Recipe for Cilantro and Lime Grilled Chicken

This Grilled Chicken Recipe with Cilantro and Lime boasts an abundance of zesty goodness and is effortlessly prepared with just a handful of simple ingredients! It’s a delightful, healthy dish that works wonderfully in tacos, atop salads, or served with rice.

Attention all cilantro enthusiasts! This cilantro lime grilled chicken recipe is a well-loved summer classic in our household. It features fresh, lively flavors that are not only delicious but also nutritious and filling. This chicken is incredibly adaptable, and we frequently enjoy it in tacos, on salads, or over rice in combination with black bean and corn salad. The marinade is incredibly easy to whip up and it not only enhances shrimp or fish but also serves as an excellent dressing for salads!

Why You’ll Adore This Recipe

• Extremely tasty, adaptable, and quick to prepare.
• Comprises only a few basic ingredients that you likely already have at home!
• This marinade is also fantastic on steak, fish, or shrimp and doubles as a salad dressing.
• Perfect for weekly meal prep, served over rice, in tacos, burrito bowls, or atop a salad.

Ingredients You Will Require

• chicken – this recipe uses 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts, but you can also opt for boneless chicken thighs (bone-in is fine as well) or enjoy chicken wings and drumsticks.
• olive oil – this facilitates the infusion of flavors into the chicken while preventing it from sticking to the grill. I prefer a quality olive oil that’s affordable, just ensure it’s cold-pressed and organic for maximum flavor.
• lime juice – adds a lively, fresh taste and you’ll need about 3 limes along with some zest. Be sure to use fresh lime juice as bottled versions can taste bitter.
• garlic – feel free to use fresh chopped garlic cloves or minced garlic from a jar.
• honey – contributes a hint of sweetness without resorting to refined sugar. Maple syrup or any natural sweetener could be substituted.
• fresh cilantro – I adore the flavor of cilantro, so I tend to be quite generous with it, though if you’re not fond of this herb, feel free to use chopped parsley or basil instead.
• salt + black pepper – essential for seasoning the chicken and enhancing its flavor.

Steps to Create Cilantro Lime Chicken

1. Prepare the marinade. In a small bowl or mason jar, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, garlic, honey, fresh cilantro, salt, and pepper until thoroughly mixed. You could also easily make this marinade in a food processor and avoid chopping the cilantro.
2. Get the chicken ready. Place the chicken in a shallow dish or a 1-gallon sealable bag and pour most of the cilantro lime marinade over it. I always recommend saving a little of the sauce to brush onto the chicken while grilling!
3. Marinate! Place the chicken in the refrigerator and let it marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes, but no longer than 2 hours. Lime is very acidic and can begin to alter the chicken’s texture if marinated too long. When ready to grill, take the chicken out of the dish or bag, let any excess marinade drip off, and discard the leftover marinade.
4. Grill and enjoy. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium to medium-high heat and brush it with oil to prevent sticking. Grill the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, or until thoroughly cooked and no longer pink, brushing the reserved marinade over it as it grills. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees using an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the grill and allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Useful Tips and Tricks

• Flatten the chicken breasts using a meat mallet so they’re all of an even thickness, ensuring uniform cooking.
• Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes but don’t go beyond 2 hours—the acidity from the lime juice can deteriorate the chicken’s texture, resulting in a mushy feel.
• Be sure to add a bit of oil to the grill or grill pan for the chicken not to stick.
• If you prefer not to grill the chicken, you can bake it in the oven at 400 degrees F for 22 to 28 minutes or until it’s thoroughly cooked.
• The chicken should hit an internal temperature of 165 degrees as measured by a meat thermometer to ensure it’s well-cooked but not dry.
• Set aside some marinade (before it comes into contact with the chicken) to brush on during grilling for extra flavor.
• This cilantro lime marinade would also make a fantastic salad dressing!

Serving Suggestions

Storage and Preparation

To Store: Leftover cilantro lime chicken can be kept in a sealed, airtight container for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. I love tossing leftovers into my salads or burrito bowls for convenient lunches!

To Freeze: You can freeze these chicken breasts for up to 4 months and defrost them in the fridge overnight before reheating. If you’re using chicken that has already been frozen and thawed, I do not recommend refreezing it.

Additional Chicken Recipes

I hope you all savor this Cilantro Lime Chicken recipe! If it’s as much to your liking as it is to ours, please leave ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny! I love seeing all your delightful recreations!