Cilantro Lime Chicken

Update 4/15/25

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If you love the taste of zesty lime and the citrusy, slightly peppery flavor of cilantro, then this chicken is for you! It’s easily prepared on the stovetop or grill. When the weather warms up, these flavors are what I crave. They’re refreshingly light and shake the chill off heavier, cool-weather foods! This dish is bright and sunny, just like spring!

Now, I can be a little persnickety about 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. This chicken with cilantro and spices is one of those Mexican-flavor chicken recipes that checks all those boxes. One bite and you’ll see!

If you like more grilled chicken recipes, I hope you’ll try our pollo asado, chicken gyro, Greek chicken, and huli huli chicken!

Let’s grill this chicken!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

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!

• Make on stovetop or grill
• A totally awesome, refreshing flavor
• Really simple recipe
• Easy to find ingredients
• Delicious cooked in multiple ways

Best Chicken For This Recipe

I love this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. We also like to use it to make chicken skewers. I cut down the marinating time because there’s a lot more surface area with the chunks of chicken compared to a half breast. If you prefer dark meat, chicken thighs work great as well! You can use bone-in or boneless; just adjust your cooking time to accommodate the different chicken pieces.

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, boneless skinless chicken thighs are also a good choice. Do you 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 overall flavor. Plus, it helps pull fat-soluble flavors out of many ingredients, like garlic, so they can soak 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 complements 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: This marinade’s flavor is enhanced by a tasty combination of cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper.

This is a super simple recipe. Toss the ingredients in a bowl and whisk them together!

Cilantro Lime Chicken Tips

• Red Onion: Throw in some sliced red onion rings, marinade, and grill alongside the chicken.
• Marination Time: This cilantro lime chicken recipe is easy, but it should be thrown together the day before. You should 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.
• Reserve: Remember 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 difficult 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 it’s heated.
  • 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 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 and fruits, and the chicken will also take on some of their flavors.

Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead

• How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Your leftovers will stay fresh and yummy for up to four days in the fridge. For best results, keep it sealed in an airtight container with a secure lid. 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 the raw chicken in the marinade. Then, all you have to do is thaw it out and fire up the grill.
  • You can also make a big batch of the marinade and freeze it by itself. Thaw out what you need to make a meal and go to town. Just remember, this is a day-ahead recipe, so your chicken will need 24 hours to marinate.
• Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety, check out this link.

What To Serve With Cilantro Lime Chicken

I love to serve this with pico de Gallo, our famous cowboy caviar (as a side salad), warm black beans, grilled sweet potatoes, Mexican rice,  authentic charro beans, hearty and meaty calico beans, or cowboy beans! Of course, my family is going to want some type of bread. Grilled corn tortillas are great, but jalapeno cornbread, Southern cornbread, or my sweeter cornbread option, Bisquick cornbread, are all delicious choices!

We also want something fresh and crispy, such as our KFC coleslaw, pineapple coleslaw, house salad, carrot salad, or Mexican corn salad!

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

How To Sauté Cilantro Lime Chicken

1. Place the chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag.
2. Whisk together all the cilantro lime chicken marinade ingredients. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade and refrigerate.
3. Pour the rest of the marinade over the chicken.
4. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 24 hours.
5. Remove the chicken breast from the marinade and shake off liquid. Pat dry with paper towels.
6. Preheat a 12-inch skillet or grill pan. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium to medium-high heat.
7. Cook for 5-6 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. Remove and rest for about 7 minutes (this will help the chicken retain its juices), then serve

How To Grill Cilantro Lime Chicken

1. Place the chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag.
2. Whisk together all the marinade ingredients. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade and refrigerate.
3. Pour the rest of the marinade over the chicken.
4. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 24 hours.
5. Remove the chicken breast from the marinade and shake off liquid. Pat dry with paper towels.
6. Oil grill grates and preheat grill.
7. Cook both sides of the chicken on the preheated grill.
8. Cook for 5-6 minutes per side on preheated grill, or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. Remove and rest for about 7 minutes (this will help the chicken retain its juices), then serve
9. Place cooked chicken on a rimmed platter.
10. Pour the reserved marinade over the cooked chicken.

***See the full instructions below.

More Of My Favorite Grilled + Smoked Recipes

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

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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.
• Place cooked chicken on a rimmed platter to rest for 7 minutes before cutting and pour reserved marinade over chicken.

How To Sauté '

• Remove chicken breast from marinade (discard marinade), shaking off any extra, pat dry with paper towels.
• Preheat a 12 inch skillet heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium to medium-high heat.
• Cook for 5-6 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. Remove and rest for about 7 minutes (this will help the chicken retain its juices), then serve.

How To Grill:

• Remove the chicken breast from the marinade (discard the marinade), shaking off any excess, and pat dry with paper towels.
• Cook for 5-6 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. Remove and rest for about 7 minutes (this will help the chicken retain its juices), then serve.

Fans Also Made:

• 
  Beer Brats (Grill First, Then Beer Braise for Juicy, Never Soggy Brats)
• 
  Grilled Chicken Marinade Recipe
• 
  Grilled Flank Steak
• 
  Grilled Pork Tenderloin

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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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