This Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken Recipe is packed with so much zesty flavor and easily made with just a few simple ingredients! A delicious, healthy meal you can serve in tacos, on salads or over rice.
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Calling all cilantro lovers! This cilantro lime grilled chicken recipe is a tried and true summer staple in our home. Fresh, vibrant flavors that taste amazing, but also healthy and satisfying. This chicken is so versatile and we love serving this in tacos, on salads, or served over rice with this black bean and corn salad. The marinade is super simple to make and not only tastes great over shrimp or fish, but makes a great salad dressing as well!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Super flavorful, versatile and easy to throw together.
Only a few simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen!
This marinade also tastes great on steak, fish or shrimp and works as a salad dressing.
Great for weekly meal prep served over rice, on tacos, burrito bowls or on a salad.
Ingredients You’ll Need
chicken – this recipe calls for 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, but you could also use boneless chicken thighs (bone-in works too) or even chicken wings and drumsticks.
olive oil – this helps infuse the flavors into the chicken and prevents it from sticking to the grill. I like to use a good olive oil that doesn’t have to be expensive, just make sure it’s cold-pressed and organic for the most flavor.
lime juice – this adds such a bright, fresh taste and you’ll need about 3 limes plus some zest. Just make sure to use fresh lime juice as bottled lime juice can have a bitter taste.
garlic – you can use fresh chopped garlic cloves or minced garlic from the jar.
honey – adds a touch of sweetness without using refined sugar. You could also use maple syrup or other natural sweetener.
fresh cilantro – I LOVE the taste of cilantro so I’m pretty heavy-handed, however if you’re not a fan of this herb, feel free to use chopped parsley or even basil.
salt + black pepper – needed to season the chicken and add flavor.
How to Make Cilantro Lime Chicken
Make 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 all combined. You could also easily make this chicken marinade in a food processor and skip chopping the cilantro.
Prepare chicken. Place chicken in a shallow dish or a 1-gallon sealable plastic bag and pour most of the cilantro lime marinade over the chicken. I always suggest reserving a little bit of the sauce to brush on the chicken later while grilling!
Marinate! Place chicken in the fridge and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes, but no longer than 2 hours. Lime is very acidic and will start to breakdown the chicken’s texture so you don’t want to marinate this too long. When ready to grill, remove chicken from the dish or bag, shake off any excess and discard leftover marinade.
Grill and serve. Heat a grill or grill pan on medium to medium-high heat and brush grill with oil to prevent the chicken from sticking. Grill the chicken 5 to 6 minutes on each side, or until cooked through and no longer pink, brushing the reserved marinade over top as it cooks. The chicken should have an internal temp of 165 degrees using an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the grill and let the chicken rest 5 minutes before serving.
Helpful Tips and Tricks
Pound out the chicken breasts using a meat mallet so that they are all even thickness to ensure they cook evenly.
Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes, but no longer than 2 hours as the acidity from the lime juice will breakdown the chicken’s exterior texture. This results in mushy, tough chicken so make sure you don’t exceed 2 hours.
Make sure to add a little oil to the grill or grill pan so that the chicken doesn’t stick.
If you don’t want to grill the chicken, you can bake it in the oven at 400 degrees F for 22 to 28 minutes, or until chicken is completely cooked through.
Chicken should have an internal temperature of 165 degrees using a meat thermometer to ensure that it’s cooked through, but not dry.
Reserve a little bit of marinade (before it touches the chicken) to brush on it while the chicken is grilling for even more flavor.
This cilantro lime marinade would taste amazing as a salad dressing as well!
How to Serve
Main protein – this cilantro chicken makes a delicious main dish served with a side of veggies and rice. Some sides that pair perfectly with this chicken include cilantro lime rice, coconut lime cilantro quinoa, black bean corn salad, and this fresh pico de gallo.
On a salad – slice up the chicken and add it your favorite salad. I highly recommend this southwest salad with avocado dressing. Would also taste great with this cilantro lime dressing!
With tacos – we use this same marinade in these delicious cilantro lime chicken tacos topped with tangy coleslaw and avocado crema.
Make bowls – create a burrito bowl with white rice (or Mexican rice) along with black beans, tomatoes, red onion, sour cream and an extra squeeze of lime! You can add in your favorite salsa as well.
In a wrap or sandwich – add this chicken to a sandwich or wrap along with some lettuce and fresh veggies for the perfect healthy lunch!
Prepping and Storage
To Store: Leftover cilantro lime chicken can be stored in a sealed, airtight container for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. I love adding leftovers to my salads or burrito bowls for easy lunches!
To Freeze: You can also freeze these chicken breasts for up to 4 months in the freezer and defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating. If you are already using chicken that has been previously frozen and thawed out, I do not recommend freezing again.
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Hope you all enjoy this Cilantro Lime Chicken recipe! If you love this as much as we do, please leave below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny! I love seeing all your delicious recreations!
Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
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