Cilantro Lime Chicken with lime juice, garlic, & cilantro is flavorful & easy. Use your grill, oven, & even the instant pot or slow cooker!
This cilantro lime chicken recipe is great on its own or packed into baked tacos or flour taquitos. Make it on the grill when the weather’s nice, or in your kitchen on a rainy day!
Cilantro Lime Chicken
Cilantro Lime Chicken
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Cilantro Lime Chicken Ingredients
- Cilantro – Fresh cilantro leaves, trimmed.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic cloves will give the best flavor, but you can use jarred garlic in a pinch.
- Lime juice – Fresh squeezed is best, but you can use bottled pure lime juice if you don’t have any limes.
- Oil – My strong preference for this recipe is a fragrant olive oil.
- Dried seasonings – Salt, pepper, sugar.
- Chicken – We used chicken breasts for the pictures, but this recipe is equally good with breast meat or thigh meat.
Blend the marinade ingredients then add to a bag with chicken, cook as desired.
How do you make cilantro lime chicken? (step-by-step)
⭐ First, combine cilantro, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, sugar, and water in a blender and pulse until well combined.
⭐ Then, add chicken to a gallon bag or other container and pour about half of the marinade over, making sure it is well coated.
⭐ Next, allow chicken to marinate for desired time (but not longer than overnight).
⭐ Finally, cook over a medium heat grill, bake in the oven, or cook in a slow cooker, or instant pot. Baste or serve with remaining unused marinade if desired.
Scroll down to the printable recipe card toward the bottom of this article for ingredient measurements and detailed cooking instructions.
When grilling, I like to marinate at least 3 hours.
Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken
To make cilantro lime chicken on the grill, you’ll want to marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour, but as long as overnight.
Place chicken on a pre-heated medium heat grill, basting and turning frequently (about every 5-7 minutes) until chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165F.
If possible, you can close the lid about 3/4ths of the way while grilling to cook chicken faster without drying out. Stay close to monitor for flare ups. Allow chicken to rest 5 minutes before slicing.
Baked Cilantro Lime Chicken
To bake cilantro lime chicken, you can skip the marinating if desired. Place chicken in an oven safe casserole or baking dish that is about 9×13.
Pour marinade over chicken, lifting each piece carefully to make sure it is covered on all sides. Bake uncovered at 375F for about 20 – 30 minutes, until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F.
If cooking chicken with the skin, you can turn the broiler or convection setting on in the last few minutes to brown the skin. Watch closely to avoid burning. Allow to rest at least 5 minutes before slicing. Spoon juices over cooked chicken before serving.
Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken
Place chicken in crock pot and cover in marinade/dressing. Lift chicken to make sure all sides are seasoned.
Cover and cook on high for 3 – 4 hours or low for 4 – 6 hours. Chicken is done when it reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165F. Slice or shred and return to juices before serving.
Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Chicken
Place chicken in instant pot and cover in marinade/dressing. Lift chicken to make sure all sides are seasoned.
Cover and set to sealing. Cook on manual (high pressure) for 8 minutes, hit cancel, then allow natural pressure release for 10 minutes. Slice or shred and return to juices before serving.
Use a medium heat grill and remember to turn and baste frequently to keep the chicken moist.
Preparation
How long do you marinate the chicken?
If grilling, I like to marinate at least one hour. That said, you can marinate for as little as 30 minutes and as long as 24 hours. Any longer than 24 hours and your chicken can break down too much and become mushy.
It is not necessary to marinate if baking, slow cooking, or pressure cooking.
Should I baste my chicken?
If grilling you’ll definitely want to baste the cilantro lime chicken frequently. I baste each time I turn it, so about every 5 minutes. Make sure to pack on all that flavor!
It is not necessary to baste if using other methods, as chicken will be cooking in the marinade!
Can I use the cilantro leaf stems?
Since we’re blending this recipe, it’s fine to use the stems as well as the leaves.
You can also cook this in the oven, a slow cooker, or even in the instant pot.
Leftovers and storage
How long does cilantro lime chicken last?
You can keep the leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3 – 4 days. We like to use ours in tacos or quesadillas!
Can you freeze cilantro lime chicken?
To freeze before cooking
You can freeze the chicken in the marinade because freezing essentially halts the marinating process. Make sure to cook it within about 18 hours of thawing as it will begin breaking down the proteins again as it thaws. Thaw and cook within 3 – 6 months.
To freeze after cooking
Allow chicken to cool completely, then store in a freezer safe container. Pour juices or remaining (unused) marinade over chicken if desired to slow freezer burn. Thaw and cook within 3 – 6 months.
Serve with extra fresh cilantro and some lime wedges.
Tips, tricks, and frequently asked questions
🔥 Make the cilantro lime marinade spicy by adding fresh or pickled jalapenos to the marinade.
🥗 Use the remaining marinade as a dressing or sauce by whisking it with sour cream or cream cheese. (Only use the remaining marinade that has NOT been in contact with raw meat).
🌮 Slice or shred leftovers for burrito bowls, tacos, or to add to chicken taco casserole!
Make a double batch and save the extras for an easy taco night later!
What to eat with cilantro lime chicken (serving suggestions)
I love serving this chicken with coconut rice, fresh pico de gallo (or roasted tomato salsa), homemade guacamole, and black bean soup. For dessert, a bowl of tropical pineapple fluff!
If you love grilling, try these perfectly grilled pork chops next!
It’s best to allow the meat to rest for a few minutes after removing from heat and before slicing.
More delicious chicken recipes
- Air fryer chicken tenders
- Instant pot BBQ chicken
- Chicken tikka masala
- Chicken alfredo bake
- See all our easy chicken dinners
Other awesome recipes with cilantro
Ah! So moist and delicious!
Tools we love
- Long tongs – A good set of tongs is a must. One for raw meat and one for cooked!
- Meat thermometer – This one can stay in the meat while it cooks, never have over done or under done dinner again!
😍😍😍
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How to Make Cilantro Lime Chicken
Cilantro Lime Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed about 1 bunch
- 4 cloves garlic fresh, peeled
- ⅔ cup lime juice the juice of about 5 limes
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 cup water
- 3 - 5 pounds chicken light or dark meat, as desired
Instructions
- Combine cilantro, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, sugar, and water in a blender and pulse until well combined. (Makes about 3 cups total).
- Add chicken to a gallon bag or other container and pour about half of the marinade over, making sure it is well coated. Reserve remaining marinade for later.
- Allow chicken to marinate for desired time (but not longer than overnight).
- Cook over a medium heat grill, bake in the oven, cook in a slow cooker, or instant pot. Baste or serve with remaining unused marinade if desired.
GRILLED
- Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, but as long as overnight.
- Place chicken on a pre-heated medium heat grill, basting with unused marinade and turning frequently (about every 5-7 minutes), until chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165F.
- If your grill allows, you can close the lid about ¾ths of the way while grilling to cook chicken faster. Stay close to monitor for flare ups.
- Allow chicken to rest 5 minutes before slicing.
BAKED
- Skip the marinating if desired, as chicken will cook in the cilantro marinade. Place chicken in an oven safe casserole or baking dish that is about 9×13".
- Pour marinade over chicken, lifting each piece carefully to make sure it is covered on all sides.
- Bake uncovered at 375F for about 20 – 30 minutes, until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F.
- If cooking chicken with the skin, you can turn the broiler or convection setting on in the last few minutes to brown the skin. Watch closely to avoid burning.
- Allow to rest at least 5 minutes before slicing. Spoon juices over cooked chicken before serving.
SLOW COOKER
- Place chicken in crock pot and cover in marinade/dressing. Lift chicken to make sure all sides are seasoned.
- Cover and cook on high for 3 – 4 hours or low for 4 – 6 hours. Chicken is done when it reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165F. Slice or shred and return to juices before serving.
INSTANT POT
- Place chicken in instant pot and pour at least 1 cup of marinade over top (2 cups if using an 8 quart or larger). Lift chicken to make sure all sides are seasoned.
- Cover and set to sealing. Cook on manual (high pressure) for 8 minutes, hit cancel, then allow natural pressure release for 10 minutes.
- Slice or shred and return to juices before serving.
Notes
- Make it spicy by adding fresh or pickled jalapenos to the marinade.
- Use the remaining marinade as a dressing or sauce by whisking it with sour cream or cream cheese. (Only use the remaining marinade that has NOT been in contact with raw meat).
- Slice or shred leftovers for burrito bowls, tacos, or to add to chicken taco casserole!
Nutrition
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Cilantro Lime Chicken
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Kristen says
My family loves chicken and when we tried yours we immediately had a new favorite. All of us loved it and got seconds and thirds.
Lily says
This chicken recipe was amazing! the flavors were so refreshing and light, I could not get enough!! I have made this recipe 3x this week, I have added it to salads, rice and made tacos with it, this is the perfect chicken recipe!!
Diane shultz says
I knew I had to make this right when I saw it, I LOVE cilantro! It’s super delicious! The only thing I would do differently is double the recipe so we have leftovers 🙂
SHELLEY says
You wrote: Use the remaining marinade as a dressing or sauce by whisking it with sour cream or cream cheese.
PLEASE STRESS NEVER EVER REUSE THE MARINADE THAT HAS TOUCHED RAW CHICKEN!!! THIS WILL BRING ON FOOD POISONING! SAFE FOOD HANDLING WITH CHICKEN IS SO IMPORTANT!!!
April Woods says
Good idea, added the caveat!