This is truly the most delicious cilantro lime chicken marinade. Made with basic ingredients like olive oil, zesty lime, lots of fresh cilantro, garlic, and spices. Marinate for as little as 15 minutes or up to 1 day– making cilantro lime chicken has never been easier or more flavorful!
Today marks the end of flavorless and bland chicken. From the 2020 archives, this slightly updated recipe vastly improves the flavor and produces a better-than-ever cilantro lime chicken marinade. You see, I make A LOT of cilantro lime chicken; for tacos or fajitas, stuffed in quesadillas, served with coconut rice (and mango salsa!!), in burrito bowls, or using chicken wings instead of chicken breasts or thighs.
Why You'll Love This Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade
- Made with minimal, fresh ingredients
- Incredibly flavorful
- Easily prep ahead of time and cook later (or place in the freezer)
- Versatile– pair with rice and mango salsa, for tacos or fajitas
- Can be grilled, slow cooked, baked in the oven or sautéed
- Always a crowd pleaser!
9 Simple Ingredients For Cilantro Chicken
- Chicken: You need 3-4 medium-sized boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1 ½ pounds totals, pounded or cut into even thickness. You can also use chicken thighs.
- Olive Oil: The base for the marinade. You don't need much, just 3 Tablespoons.
- Lime Zest & Juice: Using lime zest and juice helps tenderize the chicken.
- Cilantro: Using fresh cilantro not only adds incredible flavor, it also brightens up the marinade.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic for the most flavor. In a pinch, you can use garlic powder, about 1 teaspoon.
- Spices: We're using staple spices like salt, pepper, and cumin for the best flavor.
Overview: How To Make Cilantro Lime Chicken
Making cilantro lime chicken is straightforward but let's walk through it. The full printable recipe is below.
- Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Reserve ⅓ cup of the marinade, and pour the rest into a shallow dish/container or large zipped-top bag.
- Pound the chicken breasts to even thickness or slice in half into 2 even sized chicken breasts, this allows for even cooking. Place the chicken in the shallow dish/container or large zipped-top bag with the marinade and toss/flip to coat. Cover tightly and place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or up to 1 day.
- Cook the chicken as desired, generously brushing the chicken with the reserved ⅓ cup marinade at the halfway mark (when you flip chicken.) See cooking options in the recipe card below.
Success Tips
- Make sure the chicken is even thickness before marinating by pounding or slicing in half, creating 2 even chicken breasts. This not only gives the chicken more flavor, it also allows it to cook evenly.
- For any cooking method, brush the reserved marinade on the chicken at the halfway mark. This will add more flavor.
- Once finished cooking, let the cooked chicken rest, tented with aluminum foil, for about 5 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.
3 Ways To Cook Cilantro Chicken
No matter how you cook the chicken, the chicken is done when the internal temperature reads 165ºF with an instant-read thermometer. These cook times reflect chicken breasts NOT chicken thighs.
- Grill: Preheat the grill to medium-high (about 500-550ºF.) Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 5-6 minutes. Flip and generously brushing the chicken with the reserved ⅓ cup marinade. Cook for another 5-6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate loosely covered with aluminum foil and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Place the chicken on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Bake for 16-18 minutes, flipping halfway through and generously brushing the chicken with the reserved ⅓ cup marinade. If desired, broil for 1 minute for crispy edges. Remove from the oven, loosely cover with aluminum foil and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes.
- Sauté: Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 5-6 minutes. Flip and generously brushing the chicken with the reserved ⅓ cup marinade. Cook for another 5-6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate loosely covered with aluminum foil and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes.
Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade
Description
This is truly the most delicious cilantro lime chicken marinade. Made with basic ingredients like olive oil, zesty lime, lots of fresh cilantro, garlic, and spices. Marinate for as little as 15 minutes or up to 1 day– making cilantro lime chicken has never been easier or more flavorful!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Whisk together the marinade ingredients (olive oil, cilantro, lime juice + zest, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper) in a medium-sized bowl. Reserve ⅓ cup of the marinade, and pour the rest into a shallow dish/container or large zipped-top bag.
- If desired, trim the fat from the chicken. Pound the chicken breasts to even thickness or slice in half into 2 even sized chicken breasts, this allows for even cooking. Place the chicken in the shallow dish/container or large zipped-top bag with the marinade and toss/flip to coat. Cover tightly and place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or up to 1 day. For best results I recommend marinating for 4-6 hours.
- Cook the chicken as desired, generously brushing the chicken with the reserved ⅓ cup marinade at the halfway mark (when you flip chicken.) See various cooking methods in the recipe notes below.
- Allow the chicken to rest for about 5 minutes before serving. Leftovers stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: This is a wonderful make-ahead marinade recipe. The marinade can be made up to 2 days in advance and placed in the refrigerator. You can marinate the chicken up to 1 day in advance, covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator.
- Freezing Instructions: The marinated chicken can be frozen for up to 3 months stored in a freezer-safe bag or container. See my Tips For How You Can Freeze Marinated Chicken.
- Chicken: You can use chicken breasts or chicken thighs, about 1 ½ pounds of chicken total (of even thickness)
- Cooking Methods: Here's a few recommended ways to cook chicken. No matter the cooking method, the chicken is done when the internal temperature reads 165ºF with an instant-read thermometer. These cook times reflect chicken breasts NOT chicken thighs. Grill: Preheat the grill to medium-high (about 500-550ºF.) Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 5-6 minutes. Flip and generously brushing the chicken with the reserved ⅓ cup marinade. Cook for another 5-6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate loosely covered with aluminum foil and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Bake: Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Place the chicken on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Bake for 16-18 minutes, flipping halfway through and generously brushing the chicken with the reserved ⅓ cup marinade. If desired, broil for 1 minute for crispy edges. Remove from the oven, loosely cover with aluminum foil and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Sauté: Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 5-6 minutes. Flip and generously brushing the chicken with the reserved ⅓ cup marinade. Cook for another 5-6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate loosely covered with aluminum foil and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 297kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 781mg | Potassium: 677mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 137IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg
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