Cilantro Lime Chicken
This Cilantro Lime Chicken is bursting with fresh, citrus flavor and full of lean protein. Better yet, you can have this recipe on the table in only 20 minutes!
Everyone loves eating a delicious dinner, but preparing those dinners often isn’t nearly as enjoyable. Life is busy enough without adding a dinner recipe that takes hours! This Cilantro Lime Chicken is a light, citrusy dish that is packed with flavor!
You can toss this chicken in the cilantro lime marinade before leaving for work then it is ready for the grill 15 minutes before you want to eat dinner. This recipe doesn’t require a ton of cookware and utensils so there is nearly zero clean up. It also freezes and reheats well making it perfect for meal prep. This has made it one of our favorite summer recipes!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- 20 minute recipe. This recipe comes together in only 20 minutes with just a few simple steps!
- Healthy. This grilled chicken is low carb and packed full of lean protein!
- Minimal clean up. Not only does this recipe come together in no time, there is nearly zero clean up required.
Recipe Ingredients
Below are the ingredients you will need to make this grilled chicken recipe. Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page to see the exact amounts for each ingredient.
- Chicken: We used large chicken breasts. You can use chicken thighs if you prefer dark meat.
- Cilantro: Contributes to the delicious fresh, citrus flavor of the marinade.
- Avocado oil: We prefer avocado oil for this marinade but olive oil would also work.
- Honey: Adds a subtle, sweet flavor.
- Limes: You will juice and zest these limes for the marinade.
- Spices: garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper
How to Make Cilantro Lime Chicken
Below are photos and step-by-step instructions to easily make this recipe. You will need a grill or grill pan, cutting board, knife, and mixing bowl or ziplock bag for marinating the chicken.
Marinate
Slice the chicken as if butterflying, but slice all the way through to make two thinner more uniform chicken breast. You will then have 4 chicken breasts in total. Then mix the cilantro, oil, honey, lime juice, zest, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper in a shallow bowl or ziplock bag. Add the chicken and marinate for at least 8 hours.
Cook
Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high heat (approximately 400 degrees F). Next, remove the chicken from the marinade and place it on the grill. Cook chicken for 3-4 minutes, then flip and grill another 3-4 minutes or until the chicken is cooked to 165 degrees F. Then remove the chicken from the grill and allow it to rest for about 5 minutes.
Serve
One of the perks of this recipe is how well it goes with a variety of side dishes. This is also a great meal prep dish that you can prepare ahead to save even more time on this busy days. We have included reheating and storage instructions further down in this post. Below are some of our favorite side dishes to pair with this recipe.
- Roasted Zucchini with Parmesan
- Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
- Mexican Street Corn
- Zucchini Fries
- Air Fryer Broccoli
Storage and Reheating Instructions
- Reheating Instructions– This recipe reheats best in an air fryer or skillet. In an air fryer, reheat at 350 for 3-5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook as the fast, hot air can dry out the chicken if you let it go too long. For skillet reheating, you can lightly oil a skillet and rewarm over medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Flip at least once. In a pinch, you can also reheat the chicken in the microwave in 30-second increments until heated to your desired level.
- Storage Instructions– First, allow to cool completely. Then you can store in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. You can freeze this recipe in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, this recipe is gluten free when prepared as described.
You can freeze this recipe for up to 3 months in a freezer safe container.
Absolutely, preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees F for 3 minutes. Then add the chicken to the preheated air fryer and cook for 5 minutes; flip and cook an additional 4-5 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Other 30-Minute or Less Recipes
- Chipotle Taco Lettuce Wrap- Loaded with protein and tons of flavor from a creamy homemade chipotle sauce. They are easy to prepare in just 15 minutes, making them a great weekday meal option!
- Chicken Poblano Soup– This recipe is full of shredded chicken, veggies, flavorful spices, and a touch of cream. It is slightly spicy and full of flavor – it tastes a lot like a creamy taco soup!
- Chicken Schnitzel-Thinly sliced chicken is breaded with savory flavors and then pan-fried until crispy.
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta– A well-balanced, one-pan meal full of lean protein and veggies!
Cilantro Lime Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts
Cilantro Lime Marinade
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 3 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 limes juiced and zested
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Slice the chicken as if butterflying, but slice all the way through to make two thinner more uniform chicken breast. You will then have 4 chicken breasts in total.
- Mix the cilantro, oil, honey, lime juice, zest, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper in a shallow bowl or ziplock bag. Add the chicken and marinade for at least 8 hours.
- Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high heat (approximately 400 degrees F)
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and place it on the grill. Cook chicken for 3-4 minutes, then flip and grill another 3-4 minutes or until the chicken is cooked to 165 degrees F..
- Remove the chicken from the grill and allow it to rest for about 5 minutes.
