You’ll Love This

It’s quick and easy! You can have a healthy, flavorful chicken dinner on the table in less than an hour with this super easy recipe. You don’t need any fancy kitchen gadgets or extraordinary cooking skills. Just get your pan nice and hot and let it do all the work!

It’s very versatile! This cilantro lime chicken tastes delicious atop my favorite Southwest Salad (with creamy homemade dressing!) or drizzled with tangy Creamy Avocado Lime Sauce. But it also pairs well with brown rice and your favorite roasted veggies! It’s also perfect for tacos, quesadillas, or nachos!

This cilantro lime chicken marinade will take your boring chicken dinner from bland to BAM! It’s got simple ingredients – cilantro, lime, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and olive oil – that pack a punch! Because of the powerful seasonings, the chicken only needs a quick 30-minute marinade to infuse the flavors into the chicken breast and you’ve got a tasty dinner your family will love!

Large white bowl with a southwest salad topped with sliced cilantro lime chicken breast

Instructions

Combine olive oil, lime zest and juice, garlic, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, and a couple large pinches of salt and pepper.

Large white bowl with cilantro lime chicken marinade

Place chicken into a shallow dish. I suggest using an 8×8 baking dish. Pour marinade over the chicken breast and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Square glass baking dish with raw chicken breast marinating in cilantro lime marinade

Saute chicken for about 4-5 minutes per side or until a dark golden-brown crust forms on the outside.

Overhead shot of a cast iron pan with golden brown sauteed chicken breast

If the chicken is not cooked through all the way, finish cooking it in a 400-degree oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees at its thickest part.

Overhead shot of a cast iron pan with golden brown sauteed cilantro lime chicken garnished with lime wedges

Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro, slice, and enjoy with my Southwest Salad Recipe!

Tips

Any cut of chicken will work for this recipe. I typically have breasts and tenders in the freezer so that’s what we use most often. But chicken thighs (bone-in or boneless) work great for this cilantro lime chicken recipe as well!

Because of the lime zest and juice in this recipe, I recommend marinating the chicken for only 30 minutes. The acid in the lime will actually start to break down and cook the chicken after 30 minutes which can lead to an undesirable texture.

This cilantro lime chicken can be cooked on the grill or in a cast iron pan. If you don’t have cast iron, any pan will work, but cast iron will give it that great crispy, dark golden-brown crust.

Any leftovers you might have will taste great in Sheet Pan Chicken & Black Bean Nachos, Sheet Pan Chicken Quesadillas, or Black Bean Enchiladas.