Cilantro-Lime Chicken

Ready in under an hour with minimal ingredients, this flavor-packed dinner is one of our most popular recipes (and it's easy to see why). Chicken thighs marinated in lime juice and freshly chopped cilantro are the star of the show in this meal that is just as perfect for a quick and easy weeknight as it is for an impromptu date night. You only need fewer than 10 ingredients, and you can really tweak it to meet your needs. Here, I’m just serving the chicken over white rice, but it would be just as good shredded into tacos or a burrito bowl with all your favorite toppings.

What People Are Saying:
“My husband and I absolutely LOVE this recipe! So easy to make and delicious! We even mix a little lime juice and cilantro into the rice to make it even more tasty.” - rwe4935

How To Make Cilantro-Lime Chicken

INGREDIENTS

• Limes: For a cilantro-lime recipe, you’re going to need limes. Here, I’m using the juice of two limes to help add acidity and tang for both flavor and to help tenderize the chicken while marinating. The lime juice will add the classic zip and freshness you think of with cilantro-lime recipes.
• Cilantro: Cilantro is very polarizing. Some people love it, some hate it. I’m guessing, though, that if you’re reading this recipe, you are probably a fan. For those of us who appreciate cilantro, the flavor is fresh, with hints of citrus and pepper, and a bright herbaceousness.
• Garlic: With our sharp fresh flavors of lime and cilantro, we need something aromatic and warm. Garlic is perfect. The flavor and aroma of cooked garlic are enough on their own to get your stomach grumbling. Combined with the rest of the herbs and spices, it makes a classic, delicious blend.
• Spices: I’m going for a classic spice blend here of salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and cumin. This creates a robust, salty, spicy, slightly sweet coating for the chicken.
• Chicken Thighs: For this recipe, I am sticking with chicken thighs over breasts. Thighs retain more moisture and have a deeper flavor. Similarly, I think bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are the way to go. These will render a juicy final product with a crisp, flavorful skin offering a nice textural difference.
• White Rice: White rice is the best base for this juicy, flavorful dish. Whatever brand you prefer will work perfectly, so long as you follow the package instructions. For an even greater leap, consider trying a coconut rice or cilantro lime rice for double the cilantro flavor.
  

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

The first thing we need to do here is to season and marinate the chicken. Toss together oil, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, and the spices into a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add in the chicken thighs and toss to coat evenly. Once the chicken is coated, pop the bowl into the fridge and let it sit for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours to marinate. I recommend letting the chicken marinate for the full 2 hours for a stronger flavor.

Once the chicken has marinated, preheat the oven and, as it heats, heat a large ovenproof skillet on the stovetop with 2 tablespoons of oil. Remove the chicken from the fridge and season each thigh with salt and pepper, then add each thigh to the hot skillet, skin side down, and add the rest of the marinade. Sear the skin for 6 minutes until golden and crispy. The key to achieving a perfect golden brown skin is to let the chicken sit without moving it for the whole 6 minutes. You can tell the skin is done when you are able to flip the thigh without the skin sticking to the skillet. Flip each thigh and cook for another 2 minutes.

Then transfer the skillet into the hot oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Remove the skillet from the oven and serve the cooked thighs over white rice with the pan drippings for extra flavor and an optional topping of more cilantro and lime wedges.

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• Let it marinate. The key to getting the most out of this recipe is to really preserve the marinade as much as possible. Letting the chicken sit in the cilantro-lime mix for—at a minimum—30 minutes allows it to absorb plenty of flavor, while pouring the reserves back over the chicken while cooking makes sure that the chicken doesn’t dry out and that none of the flavor is lost. Similarly, pouring the pan drippings over the rice before plating the chicken brings even more flavor and moisture.
• Roll your limes. You’re going to want to get as much juice out of each lime as possible. To do so, go ahead and roll the limes between your countertop and the palm of your hand to tenderize the fruit inside. This makes it so you will get more juice out when you go to squeeze them.

Storage

Allow your leftovers to cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container and placing the container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you want to make the rice ahead of time, cooked white rice can keep in the fridge for up to 6 days.