Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs
by Chungah
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Truly the most AMAZING zesty cilantro-lime marinade ever! The chicken comes out perfectly juicy and so tender.
Featured Comment
why i love this cilantro lime chicken recipe
- Simple, flavor-packed zesty marinade. This easy chicken marinade is made with minimal ingredients, packed with maximum flavor. We’re talking fresh cilantro, olive oil, lime juice (and zest), chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper (most of which are pantry staples). It’s simple, it’s quick, and it yields the most flavorful, zesty, juicy chicken thighs.
- So many purposes. The cilantro lime chicken can be served with Mexican rice or utilized for tacos, burrito bowls, quesadillas, salads and so much more. There’s just so many different uses to suit the whole family.
- Flexible recipe. Throw these bad boys on a cast iron grill pan or a hot grill (for those of you with warm weather all year long!).
chicken breasts VS. chicken thighs
Chicken breasts (white meat)
Chicken breasts are leaner and lower in calories, maximizing protein.
Chicken thighs (dark meat)
Chicken thighs have a much more higher fat content than breasts, maximizing flavor and moisture. Thighs will also hold up much better during the cooking process (much more forgiving than chicken breasts) without drying out.
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.
pro tip
Cast iron grill pan vs. cast iron skillet
A cast iron grill pan is ideal for those favorited distinct grilled marks, essentially simulating outdoor grilling indoors, especially when it’s too cold to grill out. In these instances, you can also use a large cast iron skillet, achieving the same flavor without the grill marks.
what to serve with cilantro lime chicken
Tools For This Recipe
Cast iron grill pan or large cast iron skillet
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.
Yes! The chicken can be marinated overnight and placed in the fridge.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days, reheating in the oven at 350°F until warmed through.
Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs
Video
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.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
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?
After seeing this on your IG a few times, I finally bought the ingredients. I doubled the recipe because you have never disappointed me before. This was a HOME RUN! I made it exactly as you’ve specified, letting it marinate for 5 hours. My family of 6 — that includes 4 teenagers — couldn’t not get enough. Thank you for another ahhhhh-mazing dinner to add to my rotation.
Saw in IG your hubby was grilling this over the weekend. Made it for the first time and it was awesome! Husband and teenage son went to town 🙂 (note: I came up a little short on the lime zest but otherwise followed to a T)
Made the orher day. It. came out AMAZING. going to make again very soon.
This is sooooooo good! Hubby loves it!
Delicious! I added some crushed garlic to the marinade which we like!
This recipe was AMAZING!!! I’ve tried making cilantro lime chicken before and it was a ton of ingredients and annoying. But this was so good and easy. I used chicken breasts instead of thighs and made lettuce wraps. DELICIOUS!!!
No Joke! I made this marinade, minus the lime and cilantro. I used the juice of 1 lemon in place of the lime and no zest was used.
I was looking for a Fajita marinade and this was very close to what I had used decades ago, so I made the change I stated above but also added 1 tablespoon of light brown sugar to make fajita chicken.
How did it come out? It was fantastic. There are a couple additional tweaks I need to make. 1 is to add a chopped Jalapeno and the other is to cut the cumin to 1/2 tsp. I think that will be perfect for my next go around.
As for actually making Cilantro-Lime, I think I would also cut the cumin to 1/2 tsp and make sure to add the 1 tablespoon of sugar.
Loved this! My boyfriend told me to triple the recipe for next time!
Outstanding! I wouldn’t change a thing.
This recipe was excellent, works with chicken breast too(I would recommend slicing them in half). The only thing I would add is a little bit of sugar of some kind because the marinade can get a little on the salty side, and I added a little cayenne for some more heat.
This marinade was amazing!! So happy I stumbled across your page. I let mine marinate for a full 24 hours and pan cooked them making them nice and crispy. Tasted great paired up with some cilantro lime rice. Next time I think I will use this chicken for tacos, ahh so many possibilities I will have to make it again next week!
Delicious, juicy, tasty and soooo satisfying! I’ll make it again and again for my family.
Love these chicken thighs so much! Love them by themselves or in burrito bowls, tacos, etc.
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.
Marinaded over night.
I actually added some fresh garlic to my marinade along with a couple splashes of soy sauce instead of the salt and added a little bit of my fresh honey too. Im going to be searing these in a hot frying pan but I’m sure the grill would be the best. But I think they’ll still be very tasty and I’m also going to prepare some saffron yellow rice on side and sliced tomato and avqcado.
I’ll let you know how it is.
Oh my goodness they were very tasty!!
Sounds delicious. I have been cooking your Instant Pot Lemon Chicken with great success. Damn delicious! I’m assuming I can follow those directions with the IP with this recipe?
Absolutely! Let us know how it turns out! 🙂