Cilantro Lime Chicken is both simple and flavorful! Pair it with cilantro-lime rice and mango avocado salsa for a fresh and delicious meal.
author’s note
Grill It, Slice It, Watch It Disappear!
I first made this Cilantro Lime Chicken for a last-minute patio dinner with friends. The marinade came together in minutes with lime juice, zest, garlic, cilantro, honey, cumin, salt, and pepper.
Simple ingredients with big flavor. While the chicken marinated, I made my quick mango salsa on the side. As soon as it hit the grill, the lime and garlic smell had everyone hovering.
I served the chicken over cilantro lime rice with scoops of salsa, and it disappeared fast. Everyone asked for the recipe before they even finished eating and a few made it the very next day. It’s been my go-to ever since.
How To Make Cilantro-Lime Chicken
- Whisk together the marinade: Remove about 1/2 cup of the marinade (we’ll use it later).
- Prep the chicken: You want to pound chicken breasts to an even thickness so they’ll cook evenly later on. This is best accomplished by a meat mallet.
- Marinate: Place the chicken in the marinade and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
- Cook: Grill, bake, or saute the chicken until it reaches 165 degrees F. (Take the guesswork out by using a digital meat thermometer.)
- Baste: As you cook the chicken, brush it occasionally with the reserved marinade mix.
Recipe Tips
- Even thickness = even cooking. Slice the chicken in half or pound it so it cooks evenly and soaks up more marinade.
- Oil the grill. Soak a paper towel in oil (I use canola), grab it with tongs, and rub it on the grates so the chicken doesn’t stick.
- Preheat the grill. A hot grill gives the chicken a better sear and keeps it juicy.
- Brush with marinade. While it cooks, brush on the reserved marinade for extra flavor.
- Let it rest. Tent with foil and rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing to keep it juicy.
Quick Tip
Mangoes have a large pit inside and that makes it tricky to slice them. Here’s a helpful visual guide: how to cut a mango.
Fun Serving Twists
- Street-style tacos: Shred the chicken, pile into warm corn tortillas, and top with pickled onions.
- Burrito bowls: Layer cilantro-lime rice, black beans, grilled corn, and chopped chicken. Finish with lime crema.
- Stuffed sweet potatoes: Split baked sweets, fill with chicken, mango salsa, and a drizzle of hot honey.
- Quesadilla night: Thinly slice leftovers and press with Pepper Jack between tortillas.
- Summer salad jars: Layer chopped romaine, corn, beans, chicken, and salsa in a mason jar for grab-and-go lunches.
Alternate Cooking Methods
Use a cooking thermometer to check if the chicken is done—make sure it hits 165°F. Undercooked chicken isn’t safe to eat, and overcooked chicken gets dry.
- Baked: Heat oven to 425°F. Place chicken on a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake for about 18 minutes, flipping it halfway through. Let it sit under foil for 5–10 minutes before cutting.
- Sautéed: Add 1 tablespoon oil to a pan and heat it over medium-high temp. Cook chicken 4–6 minutes per side, brushing on the saved marinade as it cooks. Move the chicken to a clean plate and let it sit under foil for 5–10 minutes.
Cilantro-Lime Chicken Sides:
Healthy
Peach Fruit Salad
Salads
Mandarin Orange Salad
Side Dishes
Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Side Dishes
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Cilantro Lime Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 batch mango-avocado salsa
- cilantro-lime rice or coconut-lime rice, optional
Instructions
- Zest orange and lime with a zester to get 1 teaspoon of zest from each. Juice them using a citrus juicer to get 3/4 cup orange juice and 1/3 cup lime juice.
- Whisk together all marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup marinade and pour the rest into a large resealable bag.
- Trim chicken of fat. Pound chicken to even thickness or slice in half to get evenly sized breasts and place in bag with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and flip the bag halfway through. Marinate for up to 6 hours.
- Preheat the grill to 450°F and lightly oil the grill grate or grill pan. Place the marinated chicken on the grill, discarding any leftover marinade. For baking or pan-searing options, refer to the "Alternate Cooking Methods" section in the full post.
- Grill for 10–12 minutes or until chicken juices run clear and internal temperature is 165℉ (see note 1). Flip chicken halfway and brush it generously with reserved 1/2 cup marinade.
- Prepare mango-avocado salsa.
- If desired, prepare cilantro-lime or coconut rice.
- Serve grilled chicken over a bed of rice (if prepared) and top with mango-avocado salsa. Enjoy immediately!
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Cilantro Lime Chicken FAQs
Thirty minutes gives good flavor, but 4 hours is the sweet spot. Longer than 24 hours can toughen the meat.
Yes. You pulled it out before adding raw chicken, so it never touched raw meat.
Always pull chicken at 165°F in the thickest part for juicy results.
This recipe is a staple and a FAVORITE in my house. Although a good amount of prep work, it definitely makes a difference in the taste and aroma. We serve this chicken with Chelsea’s “Mango Salsa” and coconut rice. THIS RECIPE IS A MUST!
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Raquel!
Hi! I noticed the amounts changed for the orange juice and lime juice. Not sure if this was a mistake or not (I have a screenshot of the original recipe and it uses 3/4c oj and 1/3 lime.
I’m not sure how that happened. Thanks so much for pointing that out, I’ve fixed it 🙂 Super appreciate you commenting; thanks!
Hi! Did you change the recipe recently? I could have sworn it was orange juice instead of oranges?
No same recipe 🙂 It is orange juice, see step 1, you’ll zest and juice oranges to get orange juice
Ohh ok. I love this so much! Making it with shrimp right now! (the marinate) and with a salad.
Delish! So happy you’re enjoying!
With The amount of oranges remains the same or you do it per pound?
You’ll need 3/4 cup oranges
I have two sons who are athletes and we love to make this chicken in bulk and pack it for lunches! Everyone loves it! Thank you for sharing!
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Becky! 🙂
This was delicious. Great recipe and it was nice and moist which made it fantastic. Made it with the mango salsa and that was also amazing. Thank you. I do however have a question the nutritional information is that per serving or for 6 servings?
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Georgia!:)
Pinterest led me to this recipe & I’ve been meaning to make it for a while now. And the only regret I have was not making it sooner, love how flavorful the chicken is & the mango-avocado salsa is the best! Thank you for sharing!
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂
Unfortunately the sweet marinade caused the chicken to burn on the grill. Salsa is good otherwise wouldn’t recommend.
Did you shake off excess marinade? It shouldn’t burn!
Hello can I use bone in chicken thighs in this
recipe and can I make the chicken in my air fryer or oven
Absolutely, just make sure you’re checking the internal temp as it might cook faster or slower than boneless chicken. Enjoy!
I’ve always heard that citrus in marinades “cook” the meat, or Is that only fish? Is everyone really marinating the chicken for 4-6 hours? Thanks. I hope to try this soon
Hello Karen I was wondering the same thing
No one has as of yet!
This is HANDS DOWN the best chicken recipe I have ever made in my entire life and I cook homemade food 6 nights a week! Legit this combo is *chefs kiss!!! Thank you for sharing this!
I am SO thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Kelsey! What a compliment! 🙂
It says to zest the orange but when watching the video the was only lime zest added to bowl of ingredients
You’ll want orange zest too!