Cilantro Lime Chicken

This cilantro lime chicken is juicy, garlicky, and packed with fresh lime flavor. Grill it, sauté it, or bake it for an easy dinner everyone loves.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword Cilantro Lime Chicken, Cilantro Lime Chicken Recipe, How Do I Make Cilantro Lime Chicken, How To Make Cilantro Lime Chicken

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 16

Total Time 26

Servings -8 servings

Calories 513kcal

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

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place chicken breasts in a 1-gallon ziplock bag.
In a medium bowl, whisk together all the marinade ingredients until well combined. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade and refrigerate for serving later.
Pour the remaining marinade over the chicken, seal the bag, and turn to coat evenly. Place the bag on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours for the best flavor and texture.
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.

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 for the full 2 hours and up to 8 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 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.
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