Recipe for Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken

This Grilled Chicken Recipe with Cilantro and Lime is brimming with deliciously zesty flavor and can be easily prepared with just a handful of ingredients! A tasty, nutritious dish you can enjoy in tacos, atop salads, or alongside rice.

Attention cilantro enthusiasts! This cilantro lime grilled chicken dish is a delicious go-to for summer at our place. It features fresh, lively flavors that not only taste fantastic but also deliver health benefits and satisfaction. This chicken is highly adaptable, and we enjoy serving it in tacos, on salads, or over rice with a black bean and corn salad. The marinade is incredibly easy to whip up and tastes amazing on shrimp or fish, plus it doubles as a fantastic salad dressing!

Reasons to Love this Recipe

• Incredibly flavorful, adaptable, and simple to prepare.
• Just a few basic ingredients that you likely already have in your pantry!
• This marinade is also delicious on steak, fish or shrimp, and works well as a dressing for salads.
• Perfect for weekly meal preparation served over rice, in tacos, burrito bowls, or on salads.

Ingredients Required

• chicken – this recipe uses 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts, but you can also opt for boneless chicken thighs (bone-in is fine too) or even chicken wings and drumsticks.
• olive oil – this helps to immerse the flavors into the chicken and stops it from sticking to the grill. I prefer a decent olive oil that is affordable, just be sure it’s cold-pressed and organic to achieve the best flavor.
• lime juice – this contributes a bright, refreshing flavor and you’ll need about 3 limes along with some zest. Be sure to use fresh lime juice as bottled versions may taste bitter.
• garlic – you can use fresh, minced garlic cloves or jarred minced garlic.
• honey – adds a hint of sweetness without refined sugars. Maple syrup or other natural sweeteners can also be used.
• fresh cilantro – I have a strong affinity for cilantro, so I use a generous amount, but if you’re not fond of this herb, feel free to substitute with chopped parsley or even basil.
• salt + black pepper – essential for seasoning the chicken and enhancing flavor.

Steps to Prepare Cilantro Lime Chicken

1. Create the marinade. In a small bowl or mason jar, combine the olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, garlic, honey, fresh cilantro, salt, and pepper, whisking until mixed. You can also easily prepare this chicken marinade in a food processor to skip manual chopping of the cilantro.
2. Arrange chicken. Put chicken in a shallow dish or a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag, and pour the majority of the cilantro lime marinade over the chicken. I recommend saving a bit of the marinade to brush on the chicken later while grilling!
3. Marinate! Store the chicken in the fridge and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes but no longer than 2 hours. Since lime is highly acidic, it can begin to alter the chicken’s texture if left too long. When you’re ready to grill, take the chicken out of the dish or bag, shake off any excess, and discard the leftover marinade.
4. Grill and serve. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium to medium-high heat and brush it with oil to avoid sticking. Grill the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, or until thoroughly cooked and no longer pink, brushing with the reserved marinade as it cooks. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 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

• Use a meat mallet to even out the thickness of the chicken breasts to ensure even cooking.
• Marinate the chicken for a minimum of 30 minutes, but do not exceed 2 hours, as the acidity from the lime juice can deteriorate the chicken’s texture, leading to a mushy result.
• Ensure to add a bit of oil to the grill or grill pan to prevent sticking.
• If grilling isn’t preferred, you can bake the chicken at 400 degrees F for 22 to 28 minutes or until fully cooked.
• Check that the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees using a meat thermometer to confirm it’s fully cooked without being dry.
• Save a little marinade (before it contacts the chicken) to brush on the chicken while grilling for added flavor.
• This cilantro lime marinade makes an excellent dressing for salads as well!

Serving Suggestions

Preparation and Storage Methods

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

To Freeze: You can also freeze these chicken breasts for up to 4 months and then defrost in the refrigerator overnight prior to reheating. If you are utilizing chicken that has already been frozen and thawed, I do not recommend freezing again.

Additional Chicken Recipes

I hope you all savor this Cilantro Lime Chicken recipe! If you enjoy it as much as we do, please leave ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below and remember to tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny! I love seeing all your tasty recreations!