Cilantro Lime Chicken Drumsticks

$5.25 recipe / $1.75 serving
by Beth Moncel
4.82 from 37 votes
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I finally got around to cooking some of the chicken drumsticks that I bought last week and they are soooo good! I love southwest inspired flavors, so marinating the chicken in cilantro lime was a natural choice for me. This savory, garlicky marinade infuses the chicken and creates the most wonderful pan juices, which I then spooned over rice. It’s safe to say that I’ll be making these Cilantro Lime Chicken Drumsticks again in the future.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Drumsticks in the baking dish with lime and cilantro

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Do I have to use drumsticks?

Don’t have drumsticks? No prob. This would work equally as well with bone-in or boneless chicken thighs. While you could use chicken breasts, I prefer the tender juicy dark meat for baking. If using breasts, I suggest pounding them out thin to increase the meat to marinade ratio and be sure not to over cook them because breasts dry out quickly.

Can I grill this Cilantro Lime Chicken?

This is also a great recipe for the grill. I don’t have one, so I popped mine in the oven, but the smoky flavor of the grill would be an amazing addition. Not to mention, cilantro lime is such a great summery flavor! I’m over here day dreaming about grilling poolside in the summer sun… Is winter over yet?!

Close up of Cilantro Lime Chicken Drumsticks in the baking dish
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Cilantro Lime Chicken Drumsticks

4.82 from 37 votes
These garlicky Cilantro Lime Chicken Drumsticks are like a blast of summer to get you through those winter blues. Also great for the grill!
Close-up of cilantro lime chicken drumsticks.
Servings 3 to 4 servings
Prep 45 minutes
Cook 45 minutes
Total 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.24)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced ($0.24)
  • 1/2 tsp cumin ($0.10)
  • 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
  • Freshly cracked pepper ($0.05)
  • 2 limes ($0.66)
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro ($0.40)
  • 6 chicken drumsticks (about 1.75 lbs.) ($3.54)
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Instructions 

  • Combine the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper (about 10-15 cranks of a mill) in a bowl.
  • Use a zester, microplane, or small-holed cheese grater to remove the zest from one of the limes. Add about 1 tsp zest and 3 Tbsp juice to the marinade.Pull the leaves from 1/4 bunch of cilantro and chop finely. Add the chopped cilantro to the marinade and stir to combine. The other 1/4 bunch of cilantro will be added after baking.
  • Pour the marinade into a gallon sized zip top bag and add the chicken drumsticks. Close the bag tightly and massage to mix and coat the chicken pieces in the marinade. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or longer if desired, turning the bag occasionally to redistribute the marinade.
  • When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Add the chicken pieces to a casserole dish so they are all in one layer, trying not to overcrowd. Pour the rest of the marinade in the bag over the chicken.
  • Bake the chicken for 40-45 minutes, basting once or twice throughout. For more browning, turn the broiler on at the end of the cooking time and broil for 2-4 minutes, or until the desired amount of browning is achieved. The total cooking time will ultimately depend on the size of your drumsticks and how closely they are packed together in the baking dish. Use a meat thermometer to make sure the meat has reached 160ºF to be sure.
  • Garnish the chicken with fresh slices of lime and more chopped cilantro leaves.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 528.6kcalCarbohydrates: 7.13gProtein: 48.6gFat: 33.57gSodium: 763.5mgFiber: 1.87g
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Video

How to Make Cilantro Lime Chicken – Step by Step Photos

Oil, garlic, pepper, chili powder in a bowl

Start the marinade by combining 2 Tbsp olive oil, 4 cloves of minced garlic, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper (about 10-15 cranks of a pepper mill).

Juiced and zested lime on a blue cutting board next to a fine holed cheese grater
Zest the lime using a zester, microplane, or a small-holed cheese grater. Add about 1 tsp of the zest to the marinade and about 3 Tbsp of the juice (you may need to cut open the second lime to get 3 Tbsp of juice).

Chopped Cilantro on a blue cutting board

Finely chop about 1/4 bunch of cilantro (leaves only). The other 1/4 bunch will be added to the chicken after baking.

Finished Cilantro Lime Marinade in a white bowl

Add the lime zest, juice, and chopped cilantro to the marinade and stir to combine. 

Marinating Chicken in a zip top bag

Add the marinade and 6 chicken drumsticks to a large zip top bag. Massage the bag to mix the marinade and coat the chicken pieces. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Drumsticks in a baking dish, ready to bake

When you’re ready to bake them, preheat the oven to 400ºF. Place the chicken pieces in a baking dish, making sure they’re in a single layer and not over crowded (the more space between the pieces, the faster they’ll cook).

Close up side view of uncooked chicken in the baking dish, remaining marinade poured over top

Pour the rest of the marinade from the bag over the chicken. I made sure to scoop up the rest of the minced garlic and chopped cilantro from the bag and pile it on top of the chicken.

Baked Cilantro Lime Chicken in the baking dish

Bake the chicken for 40-45 minutes, or until the internal temp is 160ºF (you can use a meat thermometer to be sure). For extra browning, turn on the broiler and let the chicken brown under the broiler for 2-4 minutes, or until browned to your liking. I maybe left mine under the broiler just a tad too long, but it was still delicious.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Drumsticks topped with fresh cilantro and sliced limes

Fresh cilantro has a much different flavor than cooked cilantro, so you’ll want to garnish the cooked chicken with the second half of the cilantro. Chop it fresh just before adding to the chicken. I also added thin slices from the second lime. Gorgeous!

Cilantro Lime Chicken Drumsticks in the baking dish with baking juices

The sauce in the bottom of the dish is TO-DIE-FOR, so don’t let it go to waste. Try not to let the lime slices sit in the hot liquid too long, though, the rind can add a bitter flavor.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Drumstick meal in a bowl with rice and sweet potatoes

I spooned some of that liquid from the bottom of the dish over the rice that I served with the chicken. I also served the chicken with roasted sweet potatoes. Don’t worry, that recipe is coming tomorrow! :)

Cilantro Lime Chicken Drumsticks meal prepped in square meal prep containers

I packed these bowls up for the refrigerator so we could just grab one and reheat when we’re hungry. I put two drumsticks in each container for the boyfriend, and one each for me, so we got four meals out of this dish.

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  1. This was my first recipe to try out from Budget Bytes and my boyfriend and I were SO pleased with the turnout! It was delicious!ย 

    Initially I didn’t think the marinade would be enough because I had big drumsticks but it was perfectly balanced!ย 

  2. WOW!!! The recipe for Cilantro Lime Chicken Drumsticks is out-of-this world DELICIOUS!!!!! I served the drumsticks with Easy Taco Rice and corn and black bean salsa. I’m going to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs next time. Thank you for this awesome recipe, Beth!!! :-)

    1. Yes, but you might not want to cook it quite as long. White meat can really dry out easily in the oven.

  3. This was outstanding! Added more garlic…can never have enough, and deglazed at the end with chicken broth to get the yummies from the bottom of the pan to pour over the chicken. Will def make again!

  4. Sounds like a great recipe and I want try it with some chicken thighs I have. Is it OK to use the same marinade the chicken was in though? I read you should discard raw meat marinade or boil it to kill any bacteria from the meat. Maybe with the short marinade time and hot oven it will kill any bacteria so it’s not an issue? Another option would be to make extra marinade on the side, discard the meat marinade and use the fresh marinade to cook with the chicken. What do you think?

    1. Yes, the marinade basically boils in the oven with the chicken. So the bacteria that is in the marinade is no different than the bacteria that is on the chicken. If the chicken has been cooked to where it is safe to eat, the marinade that is cooked with it is safe as well. You just don’t want to add “dirty” marinade after cooking. If it still worries you though, you can always do the double batch as you mentioned.

      1. Thanks for the response Beth. Seemed logical and that’s what I figured as well. Anyway I made this dish and it turned out great! Chicken was perfectly cooked with a nice, tasty crisp on the outside, fork tender inside and a refreshing, flavorful sauce only not enough. I paired this my no-fail rice pilaf. Next time I’ll do what another reviewer suggested and make more sauce by deglazing with chicken broth.

  5. This recipe was great!! I’m normally not a fan of citrus-flavored recipes, while my husband is a HUGE fan. I do love cilantro though– and this recipe was a huge hit! Yay for leftovers ;)

  6. I love this recipe! I make it all the time! Any suggestions for other vegetable sides? As much as I love sweet potatoes the boyfriend doesn’t! (I make some for myself anyways lol)

  7. This is delicious! I would recommend making it in a disposable tin, though, if you like caramelized sauce. My Corningware dish is toast.

  8. I made this today with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Flavor was great! I think I’ll make it with some roasted jalapenos as another comment suggested. I like heat too. Thanks, Beth!

  9. I made this for a potluck at work. Everyone loved it. It smells so good. Thank you :)

  10. This is awesome!!! Husband made this tonight along with the cumin rice and we had hardly any leftovers. Will definitely make this again!

  11. This is Great! Full of flavor and juicy. Did mine with thighs and leg combo. Roasted jalapeรฑos added a bit of heat! Thank you for such wonderful ideas that are easy on the wallet!

  12. The lime cilantro chicken recipe was good only problem I had was not having enough sauce. Next time I’ll try adding some broth