The sun is shining, Cinco de Mayo is next week, and I’m over here craving bright fresh flavors, like cilantro and lime. Okay fine, so I’m actually craving margaritas, but my body doesn’t let me drink lots of margaritas anymore so I’m going to get those flavors via chicken instead. This Easy Cilantro Lime Chicken is a faster and easier version of an old recipe of mine, Cilantro Lime Chicken Drumsticks, which are baked in the oven. The skillet is so much faster and easier, and the boneless thighs I used are always tender and juicy. There are definitely a few options with this recipe, so make sure you read on to find out more!
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Shown with Quick Seasoned Black Beans and Easy Taco Rice.
Can I Use Chicken Breast?
Yes, you can make this with boneless, skinless chicken breast. Chicken breasts are a little more finicky, though, so you’ll need to do an extra step. Since chicken breasts dry out faster, make sure to pound your chicken breasts out to an even thickness, no more than 3/4″ thick before cooking. This will ensure that the chicken can cook all the way through quickly, without drying out.
Can I Use Bone-In Chicken?
I don’t suggest bone-in chicken for this quick skillet method, since bone-in chicken takes longer to cook through. Instead, see my Cilantro Lime Chicken Drumsticks recipe (you can use drumsticks or thighs), which is baked in the oven.
Can I Cook the Cilantro Lime Chicken on a Grill?
Yes. Marinate the chicken as usual, then cook on the grill, until well browned and cooked through on each side. The open flame will give this chicken even more depth of flavor.
What to Serve with Cilantro Lime Chicken
My favorite side dish for Cilantro Lime Chicken is Cowboy Caviar, but it also goes great with Quick Seasoned Black Beans and Taco Rice, Cumin Lime Coleslaw, Arroz Verde (Green Rice), Sweet Corn Salsa, Pico de Gallo, or Warm Corn and Avocado Salad. You could also chop up the chicken and use it to fill tacos, or slice it and use it to top your favorite salad!
Easy Cilantro Lime Chicken
Servings 6 one thigh eachIngredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced ($0.32)
- 1/2 tsp cumin ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- freshly cracked pepper ($0.05)
- 2 limes, divided ($0.40)
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, divided ($0.40)
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (1.5 to 1.75 lbs. total) ($5.11)
Instructions
- Combine the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper (about 10 cranks of a pepper mill) in a small bowl.
- Zest one of the limes and then squeeze the juice. You’ll need 2-3 Tbsp juice, so if needed, juice half of the second lime. Cut the remaining lime into wedges to garnish the chicken once cooked. Roughly chop the cilantro.
- Add 1 tsp of the lime zest, 2-3 Tbsp of the lime juice, and half of the chopped cilantro to the marinade. Stir to combine. (The remaining cilantro will be added fresh after cooking the chicken.)
- Place the chicken thighs in a shallow dish or a large zip top bag. Add the marinade and toss the chicken to coat. Allow the chicken to marinate for 30 minutes or up to 8 hours (refrigerated), turning it once or twice as it marinates.
- When ready to cook the chicken, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until well browned and cooked through. My chicken had enough of an oil coating from the marinade that I did not need to add any extra to the skillet.
- Top the cooked chicken with more fresh cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Serve with any extra lime wedges.
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Equipment
- Grater
- Small Roasting Pan
- Stainless Steel Pots and Pans
Nutrition
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Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Cilantro Lime Chicken – Step by Step Photos
Begin the cilantro lime 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 cranks of a pepper mill) in a small bowl.
Zest and juice one of the limes. You’ll need 2-3 Tbsp of lime juice, so if needed, juice half of the second lime. Cut any remaining lime into wedges to serve with the cooked chicken. Roughly chop 1/2 bunch cilantro. Half of the cilantro will go into the marinade, the other half will be used to top the cooked chicken.
Add half of the chopped cilantro, 1 tsp lime zest, and 2-3 Tbsp of lime juice (depending on how much your lime yielded) to the marinade. Stir to combine.
Add six boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1.5 to 1.75 pounds total) to a shallow dish or large zip top bag. Add the marinade and toss the chicken to coat. Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes (or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator), turning the chicken once or twice as it marinates.
When you’re ready to cook the chicken, heat a large skillet over medium-high. You want the skillet to be nice and hot so the chicken browns and cooks quickly. If the heat is too low or the chicken is too crowded, it will get soupy and will not brown, so if needed, cook in two batches. Cook on each side for about 5 minutes, or until it’s browned and cooked through.
Add the remaining chopped cilantro to the cooked chicken.
Squeeze fresh lime over the finished chicken or serve with lime wedges so each person can squeeze their own.
That fresh pop of lime is 👌.
This meal with Easy Cilantro Lime Chicken, Quick Seasoned Black Beans, and Easy Taco Rice meal preps very well, too!
Delicious!! I was asked to make it again and will do it. I did add some onion to the marinade.
Delicious, simple dinner. I made this tonight and served it with green beans. It was a big hit.
Great flavor, used chicken breast strips instead and probably will add a dash more cumin next time(just a personal flavor preference). Served with basmati and a quick tomato salad.
This was really good. I served it with riced cauliflower and corn. Wondering what other people serve it with?
Phenomenal recipe !!!
I WILL TRY . HOPE ITS DELICIOUS
Perfect for my low carb diet. I need to make dishes without garlic for my daughter and this recipe with its bold flavors tastes great even without the garlic! Thank you, Beth!
This was a definite win at our house last night! So good and tender!
My husband wants me to make this every week. I finish the chicken in the oven to give it a nice crisp. I just got 8 pieces of chicken and it comes to about $13! I add more lime at the end and serve with cilantro lime jasmine rice.
Great and easy to make. will definitely do this one again. served with basmati and a creamy cilantro cold sauce….
Such a good marinade! Sometimes I also add a chipotle pepper in adobo to the marinade and blend it all up before adding my marinade to the chicken. So good! The leftovers are great in tacos, enchiladas, and quesadillas
We tried this recipe and it was very good. We did not have a lime but had a lemon which worked well also. I also made a sauce of the pan drippings with half tsp of chicken bullion and some thickening. It went well with the chicken and cilantro. We will definitely make it again.
This is my favourite go-to chicken recipe for summer. I make it at least twice a month during the summer months and it is best if you can barbecue it instead of pan cooking it. The chicken thighs are moist and juicy and very flavourful. I have made this recipe for cookouts and everyone loves it.
Very good and so tender, the right combination of flavors, not dry at all. This is a keeper.
Isn’t a marinade supposed to be more liquid than this? Like enough to cover the bottom half of the chicken? I have a picture of my attempt at the marinade, but can’t really post it in this comment.
Even 1 1/2 limes didn’t give me 2 Tbsp of juice, but maybe it got close?
As long as the chicken is coated in the marinade, it will be fine. It doesn’t have to be super liquidy. :) The amount of juice that comes out of limes can vary depending on their freshness and size.
Tip: when you’re done frying the chicken, pour the remaining marinade in and use it to deglaze the browned bits from the pan. (Bring to a safe temperature since it was in contact with raw chicken.) Then add a small splash of white wine vinegar and salt to taste. Zing!! Great sauce to spoon on right before serving!
This is incredibly dangerous. Heating the leftover marinade will kill the bacteria from the raw chicken, but it will not remove the waste products of those bacteria.
Nah it’ll be fine. Been doing this for years and, as a side note, been a scientist for over a decade as well… then again I grew up in the 90s so I still eat raw brownie dough. Safe for 35+ years now.
Can I bake this instead of frying?
Baking definitely turns out differently, but you can reference this recipe which is similar but baked. :)
I was going to make this last night, but I was really tired, so I put the chicken in the marinade and put it in the fridge, then made pizza. Tonight, after the chicken had marinated for 24 hours I made it. Wow, one of the best chicken dishes I’ve ever had, so much flavor. I wish I’d used more chicken, next time I will.
Followed the recipe exactly. It was amazing, juicy and flavorful. Even my picky toddler loved
It and said “mommy makes best dinner!” I’ll add this to our monthly rotation. Thanks for another great meal, Beth!
I’m looking forward to trying this – it sounds delicious! I have cilantro growing in my herb garden, but I have no idea gow much “half a bunch” is. Any estimate on the number of leaves, the weight, or maybe how many tablespoons once chopped?
Luckily it’s super flexible! I would say maybe a half cup packed once chopped. :)
I have made this recipe several times, and it’s always a hit! For those not wanting to use wine, I’ve found replacing it with 3/4 cup chicken broth works well. It doesn’t reduce quite as much, but it still produces delicious results!
I think this comment is misplaced.
This was absolutely delicious! We used it as a filling for tacos and they were awesome. Our new favorite chicken recipe. And extra points for being super quick & easy to make!
We’ve made this twice. Once with thighs and once with breasts. AMAZING. Thank you.
My husband who’s not too fond of chicken had seconds (& I only marinated about 30 mins)!
Made this with Quick Seasoned Black Beans and Easy Taco Rice, and it knocked my socks off.
Hi! I absolutely loved this recipe! I was wondering if I have permission to share the picture of the food, and add your link to this recipe on my social media account? I will of course give you all the credit!!:)
Yes, as long as it’s linked/cited that is fine. Thank you so much for asking first! :)
Made this for dinner tonight. Followed exactly, but used BBQ grill instead. Turned out great! Versatile with many sides. We did Spanish rice and chili. Yum yum!
Do you have slow cooker recommendations for this. I’d love to triple the recipe ’cause my family can’t get enough of it!
Hmm, I haven’t tried anything like this in the slow cooker, so I’d need to test that out before offering a recommendation.
Any tips on making this with bone in chicken thighs? They’re always such a great price at my grocery store and I have a ton!
Since bone-in chicken takes a bit longer to cook, you’ll probably want to follow this oven recipe instead (the recipe uses drumsticks, but it should be pretty much the same for thighs).
I’d love to double or triple this recipe – do you have a slow cooker version? My family couldn’t get enough of these thighs!
Great recipe! I used chicken breasts because that is what I had on hand. Grilled them not wanting to make a mess on the stove. They were delicious! We’ll be doing this again. Thank you.
Thank you so much for your blog. Your recipes are always spot in delicious, bursting with flavor and don’t break the bank or schedule.
This turned out so good! I made it with chicken breast sliced into thin strips and cooked at 400F for 20 m in the oven. Didn’t have fresh cilantro so I used coriander. Definitely going on the regular rotation. Super easy and was a great way to use up a bunch of limes I had no use for.
Loved this recipe! It is now my husband’s number one request. Leftovers were great cold on a hot summer evening too. Bonus!
I made this following the recipe exactly. It was delicious however I would definitely choose to do it with chicken breasts and not thighs next time as they’re more difficult for me to work with.
My family loved this and I’ve already made it twice. I used chicken breasts with no problems. Leftovers the next day we’re great cold, sliced, and mixed with a salad. The second time I made this I had so much cilantro left over that I’ve tried making the marinade and freezing it in cubes. I’m hoping to just add the marinade cubes to chicken and lay it marinate while at work.
Can you cook in oven
You certainly could, or you can try this recipe here too Cilantro Lime Chicken Drumsticks
I blended the marinade mixture, and put it on the grill. It was delicious!
The chicken was so juicy and flavorful. I made it with chicken breasts and it turned out great. I also did the taco rice and seasoned black beans and loved the combination. Very easy, fool proof, simple ingredients and so recommended.
Me too. I meal prepped this and it was delicious everyday.
This chicken was really good! I made your Chipotle Butternut Squash and Quinoa Salad to go with it, and it was the perfect combination!
I made this last night with chicken breasts and it turned out great. It is a very simple recipe with nice flavors. Definitely use fresh lime (not store bought lime juice) to get that extra acidic kick.
Followed this recipe almost exactly, all I did differently was added an extra tablespoon of olive oil for the marinade and HOLY CRACK! Marinated the chicken thighs for two hours. Pan fried… Outstanding!!! I had this for dinner last night and it was so good I woke up thinking about it! I can’t wait to make it for a larger group!
PS – was searching for a chicken thigh recipe that would go well with my green sauce (everything goes well with this green sauce, but I needed something new!) This recipe was perfect. I served this cilantro lime chicken with jasmine rice *over a bed of fresh arugula + the green sauce (Green Sauce; good on EVERYTHING – 1/2 cup mayo, 1 cup chopt cilantro, 2-3 seeded jalapeños, 1 tsp lime juice, 1 tsp diced garlic, 1/4 tsp salt – throw it all in a blending apparatus for 4-7minz. Add 1-2 tbsps olive oil and blend another minute but no longer bc it’ll ruin the olive oil.)
This site has quickly become my favorite for solid, affordable recipes and ideas, thank you so much!!
Haven’t made it yet but like to make an extra batch to freeze. Would you freeze the raw thighs with marinade and cook after thawing? Or cook, cool and then freeze??
You can do it either way!
I didn’t use any cumin because I didn’t realize I was out until I already started prepping, but this came out sooooo good. My picky kids even ate every bite. I served it with easy Mexican rice and some seasoned black beans. Adding this to our regular weekly menu!
So yummy! I did this with a pound of chicken tenders to use in southwestern bowls. I followed all the ingredients to a T except I used spicy Slap Ya Mama (Louisiana seasoning blend) instead of salt because I like a little kick. I marinated them for about ninety minutes then cooked on the stove top. I covered them towards the end and turned the heat off. They came out juicy, lime-y And delicious. I’ll definitely be using this marinade again!
LOL “I’m actually craving a margarita.”
I did it exactly like the recipe and it was super bland.
So GOOD! This was my first time ever making chicken thighs, actually. The leftovers for lunch salads are so much better than leftover chicken breast. Another great recipe, thank you!!!
Tangy, easily prepped chicken … I think, in my case, it would have benefitted from being grilled instead of pan fried, and that I wish I hadn’t used “Italian Cilantro” (as opposed to the nationality of the regular stuff). Still really satisfying though :) Made it with the easy taco rice as suggested. I think it would work well with the pineapple black bean salsa from the jerk chicken recipe as well for even more juicy tang!
One of my fav BB recipes to date! I marinated it for several hours and then cooked the chicken in my pressure cooker and it was sooo flavorful and succulent. My toddlers have been super picky lately and they ate a second serving of this! There is something amazing about lime & cilantro together. Thank you!
This was delicious and easy to make. I will definitely make it again!
My husband said this was one of his favorite chicken recipes! In case it is helpful to others – I doubled the marinade and used 3 large chicken breasts, marinated for 30 minutes because we were short on time. Topped with lots of extra cilantro and lime. Love your recipes, thank you!
I made this today and it was excellent. I cut 2 large chicken breasts in half to get 4 thinner pieces and marinated it over night (1.5 pounds of chicken). I then decided to try out my new air fryer (Phillips XXL model) and cooked it at 350 degrees for 22 minutes, flipping it half way on a grill pan made for the fryer. It came out perfect and was a total success! I then sliced it for tacos and served it with your cilantro lime rice. This is a keeper for sure!
Love hearing your adaptations for the air fryer! We get a lot of questions so this will come in handy. Thanks Natalie!
Can chicken breasts be subbed for thighs? Can lemon juice be subbed for limes?
Yes you can certainly swap breasts for thighs. Lemons will give it a bit of a different flavor but you can certainly try it.
I loved this recipe, my bf did too. Its delicious and easy to make. I let my chicken maranite about an 1 hour 30 mins. It was very taste and juicy. I want more..lol
Sounds like you have a new favorite!
Excellent and so easy to prepare. Great flavor!
Thank you Denise!
AMAZING and SO delicious! I wish I could give your recipe 10 stars. My partner and I absolutely loved it. He didn’t mince the garlic but added in a couple extra cloves and chopped it roughly…we love the taste and it didn’t overwhelm the cilantro and lime. Thanks so much, Beth!
I made this with my boyfriend and added an extra lime to the marinade and extra garlic(just because we both love garlic and I love lime).I also added cayenne pepper and cooked the chicken with onions then made tacos with it topped with pico de gallo and fresh cilantro. It was so amazing and my boyfriend wouldn’t shut up about it for two days! Thanks for posting the recipe!!!
Simple preparation yet the dish tastes absolutely delicious. Thanks!
Wow! I made this recipe with boneless chicken breasts. Lots of flavor, little kick and oh the freshness! Yum. Can’t wait to make this again.
Can you substitute for dried cliantro? And if so, what would be the conversion from fresh?
No, you definitely want to use fresh for this one. Fresh cilantro tastes completely different than dried cilantro, and you really need that fresh punch for this recipe.
Quick, refreshing and very tasty. I used chicken breasts cut up into big chunks and cooked them med-high to colour, then med heat; for approx 10-15 min extra. I used the full lime zest and juice, as a smaller one, in with the marinade and no extra after. Good and not overpowering. loved the cilantro in the marinade and fresh after. Great dish
About how much cilantro is in the marinade? I have it in my garden, so I’m not sure what equals a “bunch.”
Probably about 3/4 cup, chopped and loosely packed.
This was so easy and SO delicious! Thank you, Beth!
This was delicious!
I made this today and marinaded for about 6 hours and then grilled it on charcoal and it was very good. It has such basic ingredients but turned out with amazing flavor. This one will definitely go into my meal rotation.
I added this recipe to my meal plan for last week, but was foiled when I got to the grocery store to find it completely wiped clean of cilantro! (There was a sale, I was too late haha) I was trying to figure out a substitute herb, but ended up just adding a teaspoon or so of chili powder to make a chili lime chicken. It was delicious! I served it with your seasoned black beans and rice. Will definitely make it again, hopefully next time with the cilantro!
Recipe came out delicious. Was easy to cook and the ingredients usually we have in the refrigerator. I combined white white rice lentils and.avocado salad,
Would boneless skinless chicken breasts work? And on the BBQ?
Thank you.
Look just above the recipe in the post. I answer both of those questions. :)
I just made the baked cilantro lime chicken with bone-in chicken thighs last week! I paired it with taco rice and roasted sweet potatoes, it was delicious! I’m excited about this version though, it seems even easier and I like the idea of boneless. Adding this to my meal plan for the week!
I found your blog by chance. It’s amazing great effort. Thank you so much.