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5 Secrets to 20 Minute Dinners!
Tips, tricks, and recipes for dinner in a hurry!
Cilantro Lime Chicken Recipe
Zesty, moist, juicy baked chicken with mouthwatering marinade is a sure-fire way to tantalize your palate and appetite.
This is one my favorite Mexican recipes and I have the perfect baked cilantro lime chicken recipe for you.
This recipe couldn’t be any easier as simple ingredients are all you need. Aromatic cilantro, fresh lime juice, garlic, chili flakes bring out the explosive flavors of the chicken.
Serve the chicken with side dishes such as Cilantro Lime Rice, Tequila Lime Shrimp or make taco salad with the chicken.
You can also serve with a simple sauteed broccoli.
How to Make Cilantro Lime Chicken?
To make this easy recipe, first you marinate the chicken for 15 minutes.
Next, pan-fry the chicken in a skillet for a few minutes before baking it for 20 minutes. It’s that easy!
Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade
The marinade is the soul of this dish. It calls for everyday ingredients that you already have in your pantry:
- Olive oil. This will keep the chicken moist and juicy.
- Garlic.
- Cilantro, stems and leaves.
- Lime juice.
- Red chili flakes.
- Salt.
Cooking Tips
To make sure that you have the best results, follow the tips below:
- Use chicken thighs, which are more tender, moist and juicy. Buy bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs and debone it. Click on this post to learn how to debone chicken thighs, with video guide.
- You can use skinless and boneless chicken breasts or chicken thighs, if you like.
- Use freshly squeezed lime juice if you can. You will love the fresh and citrusy aroma from the lime juice.
- Use lots of cilantro stems and some cilantro leaves as there is a lot of flavors in the stems.
- Pan-fry the chicken on a skillet first, to make sure that the skin is browned and crispy before baking the chicken in the oven. This extra step turns your cilantro lime chicken from good to exquisite.
- After baking, spoon the marinade over the chicken to make it extra flavorful and moist.
How Many Calories per Serving?
This recipe is only 404 calories per serving.
What Dishes to Serve with This Recipe?
Serve this dish as is or with rice and other side dishes. For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
Cilantro Lime Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. skin-on deboned chicken thighs
- lime wedges (for garnishing)
- chopped cilantro (for garnishing)
Marinade:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 4 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro stems and leaves
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes or more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Whisk all the Marinade ingredients together in a big bowl, mix well. Add the chicken into the Marinade, stir to coat well. Marinate for 15 minutes, but best for 2 hours.
- Heat up a skillet and pan-fry the chicken with the skin-side down until slightly browned. Turn over and pan-fry the other side of the chicken until slightly browned.
- Spoon the leftover Marinade on top of the chicken before baking. Bake the chicken for 20 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken and the Marinade residual to a serving platter (discard the oil), squirt some fresh lime juice, garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.
Love this recipe! We make it once a week!
I have been making this recipe for the last few years and it is always a hit. I use skinless chicken breast, since that is what I buy. I use korean red pepper and marinate for at least 2 hours. Going to go marinate some shortly for tonights dinner…however just realized I am out of olive oil ?. Will make do with what I have. Also using cilantro from my mom’s garden. Going to be delicious!
Hi Kim – thanks for your sweet comment. I am so happy that my cilantro lime chicken is your favorite. :)
Amazing and everyone loved it. I added honey to tame the heat and added a jalapeno. We grilled them. Used thighs and grilled them.
Awesome, sounds amazing!
Are there any side dishes that some one whos made this could recommend to go with it? Really want to try…
Hi Tiffany, you can make all sorts of side dishes to go with it. Check them out: https://rasamalaysia.com/tag/side-dish/
I tried this in my air fryer tonight! It was amazing and My 10 yr old loved it!
I have made this numerous times and my whole family loves it! I have tried both skinless thighs and breasts, but the thighs turn out better, in my opinion. We grill it and serve it in tacos with rice, beans, charred corn, and other taco fixings, but it’s almost better just on its own. I made it for a group and got rave reviews from all. It’s now one of my go to recipes! Thanks!
Made this last night according to the recipe, except I used bone-in thighs. What a delight! Easy and delish. Accompanied with the Skillet Chili Lime Corn recipe. What a great evening paired with a crisp rosé.
Okay are you supposed to add the marinade to the pan before you pan fry, or before you put it in the oven??
My question as well ?
I’m confused about marinade. Do I add all the marinade to the skillet with the chicken?
Yes, you do.
I love this recipe! I’m making it today for my mother and she can’t have the red pepper flakes, will not adding it ruin the dish?
It’s fine but it will be plain.
I made this yesterday for lunch for a few friends and they all LOVED IT, and so did I!! I used skinless chicken breasts so didn’t pan fry it, I directly popped it in the oven for 20 min at 375 F and then broiled it for a couple of minutes. Served it with quinoa and baked Asparagus. It was sooooooooo tasty! I again made it for dinner for my husband and he loved it, too!
Thank you so much for the absolutely healthy and delicious recipe!
*I just used 1&half tbsp of olive oil. It still was yummy!
Hi Deepika, I am so happy that you liked my cilantro lime chicken. Do try out more recipes from me.