Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken

If you love warm weather, flip flops, and a smokin’ hot grill then cilantro lime chicken may just be your new summertime romance. As far as grilled chicken recipes go, this cilantro lime chicken recipe raises the bar.

Now, I can be a little persnickety about my grilled chicken recipes. I want moist, tender, succulent meat just bursting with flavor! If it’s not up to those standards – then it’s just a disappointment. Grilled marinated lime chicken with cilantro and spices is one of those Mexican flavor chicken recipes that checks all those boxes. One bite and you’ll see!

You gotta try our other grilled chicken: chicken gyro, Greek chicken, and huli huli chicken!

Let’s grill this chicken!

What I Love About This Recipe

I just looove the awesome flavor that comes bursting out of this juicy bird! The marinade does the trick for sure and it is 100 percent simple! Here are some other reasons to love it!

• A totally awesome refreshing flavor
• Really simple recipe
• Easy to find ingredients
• Delicious cooked in multiple ways

Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken Ingredients

• Chicken – I prefer using boneless skinless chicken breasts in this recipe, but it will work with any meat. If you prefer dark – meat go for it! Like to keep the skin on when grilling? Be my guest.
• EVOO – Extra virgin olive oil is best in this marinade for a couple of different reasons. It’s lighter than other olive oils so it has a better flavor overall. Plus, it helps pull fat-soluble flavors out of many ingredients like garlic so they can soak them into the chicken.
• Lime – A zesty combination of lime juice and lime zest gives the chicken a fresh pop of flavor and helps to tenderize the meat.
• Garlic – This cilantro lime chicken recipe calls for fresh garlic cloves. They impart a stronger less salty flavor than using salt or powder.
• Honey – Using a little bit of honey gives this marinade a subtle sweetness that works well with the tangy flavor and helps it stick to the chicken.
• Cilantro – This cilantro lime chicken recipe is a Mexican-inspired recipe, so you’ve got to have cilantro! Fresh cilantro puts the bow on this recipe.
• Spices – A tasty combination of cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper perks up the flavor of this marinade.

This is a super simple recipe. All you have to do is toss the stuff in a bowl and whisk it together!

Cilantro Chicken Recipe Notes

This cilantro lime chicken recipe is an easy one, but it is one that you want to throw together the day before. You really want to let the chicken sit in the marinade the full 24 hours so it can soak up all that intense flavor. In a pinch, 8 hours will work but it won’t be quite as flavorful.

Just don’t forget to reserve a quarter cup of the marinade to pour over the chicken after you cook it. The great thing about this recipe is that the chicken can marinate in a resealable bag, so it doesn’t have to take up a ton of space in your fridge. Just keep in mind that you want to ensure the marinade covers the chicken.

Grilling – As any regular grill-master knows, grilled chicken is a hard thing to keep moist. It tends to char and dry out on the edges before it’s even cooked through. That’s why it’s critical to preheat the grill. Don’t put the chicken on until the grill is heated up.

If you choose to cut your chicken breasts into thinner slices (which I sometimes do if I’m planning to use them for kabobs or tacos), transfer them directly from the fridge to the grill. Don’t leave them sitting out on the counter. This will make sure the chicken doesn’t overcook before it can develop a nice, grilled texture.

As Tacos and Kabobs – I just marinate and grill the chicken as normal, then chop it into chunks, and serve it on a warmed corn tortilla with my favorite salsa and other taco garnishes.

Another favorite variation is cilantro lime chicken kabobs. Cut the chicken into kabob-sized pieces and skewer them alongside your favorite kabob ingredients—cherry tomatoes, peppers, pineapple, and the like, then marinate the chicken as normal.

The delicious marinade will soak into your vegetables/fruits, and the chicken will take on some of their flavors as well.

Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead

• How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Your cilantro lime chicken will stay fresh and yummy for up to 4 days in the fridge. It’s important to keep it sealed in an airtight container with a secure lid for best results. This will also help ensure that it doesn’t take on other flavors in the fridge.
• Make-Ahead Tips:I like keeping a couple of batches of this marinade in the freezer, separated of course. Then I can thaw out what I need without having to thaw out the entire batch. This cilantro lime chicken recipe is awesome for multiple South of the border meals. The marinade is also great on veggies!
• Can You Freeze This? Absolutely! This cilantro lime chicken recipe makes an awesome freezer meal. You can freeze the cooked cooled chicken, or you can freeze the raw chicken in the marinade. Then all you have to do is thaw it out and fire up the grill.
  • You can also just make a big batch of the marinade and freeze the marinade by itself. Thaw out what you need to make a meal and go to town. Just remember, this is a day-ahead recipe, so you’ll need 24 hours for your chicken to marinade.

Serving Recommendations

I love to serve this with my cowboy caviar (as a side salad), Mexican rice, my authentic charro beans, or hearty and meaty calico beans. Of course, my family is going to want some type of bread.

Grill corn tortillas are great but jalapeno cornbread, Southern cornbread, or my sweeter cornbread option, Bisquick cornbread are all delicious choices!

End things on a sweet note with an easy margarita cake, lemon dump cake, pineapple delight, or spectacular pineapple upside down cake!

More Of My Favorite Grilling + Smoking Recipes

• Barbecue Smoked Ribs
• Best Steak Marinade (For Grilled Steak!)
• Amazing Grilled Beer Brats
• Shish Kabob
• Indian Spiced Beef Kabobs

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Cilantro Lime Chicken

Cilantro lime chicken is a zesty Mexican inspired marinated dish with a subtle sweetness and a fresh pop of flavor that is just insanely delicious.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time16 minutes mins

Total Time26 minutes mins

Servings: 6 -8 servings

Author: Kathleen

Ingredients

• ▢ 6-8 chicken breasts boneless skinless -trimmed of any fat

Marinade

• ▢ 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• ▢ 2 tablespoons fresh lime zest
• ▢ 6 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon honey
• ▢ 1 cup cilantro leaves chopped
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander

Instructions

• Place chicken breasts in a 1-gallon ziplock bag.
• In a small bowl, whisk together all the marinade ingredients. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade and store in the refrigerator. Pour the rest of the marinade over chicken and seal the bag. Place the bag on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate 24 hours.
• Remove chicken breast from marinade (discard marinade), shaking off any extra, and cook on a preheated grill, about 8 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your chicken and the temperature of your grill, or until cooked through. Place cooked chicken on a rimmed platter to rest for 7 minutes before cutting.
• Place cooked chicken on a rimmed platter to rest for 7 minutes before cutting and pour reserved marinade over chicken.

Fans Also Made:

• 
  Grilled Chicken Marinade Recipe
• 
  Grilled Flank Steak
• 
  Pollo Asado - Mexican Recipe

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Notes

1. This cilantro lime chicken recipe is an easy one, but it is one that you want to throw together the day before. You really want to let the chicken sit in the marinade for the full 24 hours so it can soak up all that intense flavor. In a pinch, 8 hours will work but it won’t be quite as flavorful.
2. Just don’t forget to reserve a quarter cup of the marinade to pour over the chicken after you cook it. The great thing about this recipe is that the chicken can marinate in a resealable bag, so it doesn’t have to take up a ton of space in your fridge. Just keep in mind that you want to ensure the marinade covers the chicken.
3. Grilling – As any regular grill-master knows, grilled chicken is a hard thing to keep moist. It tends to char and dry out on the edges before it’s even cooked through. That’s why it’s critical to preheat the grill. Don’t put the chicken on until the grill is heated up.
4. If you choose to cut your chicken breasts into thinner slices (which I sometimes do if I’m planning to use them for kabobs or tacos), transfer them directly from the fridge to the grill. Don’t leave them sitting out on the counter. This will make sure the chicken doesn’t overcook before it can develop a nice, grilled texture.
5. As for Tacos and Kabobs – I just marinate and grill the chicken as normal, then chop it into chunks, and serve it on a warmed corn tortilla with my favorite salsa and other taco garnishes.
6. Another favorite variation is cilantro lime chicken kabobs.  Cut the chicken into kabob-sized pieces and skewer them alongside your favorite kabob ingredients—cherry tomatoes, peppers, pineapple, and the like, then marinate the chicken as normal.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of the recipe | Calories: 513kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 82g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 230mg | Sodium: 244mg | Potassium: 1376mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Vitamin C: 1.1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 2mg

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