Cilantro Lime Chicken
200 Comments
Apr 21, 2025
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Cilantro lime chicken is one of my signature easy dinners. A handful of simple ingredients pack the chicken thighs with fresh, bright flavor, and after a quick sear, they’re baked until juicy and golden.
Why You’ll Love This Cilantro Lime Chicken
It’s no secret that I love the vibrant flavors of Mexican food, and this cilantro lime chicken is an all-star Downshiftology recipe—just read the comments! Not only is it really easy to make, but the chicken marinade packs an irresistible punch of flavor with fresh cilantro, zesty lime juice, garlic, bold spices, and a touch of honey. It’s a flavor combination that always hits the spot for an incredible Mexican-inspired dinner. Just don’t forget to serve it with my cilantro lime rice for the ultimate cilantro lime experience! Here’s what else you’ll love about my recipe:
- The marinade infuses the meat. Similar to my carne asada or steak fajitas, this recipe benefits from a good marinade time, allowing the meat to soak up all the delicious flavors.
- You can serve it in creative ways. I often make a double batch and use the leftovers in tacos, salads, or wraps—meal prep at its finest!
Cilantro Lime Chicken Ingredients
- Chicken: You can use either chicken thighs or chicken breasts. But I find that bone-in chicken thighs lock in extra juiciness, and the skin gets all nice and crispy on top.
- Fresh Lime. I highly recommend freshly squeezed lime juice over bottled lime juice for the best flavor.
- Cilantro: Chopped cilantro leaves add a delicious herbal note and look beautiful as garnish on the serving plate.
- Garlic: For the garlic, I love the intensity of fresh garlic in almost any chicken dish, but you can add fewer cloves or substitute 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder per clove if you don’t have fresh on hand.
- Cumin: A staple spice in Mexican cuisine, ground cumin imparts that authentic flavor.
- Honey: A little honey helps to balance the sourness of the lime in the marinade.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below
How to Make Cilantro Lime Chicken
Make the marinade. In a mixing bowl, whisk together all the marinade ingredients. Alternatively, you could blend them in a food processor.
Marinate the chicken. Place the chicken thighs in a glass dish or bowl, pour the marinade over them, and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.
Sear the chicken. Heat the oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken thighs skin-side down and sear until golden brown.
Bake the chicken. Transfer the skillet to a preheated oven and bake at 425°F (220°C) for 15 to 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches around 160°F (71°C). Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes—the temperature should rise to 165°F (74°C).
Ways to Serve
- Pair with Mexican sides: My Mexican rice, cilantro lime rice, cilantro lime bacon coleslaw, or fajita veggies are great ways to round out your meal.
- Add to salads, tacos, and more: I love shredding or chopping the chicken to add to my Southwest chicken salad, chicken and black bean wrap, or taco soup.
- For a Mexican fiesta: Whether it’s for Cinco de Mayo or a dinner party, include this recipe along with chicken fajitas, carnitas, birria, barbacoa, and more! Then, wash them down with a classic margarita or mango margarita.
Storage Tips
- To store: Store leftover chicken in the fridge in a sealed container for 3 to 4 days or in the freezer for up to three months.
- To reheat: Microwave the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes. If you want to crisp up the skin, place the chicken under a broiler for a couple of minutes. Just watch it carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn.
More Easy Chicken Thigh Recipes
- Honey Mustard Chicken: This is for all my honey mustard fans.
- Baked Chicken Thighs: Perfectly crispy with bold seasoning!
- Teriyaki Chicken: Made with the best teriyaki sauce.
- Butter Chicken: Indian comfort food at its finest.
- Greek Lemon Chicken: A go-to weeknight dinner.
- Or browse through my list of chicken thigh recipes for more ideas!
If you make this cilantro lime chicken recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free newsletter here.
Cilantro Lime Chicken
Description
Video
Equipment
- Staub Cast Iron Skillet (Grey) My favorite skillet for searing/baking!
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 limes, zested and juiced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves, chopped
Instructions
- Make the marinade. In a mixing bowl, whisk together two tablespoons of olive oil, lime juice and zest, cumin, chili powder, minced garlic, honey, salt, pepper, and chopped cilantro. You can also pulse in a food processor until it's combined.
- Marinate the chicken. Combine the marinade and chicken thighs in a bowl or shallow dish. Marinate chicken for 30 minutes to an hour in the fridge. When the chicken is done marinating, take it out of the fridge and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes at room temperature.
- Sear the chicken. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Heat the remaining one tablespoon of olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes with the skin side down, until they're golden brown. Then, flip the chicken and sear the other side for 2 to 3 minutes. The chicken will not be fully cooked at this point.
- Bake the chicken. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake the chicken thighs for 15 to 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F (70°C).
- Garnish and serve. Remove the chicken from the oven, let it rest for 5 minutes, and garnish with extra lime slices and cilantro leaves before serving.
Lisa’s Tips
- Storage tip: Leftovers will stay fresh in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- I always recommend using a meat thermometer since most ovens vary as much as 50 degrees in temperature.
- Experiment with different chili powders in this recipe (and always feel free to add a little more!). Grocery stores are now carrying different varieties of chili powder like guajillo or chipotle.
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally posted August 2020, but updated to include new photos and information for your benefit!
Your recipes never disappoint and this was no exception! My family loved this thank you!
Great to hear the whole family enjoyed this cilantro lime chicken, Ashleigh!
Oh my gosh, I made this this week for midweek dinner and hubby and I both blown away by the taste. I used Maryland pieces and spinach instead of thighs and coriander. I will turn down the oven temp next time as the skin was a little overdone but this will now be a regular meal for us. Thank you Lisa
You’re more than welcome, Kylee! I’m so glad you and the hubby loved it!
Amazing recipes and everyone wanted seconds! So glad I doubled the recipe so that we will have leftovers for tomorrow. I also made the cilantro lime rice as a side and it was delicious. Shared the recipes with friends because this is too good not to share! Thank you!
Aww, thanks so much for sharing this recipe with your friends, Robin! I really appreciate that. :) And I’m thrilled that you loved it. The cilantro rice is a great side pairing as well.
Dear Lisa
Thank You for this delicious recipe. I added 1/4 cup chicken broth and 2 teaspoons of corn starch to the left over marinade and deglazed the cooking pan with this to make a delicious gravy to serve with the chicken.
I enjoy all the recipes I try from your recipes
Thank You
Hi Janice – that’s a wonderful idea to deglaze the pan and make a sauce. Thanks for sharing that tip! And I’m so thrilled you’re enjoying all of my recipes. :)
Tangy and oh so flavorful! For my cilantro loving husband, this recipe made it to his top 10 list. I can’t wait to make it again!
Hi Colleen – This chicken dish will certainly satisfy any cilantro lovers around the table. Glad it was a hit!
Simple to make and delicious! It’s light and bright, perfect for spring and summer!
Hi Melanie – Can’t beat these bright flavors for spring and summer! Glad you enjoyed this recipe.
What a great recipe!
It was easy to make and tasted delicious!
Happy to hear you loved this cilantro lime chicken, Sophie!
Delicious recipe! Thanks.
Happy to hear you enjoyed this cilantro lime chicken!
I have made cilantro lime chicken dish many occasions. I always get compliments on how tasty it is. It is my go to for a fast dinner.
Thrilled to hear this cilantro line chicken has been a hit every single time, Elizabeth!
DELICIOUS !!!! Perfect dinner for my family. Everyone loved it. THANK YOU
Hi Cora – Happy to hear this cilantro lime chicken was a hit!
This looks AMAZING. Would a Le Creuset dutch oven do the same job as your Staub enameled cast iron? Any ideas how they are different? Would really appreciate your thoughts, thanks!
Hi Serena – yes, either brand will work!
I made this with my daughter. She enjoyed juicing the limes and making the marinade. I even showed her how to sear the chicken.
Glad you both enjoyed making this cilantro lime chicken! Sounds like she’s a chef already.
The flavor on this chicken was so good! We grilled them outside and they turned out perfect! 🤩
Grilling this cilantro lime chicken sounds amazing, Trisha. Enjoy!
I love it when I make something for my guys and they rave about it. Made this tonight with the Mexican rice recipe. It is a winner in our home! I highly recommend this recipe! You won’t be sorry!
It’s always so satisfying to whip up a meal the rest of the family can enjoy! Glad these chicken thighs were a hit, Lyn.
My husband and I love this dish so much. We do taco Tuesdays with the leftover chicken. Yum!!!
Hi Maria – What a great idea on using the leftovers for chicken tacos! Sounds delicious, enjoy.
This cilantro lime chicken recipe was awesome! My whole family loved it, even the grandchildren. The combination of cilantro and lime together was delicious! I’ll be making this again soon! Thank you for sharing!!
Glad this cilantro lime chicken was a hit, Barb! Can’t wait for you to make this again.
Made this yesterday and the chicken bursted with flavor! I skipped the searing step and heat the chicken thighs in the oven at 425°F for 40 min. Thank you! Love your healthy recipes!
So glad you loved this cilantro lime chicken!
Delicious recipe. Made it tonight for supper. Used dried cilantro and didn’t cook on the stove, just baked it. Came out fantastic! Thank you for the recipe.
Glad you enjoyed this cilantro lime chicken, Nancy!
I’ve made a lot of your chicken recipes, but this recipe was one of the best! Delicious and easy to make! Thank you for sharing this wonderful cilantro chicken! Will make again. Yummy
Happy to hear you enjoyed this cilantro lime chicken, Lise!
Thank you for the delicious recipe! Can you please tell me if the calories are per 100 grams or per 1 serving?
Hi Lika – The nutritional information will always be per serving.
Hubby and I have made this several times and we all love it. Never seems to be enough for leftovers!
Hi Shel – I’m glad you love this cilantro lime chicken! Looks like you’ll need to make a second batch next time.
Seriously delicious. I substituted boneless skinless chicken thighs, which still worked completely fine. Thank you!
Awesome, so happy you loved the recipe, Kristina!
I made this 10/26/23. Really good and a nice change from my typical chicken recipes. The cilantro gave it a good “south of the border” flavor without overpowering the others. I used fresh cilantro and dried the rest. Not sure that dried will preserve the unique flavor of fresh.
The lime (don’t forget the zest!) added just enough zip to make it interesting.
Love the recipe. Thanks for sharing it.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this cilantro lime Chicken, Jeff!
Delicious recipe! My family enjoyed it immensely; thank you.
Wonderful, happy to hear it!
My husband and I loved this dish! I made it with chicken marylands and thus needed to bake the chicken a little longer. Delicious! I served it with your cilantro and lime cauliflower rice and a dollop of Greek yogurt. Will be adding this to our ‘favorites’ menu. Thank you so much for your delicious recipes!
I’m thrilled you and your husband enjoyed this cilantro lime chicken and the cauliflower rice, Nicola!
I used boneless skinless chicken breasts and just baked them. They are delicious! The marinade is so flavorful.
Glad this worked out great with boneless skinless chicken breasts!
Absolutely delicious! I used boneless and skinless chicken thighs, reduced the cooking time by 10 minutes and it was perfect. This recipe makes perfect leftovers.
Glad you’re loving this cilantro lime chicken, Amnita!
Love the flavors. I’m keeping marinade recipe,
but think for me, stovetop frying creates so much
mess and clean-up. Next time I will cook the marinated
chicken in oven. Saves time snd still get the nice crisp on
the skin. Otherwise would be a 5-star for me.
Great flavors and spot on instructions. Have made this multiple times already
I tried multiple different recipes of this dish and this turned out to be the best so far! Sooooo good.
Glad you’re loving this chicken recipe Neha!
Used this marinade for broiled pork chops; the chops came out tender and delicious!
How delicious! Glad you made use of the cilantro lime marinade.
Always delicious.
We did this recipe with 2 thighs and 2 legs and measured everything. It looked wonderful and came out of the oven looking exactly like the photo on the recipe. However, even though we marinated the well thawed chicken for four hours, the chicken really didn’t take on any of the flavors of the spices, probably because the recipe only called for a half teaspoon of cumin and a half teaspoon of chili powder along with a 1/4 cup of cilantro and the juice and zest of two limes. This recipe came out tasting like pretty much any baked chicken with none of the spice flavors making the show. It was edible, and who doesn’t like baked chicken, but for the effort we were disappointed. I’ll try it again with maybe triple the cumin and chili powder and double the honey. Something to give the dish some flavor. Fail!
OMG this recipe is FANTASTIC could not stop talking about it and this website. Everything is so delicious! We ate this chicken with the corn salad, AMAZING! A newbie here to clean eating and lactose intolerant, I’m more satisfied with the delicious and fresh tasting food, I feel like I’m eating in a gourmet restaurant. I have lost 10 pounds in 3 weeks and I have loved every bit of it, I have zero cravings for junk and sugary foods. I’m glad I found this page, keep up the great work!
Thrilled to hear you’re loving this recipe and are doing so well, keep it up!
This recipe is gold!! I make this for my husband and myself almost weekly. It’s perfect, even when you don’t have time for the oven and make it only on the stovetop, it is perfect every time. I couple it with the cilantro lime rice and it’s a staple meal in our house! Flavorful and satisfying AND clean, as are all of Lisa’s recipes I’ve tried! Oh, and it’s amazing for meal prep, i just double the recipe, put the thighs in the marinade and separate them into 2 stasher bags, then stick one in the fridge and one in the freezer for later. Do this and you’re future self will thank your past self on busy night when you need a quick healthy dinner!
Happy to hear both you and your husband are loving this cilantro lime chicken Heather!
This recipe is so flavorful and so easy to make, you can’t mess up this recipe. This recipe is just as good without the cilantro which I forgot to get and did the recipe anyway.
Happy to hear you’re loving this cilantro lime chicken Mary!
I’ve been making this recipe on and off for two years and just love so much. My family loves it too and that’s always a plus. It’s so full of lovely flavors and goes amazing with the cilantro lime rice. If you want to really make it all about the like and cilantro, try her cabbage, bacon and lime salad. Yum yum yum! Although this is a perfect summer recipe, I often make it in the winter to deter the winter blues.
The perfect combination with the cilantro lime bacon slaw! Thanks for sharing the idea and leaving a review as well Sara :)
I have to admit I fear chicken thighs, but have had some luck with overcooking them until all of the fat melts away. Because every recipe of yours that I’ve tried has been 5 stars, I bravely attempted this one. I’m so glad I did!! It was easy, and so flavorful! I used skinless thighs (baby steps) and cooked them according to your skin-on instructions. There was very little fat left and they looked as delicious as they tasted. I served them with your Cauliflower Fried Rice recipe. Thank you, Lisa!
I’m so glad you ended up loving this cilantro lime chicken Gina!
Making this was easy! Highly recommend!
Glad you enjoyed this cilantro lime chicken!
This recipe really did pack a punch of wonderful flavor. I used leg and thigh quarters since I had then. I will use the thighs next time. We paired this with the Mexican rice ( so good) and a side salad.
Sounds like a wonderful combination of recipes. So happy you enjoyed it!
I’ve made this five or six times, now. Tonight my wife asked for “that thing with the chicken and green stuff” and I knew exactly what she meant. It’s the kind of thing that you enjoy eating on the night, but are also thinking about the leftovers all the time until lunch the next day.
Happy to hear this chicken recipe has been such a winner!
Very high praise from my two very “tell it like it is” guys. As my son was going back for seconds he said it is really good. My husband gave his Groot response, pretty good. The way he said it lets me know he really likes it as well. It all in the tone. :) I only had boneless skinless thighs and it was really good. I am definitely going to try bone-in with skin thighs next time. I’m sure that will take it to the next level.
Happy to hear this recipe pleased your son and husband Lindsey!
very good marinade for grilling too.
So good and so easy! I can never find chicken thighs with skin, so made with skinless thighs and marinated for 1-hour. I can’t wait to have the leftovers tomorrow. Definitely going into the regular rotation.
Not sure where you live, but in Southern California, Stater Bros. Grocery is known for having the best meat dept. and they always have thighs with skin.
Absolutely fabulous recipe. Great bright flavors. Thanks, Lisa!
Glad you enjoyed this cilantro lime chicken Alan!
Even my fussy boyfriend approves! Big thumbs up! & definitely use the cast iron
I made this with boneless skinless chicken breast. I made it in the skillet. OH MY GOSH hands down best chicken I’ve ever had. And I paired it with the Mexican rice and a side of frozen corn! Thank you for the delicious recipes :)
Happy to hear this turned out great with boneless skinless chicken breast!
Can you make with boneless skin off as well?
You can, however the cooking time will be much less if you’re just pan searing the chicken, which will be about 5-7 minutes on each side.
Delish! Made for first time and won’t be last. Skipped step on top stove and cooked in oven.
Good to know this all turned out perfectly just in the oven Sally!
Hi any ideas on making this recipe with fish?
You can use the same marinade, but the cooking time will be different, depending on if you’re pan searing or baking in the oven.
I would love to make this recipe but I only have boneless thighs. Is there a difference in cooking time on the stove and oven?
Yes, boneless thighs cook faster, so check them about 10 minutes sooner.
What size pan are you using? Thank you :)
I’m using my Staub 12″ frying pan! You can find it linked in the recipe notes towards the bottom of the recipe card :)