Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs
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This is truly the most AMAZING zesty cilantro-lime marinade ever. And the chicken comes out perfectly juicy and tender.
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Perfect seasoning mixture. The longer you marinate, the better. I also like to sear them on the frying pan with oil and then bake to finish cooking them so that they are extra crispy on the outside.
Guys. It was 25 degrees F this morning. I am seriously so over it. We’re about to head into April! And it was 60 degrees just a few days ago. Where’s the Spring weather, Chicago? I’m ready for grilling season!
But I guess for now, I’ll have to settle for the grill pan. Because these cilantro lime chicken thighs cannot wait for this Chicago warm weather everyone has been promising this LA native. Nope. This marinade is too epic to be waiting. The marinade made with fresh cilantro, olive oil, lime zest, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.
It’s simple, it’s quick, and it yields the most flavorful, zesty chicken thighs one can ask for.
Simply throw these bad boys on a grill pan or a hot grill (for those of you with actual Spring weather!) and serve with rice or use for tacos, bowls, or salads.
tips and tricks for success
- Work in batches. An overcrowded pan can lead to uneven cooking and poor browning. Work in batches to maintain high heat for a good sear and crispy crust on each chicken.
- Use freshly squeezed lime juice. While bottled lime juice can work in a pinch, freshly squeezed is ideal here for its vibrant, stronger flavors.
- Use an instant-read thermometer for the most accurate results. The internal temperature should reach 165°F.
- Let your meat rest. Let your chicken rest for at least 5 minutes prior to serving, allowing the juices to redistribute – this will allow for maximum flavor and juiciness.
- Reheat in the oven. Leftover chicken can be rubbery when reheated. For best results with leftovers, reheat in the oven at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through
what to serve with cilantro lime chicken
Tools For This Recipe
Cast iron grill pan
Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, chicken breasts can absolutely be used here but chicken thighs have more dark meat and a higher fat content which will yield juicier, more flavorful chicken.
If you do not have a cast iron grill pan, you can also use a large cast iron skillet.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tablespoon lime zest
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine cilantro, 2 tablespoons olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.
- In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine chicken and cilantro mixture; marinate for at least 2 hours to overnight, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a cast iron grill pan over medium high heat.* Working in batches, add chicken to the grill pan in a single layer and cook until golden brown and cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 4-5 minutes per side.
- Serve immediately.
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Notes
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This is amazing! Trying to get my elderly father into eating healthier.. (he was adamant that chicken have skin in order to he grilled and taste good!) Marinated boneless skinless chicken thighs in this overnight and grilled them for lunch today. He was so impressed! I give this 4 thumbs up… 2 from me and 2 from my father!!
This marinade is to DIE FOR. I’m not a huge fan of chicken thighs so I used chicken breasts instead. I meant to only marinate for 1 day but things got busy so I think it ended up being 2-3 days in the fridge. I don’t have a cast iron skillet so I used the air frier and they were amazing! This marinade is sooooo flavorful, I’m obsessed. Next time Im going to use it to make a chicken bowl for meal prep. I can’t recommend enough!
You’ve never let me down but this is a new favorite. It was so good that I made it twice in one week! The second time I added garlic and cooked the chicken a bit longer to get a nice char.
Damn delicious, indeed!
This is a tasty recipe just as it is. Since making it twice, I have used it as the base for several improvisations. Thanks for recipe
I’ve made this on the stove and on the grill. SO GOOD.
Omg this is absolutely my go to recipe fo marinating chicken !!
OMG this is so……..wonderful. I could not cook out because of the weather THUNDERSTORMS so I had to do this inside. I followed your recipe to a T, but cooked them in a frying pan to brown the chicken, the put them on a rack in a baking pan and baked them at 400 for 30 minutes. I used breasts because that is what I had. My sons went crazy over this recipe. I was told by them this was definitely a keeper. Thank you so much for this recipe and all the recipes that you post. Waving at you from Charlotte NC
Substituted cilantro with parsley. It was an amazing dish. One of the best chicken dishes I’ve ever tasted. But wait until “real summer.” Needs to be grilled/charred!!! Served with rice with sautéed onions mixed in. It was ridiculous!!!
Hi, Chungha
Made this for dinner tonite for Mom and me. It was really nice — chicken thighs were very tender. I marinated 3 chicken thighs for about 3 hours and massaged the ziploc bag about every 45 min. I used parsley since Mom doesn’t care for cilantro. Next time, I’ll increase the lime juice and zest. Thank you for sharing your recipe. Will check out your other creations soon. Lisa in Indianapolis
That looks and sounds delicious! I will have to try that.
I’m marinating the chicken now. Has anyone used the air fryer to cook this? If so, what temperature and cook for how long? I’m using bone-in chicken thighs.
Excellent! I’ve made it again tonight to cook tomorrow after a long day. Everything is so tender and flavorful. And they cook so quickly! This has quickly become a household favorite.
Made this for my wife and stepdaughter yesterday and they absolutely loved it! And they are tough customers! Sorry I don’t have pictures but I don’t really think of doing it at the time! I sliced up the meat and made them into chicken tacos. We made rice and Mexican street corn too. Delicioso! ☺️
Absolutely fantastic, this is now one of my go to recipes.
So GOOD!!!! But was thinking about doing in the air fryer. thoughts on that?
I love this recipe! I have made it at least 10 times now. It so easy to make the night before and grill the next day. It never looks as good as it does in your photos but it tastes delicious and the chicken thighs are full of flavor! My entire family loves it.
Excellent!! We grilled them and they were so tender and so flavorful! Definitely a recipe to be on repeat.
Chicken, Lime and Cilantro…. What a delicious combination. Must try sort of dish. the picture looks super yummmyyy
I added a twist by adding a glaze. The glaze was 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 lime juice,1/4 tequila, 1 teaspoon chilli power, 1/4 crushed red pepper. Brought it to a boil and the low to keep worm as the grill heated up.
Grilled it over med low heat on a gas grill 15 min on one side. Turned the chicken then put the glaze on and cooked 10 more min. Surved with Spanish rice, black beens with cheese on the side. Fantasic!
So basically you changed the recipe?
So you made a completely different recipe? Rendering your comment or review completely useless.
Nan – Love it! always open to peoples input, and looking for methods/twists to change things up a bit… I gonna try “as written,” and what you suggest (and apply it elsewhere as a new tool in by bag of tricks. 🙂 Thank you!!!
I’ve made this once before and it was great. But if there are only two of us, but enough chicken for four, would it be okay to save half the sauce and then prepare the remaining chicken for dinner next day with reserved sauce or cut sauce in half and make it fresh next day?
Why wouldn’t you just cook it all and have leftovers the next day?