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Cilantro Lime Chicken

Updated: · Published: by · This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission. · 37 Comments

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This easy Cilantro Lime Chicken recipe is quick to make and has tons of flavor.  Perfect chicken marinade for grilling, baking, or sautéing and freezes well, too.

Cilantro Lime Chicken | This easy Cilantro Lime Chicken recipe is quick to make and has tons of flavor.  Perfect chicken marinade for grilling, baking, or sautéing and freezes well, too.| asweetpeachef.com this RECIPE

Okay, peeps.  It's time we talk about this cilantro lime chicken recipe right here.

Now, I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume you're into the whole flavorful, healthy, easy, and filling thing with your dinners.  <--- Nice!

I'm also going to assume you like cilantro and lime...

And, well, chicken, for that matter.

Assuming all those assumptions are correct, I'd like you to prepare your tastebuds for shockingly easy deliciousness.

Ingredients set out for the cilantro lime chicken marinade, including sea salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper, cilantro and limes. Also pictured are the chicken breasts which will be marinated.
Freezer bag filled with boneless skinless chicken breast and cilantro lime marinade, ready to seal and place in the refrigerator or freezer to marinate.

This Cilantro Lime Chicken recipe is my absolute favorite chicken marinade recipe.  And I have a lot of chicken marinades.

Not only does this easy cilantro lime chicken marinade result in tender, juicy chicken every time, it's also so simple to make.  It comes together very easily and freezes well, too.  I like to prepare the marinade in a 1 quart freezer bag and add the chicken to marinate.  That way, if I don't get to cooking it in time, I can toss it in the freezer and defrost at a later date.

I've baked, grilled, and sauteed with this marinade and all work perfectly.  It's a no-fail recipe, for sure.

Overhead close up of a fry pan filled with cooked cilantro lime chicken and topped with fresh lime and cilantro. Ready to eat.

How To Meal Prep Chicken

During the week, Dustin and I like to meal prep our meals for the next several days so we have easy-to-grab lunches and dinners that make it as painless as possible to eat healthy.

Because, when you have easy-to-grab, healthy and delicious food in your fridge, you EAT it.

And it just so happens that, in addition to be super yummy right when you make it, this cilantro lime chicken recipe also reheats very well.

A quick tip: If you are gonna meal prep, try dicing the chicken into bite-sized cubes and storing in these handy containers.  This makes it SO MUCH easier to reheat the chicken, which -- in turn -- makes it stay as juicy as possible.  Because we want to keep in all that cilantro lime juiciness. And dry chicken breast is no fun at all.

The more marinades you use during the week to keep up the variety, the less you'll get tired of your meals, too.  Check out these tasty chicken marinades for more easy ways to marinate and meal prep your chicken.

Large skillet filled with cooked cilantro lime marinated chicken breasts and garnished with fresh lime and cilantro, ready to eat.

What Goes With Cilantro Lime Chicken?

Okay, so we have this delicious, juicy, and flavorful chicken all ready to go.  So, what do we serve with it?  Here are some great ideas:

In summary, eat this cilantro lime chicken.  It's magical.

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Lacey Baier
This easy Cilantro Lime Chicken recipe is quick to make and has tons of flavor.  Perfect chicken marinade for grilling, baking, or sautéing and freezes well, too.
4.73 from 11 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 12 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 4
Calories 302 kcal

Equipment

*This post may contain affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.

Ingredients
  

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 limes approx. 4 tbsp. juice, juiced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro*
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions
 

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken breasts, freshly squeezed lime juice, ground cumin, sea salt, ground black pepper, cayenne, and fresh cilantro.
  • Toss to combine and coat the chicken well.
  • Cover with plastic wrap (or close Ziplock bag tightly) and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, preferably 2-3 hours, to allow the marinade to work.
  • Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with the olive oil.
  • Remove the chicken from the fridge and place in the hot oil.
  • Cook the chicken until well-browned on both sides and cooked through, about 4-6 minutes per side, or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees F internal temperature.
  • Allow to rest for 5 minute before slicing and serving.

Video

Notes

If you happen to not care for cilantro, you could easily replace with italian parsley.
Prep time includes time for marinating.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 gCalories: 302 kcalCarbohydrates: 2.1 gProtein: 53.5 gFat: 7.5 gSaturated Fat: 1.5 gCholesterol: 172.3 mgSodium: 400.9 mgFiber: 0.7 gSugar: 0.3 g
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Tag @asweetpeachef on Instagram so we can check it out.

This post contains affiliate links for products I use regularly and highly recommend. 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    4.73 from 11 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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  1. Kim Trebel

    How do I join the mailing list? I was recently placed on a low sodium diet and these marinades will be a fantastic start~ Thank you .

    Reply

  2. Erin Hawkes

    The breasts I find are very thick and take FOREVER to cook thoroughly. Do you recommend cutting in half or will that make all the juices come out?

    Reply

    • Gooey cook trap House

      5 stars
      My best advice to you, Get a pan with a little bit of oil & Cook chicken then top it with lid let it sit for about 10 mins I tell you not comes it juicy!!! Through cooked well.

      Reply

  3. Keith Isaman

    Does this have to made with breasts? My concern is that they can become dry very easily. Maybe thighs s well?

    Reply

    • Jen Moderator

      Hi Keith - Thank you for your question! I am Lacey's blog moderator and can help you with this. Lacey's general take is that chicken breasts have the highest protein content and the least amount of fat. So, health wise she'll usually choose this cut. But this recipe will certainly work with any cut of the chicken depending on your preference. Just keep in mind that the cooking time and nutrition facts will change slightly. I hope this helps! Be sure to comment if you make this recipe and how it goes : ) Jen

      Reply

  4. Gabriela Jimenez

    I have made this many time through out the last two years. It’s a big hit! I wonder if I’d get the same results in a slow cooker?

    If anyone has tried it let me know how, please. I’m getting super busy with school and I need more slow cooker meals.

    TIA 🙂

    Reply

    • Jessica Brown

      Hi! I don't have a slow cooker, but this recipe works great in my InstantPot. I bet it would work wonderfully in a slow cooker as well.

      Reply

  5. Kareem Bazali

    Hoping to find out what the estimated weight of each chicken breast should be?? Is there just a total weight I need to use for 4 or serving or is there a specific weight for each breast? Is it weighed prior or post cook?

    Reply

  6. Stephanie M

    I can’t wait to make this!! Would this be considered Whole30 compliant? Thanks!!!

    Reply

  7. Brandon Saint-Denis

    how is the cholesterol sky high at 57% or 172mg? seems really really bad

    Reply

  8. Dawn Howard

    5 stars
    I baked the chicken in an air fryer! Came out perfect! 390* for 20 min on roast setting

    Reply

  9. Leigh

    Great recipe - the flavor was great and we thought it would be fantastic a cauliflower tortilla taco I wonder is there a conversion to this recipe for a slow cooker? so we can get the great flavor and the shredded chicken??

    Reply

    • Rachael

      5 stars
      To answer your question, I did this in the crock pot tonight and it was awesome!! I added a couple cloves of garlic. Other than that didn’t change the recipe just dumped it all in the crock pot.

      Reply

    • Gabriela Jimenez

      I just posted the same question. 🙂

      Reply

  10. don Bray

    Not sure 4-6 minutes preside is enough time to cook the chicken throughly !

    Reply

    • southernchik

      totally not. Was wonderful though. I will bake next time

      Reply

  11. Melissa

    5 stars
    This recipe is amazing!

    Reply