This Cilantro Lime Chicken recipe will quickly become one of your favorite dinners! Made with just a handful of inexpensive ingredients, this versatile recipe is perfect for your weekly rotation.

Cilantro Lime Chicken

For those of us who love cilantro we know that its true soulmate is lime. This simple, bright, and herbaceous flavor combination has been a staple in cooking all over the world for a very long time! You’ll fall in love with this dish after first bite.

There are so many wonderful ways to enjoy this recipe! Of course, you can serve it as a main with you favorite sides. You can also dice it up and toss it into a salad, shred it for tacos, burritos, or sandwiches.

overhead shot of ingredients needed to make cilantro lime chicken

Ingredients for Cilantro Lime Chicken

Can you believe this ingredient list is so small? Big flavor doesn’t always mean spending an eternity at the grocery store! Keep scrolling for the full recipe and ingredient amounts.

Lime juice – Fresh lime juice really makes all the difference here.
Cilantro – Make sure you also get fresh cilantro. It’s the star of the show!
Red pepper flakes – You can add as much, as little, or none at all if you prefer.
Seasoning – Salt, pepper, cumin and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Chicken – I used boneless skinless breast for this recipe, but you can use this for any cut of chicken you prefer. Even a full chicken will work. Please keep in mind that cooking times will vary if you use different cuts.
Olive oil – You can also use avocado, peanut, safflower, or sunflower oils.

How To Make Cilantro Lime Chicken

Marinate your chicken: Combine the olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, minced garlic, cumin, chili flakes, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss so that each piece is coated. Let the chicken marinate fo 30 minutes – 2 hours.
Cook the chicken: Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with the olive oil. Cook the chicken until well-browned on both sides and cooked through, about 6 minutes per side, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F.
Serve: Allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Can I Make Cilantro Lime Chicken on a Grill?

Yes! It will be so delicious. Set the grill to medium high, cover with a lid, and let it warm up for 5-10 minutes. Once it’s nice and hot, add the chicken and cook for about 6 minutes per side, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165F.

overhead shot of sliced up cilantro lime chicken with cowboy salsa in a white plate

Can I Bake This Chicken?

Absolutely. Just follow my instructions for perfect baked chicken and you’re done.

Tips For Making The Best Cilantro Lime Chicken

Give your chicken at least 30 minutes to soak up that awesome marinade. If you want, you can let it marinate overnight, or prep it in the morning and let it marinate until you get home from work.
If you like something spicier a diced pepper, like habanero for example, will make this dish sizzle.
Get yourself and instant read thermometer so you can have perfectly juicy chicken every time.
Use fresh lime juice and cilantro! This will make a huge difference with those flavors in your chicken.
Make sure you let your chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing. This will ensure all the juices stay inside the meat.

What Can I Serve with Cilantro Lime Chicken?

You can serve this awesome recipe with pretty much anything! Here are a few of my favorites:

How Do You Store Leftovers?

Store this chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 4 days.

Freezing

This cilantro lime chicken is a simple but flavorful meal to have on hand in the freezer.

Whisk marinade together as instructed above. Add chicken breast and marinade to a freezer bag. Seal and put baggie in the freezer and freeze up to 6 months. When you want to enjoy this special meal, just thaw in the fridge overnight and cook the next day as directed.