbs are in this recipe?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Judith, The nutrition info is on the recipe card above.
Anna
Have you tried making this in a slow cooker? It seems like a good match.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Anna, I haven’t, but I’m sure it would work!