Cilantro Lime Chicken is here to lend a little brightness and fresh flavor to your winter recipe repertoire. Marinated in a blend of citrus, spice, and savory flavors to give you chicken that is tender and flavorful with every bite. Make this on the stove or on the grill as the weather warms up!
Cilantro Lime Chicken has a crispy outside and a tender, juicy inside. This marinade is incredible and SO simple to whip up! Cilantro, garlic, onion, chili powder, and oregano make the best blend of bold flavors. A splash of lime juice adds a burst of citrus flavor for the perfect finishing touch. Cook these chicken thighs up in a skillet on the stove, or when the weather finally starts to warm up and we move into spring, fire up the grill! Either method takes no time at all. Serve these delicious chicken thighs with a side of rice and black beans or add them to a salad for lunch!
If you love this marinade, try my Oven Roasted Lemon Pepper Chicken, Honey Mustard Chicken, and Baked Chicken Thighs for even more flavor!
How to Make Cilantro Lime Chicken
This juicy, marinated chicken can be made on the grill or on the stovetop in under 15 minutes!
- In a large bowl, container, or gallon ziplock bag add the olive oil, cilantro, lime juice, garlic and onion powder, chili powder, oregano, and salt and pepper. Stir (or shake) to combine.
- Add in your chicken thighs and toss until thoroughly coated in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours, flipping the pieces halfway through to ensure all of the chicken is marinated.
- If cooking on the stovetop: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to coat the bottom of the skillet and place the chicken thighs top side down into the skillet. Let sizzle and cook for about 5 minutes.This will create a crispy layer on top.
- Flip the chicken and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes or until the meat is cooked through.
- If cooking on the grill: Heat your grill to 320°F and oil the grates with olive oil.
- Cook the chicken for 5 minutes on each side or until the meat has cooked through.
- Once cooked, serve with lime wedges and freshly chopped cilantro as a garnish. Enjoy!
Cilantro Lime Chicken Recipe Notes and Tips
- You can store any leftover chicken in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 5 days.
- You can use chicken breasts as opposed to thighs in this recipe. However, you’ll need to pound them out to make them equal in thickness. This ensures an even cook time and no dry chicken!
- For a sweet touch, add a little brown sugar or honey to the marinade. And for extra spice, toss in some red pepper flakes and a dash of cumin.
- If you don’t like cilantro, you can swap it out for parsley, although the flavor will be altered a bit.
- I highly recommend letting this chicken marinate for at least 2-3 hours for the best flavor. Your chicken will come out tender and juicy every time!
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Cilantro Lime Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Chopped cilantro
- ¼ Cup Olive oil plus more for the pan
- 2 Limes juiced
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
- 1 ½ Pounds Chicken thighs deboned with the skin off
Instructions
- Add the cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, black pepper and oregano to a large container and stir to combine.
- Add in the chicken thighs, toss it in the marinade then cover and refrigerate for three hours, flipping halfway through to ensure that all the chicken gets fully marinated.
- Stovetop instructions: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan then add the chicken top side down into the skillet and let it sizzle and cook for about 5 minutes without touching it to get a crispy layer on the top.
- Flip the chicken over and cook for another four to five minutes or until cooked through.
- Grilling instructions: Heat a grill to 320 degrees Fahrenheit and oil the grates with olive oil.
- Cook the chicken on the grill for about 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through.
- Serve with lime wedges and garnish with freshly chopped cilantro if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Followed the directions exactly …. wonderful. So Yummy!
What would be a good side dish with this? Thank you!