Valentina Ablaev
This easy cilantro lime chicken recipe makes the perfect, tender chicken breast. Full of fresh flavors, the chicken is grilled to perfection. The center is juicy, while the outside has a great grilled crust. The marinade infuses the chicken breast with fresh flavor.
Grilled chicken can be enjoyed in so many forms! From grilled bbq chicken to easy grilled shawarma chicken, you can’t go wrong with a grilled chicken recipe.
Chicken breasts are made so tender with our homemade cilantro lime marinade. With time, the chicken absorbs that flavor, and lime gives the chicken the best texture! We then add the chicken to a hot grill, giving it those stunning grill marks.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple to make. This chicken recipe is so easy to make.
- Perfect for meal prep. This chicken is perfect for meal prepping and having quick meals on the go.
- Easy cleanup. This grilled chicken recipe uses little dishes.
Ingredients for Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade
- Skinless chicken breast – whole chicken breasts are beaten to an even thickness for even cooking.
- Olive oil – helps bind the marinade to the chicken.
- Fresh lime juice – adds so much freshness to the marinade and tenderizes the chicken.
- Garlic – fresh garlic adds so much flavor to the chicken.
- Cilantro leaves – a must for cilantro lime chicken!
- Seasoning – a combination of salt, ground black pepper, and paprika.
- Honey – adds a touch of sweetness to balance all the flavors.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Spicy: Add red pepper flakes to the marinade to give this chicken a kick of heat.
- Switch up the protein: Though we love our grilled shrimp marinade, shrimp would taste incredible with this cilantro lime marinade.
How to Make Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Use a meat mallet to beat each chicken breast to an even thickness.
- Add the chicken to a marinade bowl and marinate for 30 minutes for up to an hour.
- Heat the grill and grease the grill grates to prevent sticking.
- Once the grill is hot, add the chicken breasts to the grill. Allow the chicken to cook for 6-8 minutes before flipping. Cook the other side for 6-8 more minutes.
- Remove the cooked chicken from the grill and top with a squeeze of lime and a cilantro garnish.
Expert Tip for Juicy Chicken
Don’t overcook the chicken: Use a meat thermometer to pull the chicken off the grill as soon as it turns to 165°F. Chicken breast can be overcooked quickly.
Serving Suggestions
- Bowl: Recreate a classic chipotle bowl at home with this cilantro lime chicken. Add this chicken to cilantro lime rice and top with fresh pico de gallo. You can also add homemade avocado guacamole for extra goodness!
- Veggie side: This chicken will be complemented perfectly with easy grilled vegetables!
- Grilled chicken salad: This chicken tastes incredible on a salad! A grilled chicken salad will be filling and super delicious.
- Tacos: Fill up warm corn tortillas with cubed cilantro lime chicken. Top with a mango salsa and fresh sour cream.
Recipe FAQs
We love grilling chicken thighs; this marinade would work perfectly with boneless skinless chicken thighs.
The marinade is slightly acidic because of the lime juice, so you don’t want to marinade it for too long; otherwise, the lime will begin to break down the proteins of the chicken. Up to 12 hours would be okay, but we don’t recommend any longer.
You can absolutely bake the chicken! Our baked chicken recipe would work beautifully with this marinade.
Store & Reheat
- Storage. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Store for up to 3 days.
- Reheat. Warm up the leftover chicken on a skillet over medium heat until warmed.
- Freeze. Store the chicken for longer by freezing it! Add the chicken to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat: Thaw the chicken in the fridge overnight. Once thawed, reheat on a pan.
More Grilling Recipes
If you enjoyed this cilantro lime chicken recipe, be sure to try our other popular home grilling recipes; here are some of our favorites:
If you tried this cilantro lime chicken recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below – we appreciate it!
Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken
Ingredients
chicken
- 2 lbs chicken breast or thighs (4 small/medium chicken breasts)
cilantro lime marinade
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 Tbsp cilantro finely, finely chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp ground paprika
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 lime cut into wedges, for serving (optional)
- cilantro ,for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Add all the marinade ingredients to a large bowl.
- Use a meat mallet to beat each chicken breast to an even tenderness.
- Add the chicken to the marinade and allow it to marinade for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
- Preheat the grill and grease the grates.
- Once the grill is hot, add the chicken breasts to the grill. Cook for 6-8 minutes on one side and then flip. Cook the other side for an additional 6-8 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the grill and finish with a squeeze of lime wedges and a sprinkle of cilantro.
Notes
- Don’t overcook the chicken: Use a meat thermometer to pull the chicken off the grill as soon as it turns to 165°F. Chicken breast can overcook quickly.
- Storage. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Store for up to 3 days.
- Reheat. Warm up the leftover chicken on a skillet over medium heat until warmed.
- Freeze. Store the chicken for longer by freezing it! Add the chicken to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat: Thaw the chicken in the fridge overnight. Once thawed, reheat on a pan.
