Cilantro Lime Chicken – Easy Meal Prep Option

Tired of boring grilled chicken? This easy Cilantro Lime Chicken recipe adds so much bright and zingy flavor to plain ol’ chicken, and is the perfect protein option for a quick and delicious main course or a make-ahead meal prep.

Grilled chicken is a convenient and popular protein option, but plain seasoned grilled chicken can get a little boring. But, with just a handful of ingredients that bring in lovely flavors from Mexican cuisine, humble chicken breasts or thighs are transformed into an incredible delicious and easy protein option for lunch, dinner, or meal preps. These are delicious as is, with your favorite sides, or sliced up in tacos, rice bowls, salads, and wraps/sandwiches.

Ingredients for Cilantro Lime Chicken

Chicken

You can use either boneless chicken breast or thighs in this recipes. I’ve tried both and can confirm that either option is delicious thanks to the cilantro lime marinade. You can also totally try this recipe with bone-in chicken pieces, such as drumsticks, bone-in thighs/breast, etc. Just be aware that additional cooking time will be required for bone-in pieces. For an easy way to test if your chicken is cooked through, use a meat thermometer and cook chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fresh Lime

Use the real thing! No bottled lime juice can compare to the fresh zesty flavor of freshly squeezed lime juice.

Fresh Cilantro

Cilantro is the star ingredient of this recipe if you ask me. It adds so much bright herbal flavor and makes for a beautiful garnish. Herbs in general are a secret weapon when it comes to adding loads of flavor without overdoing it with salt, as you’ll see in the recipe below.

Garlic

Fresh garlic is another powerful flavor weapon that I absolutely LOVE. But, if you do not have fresh garlic when making this recipe, you can always get a similar flavor with granulated garlic by substituting 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic per 1 clove of fresh garlic.

Cumin

Ground cumin, featured in many Mexican and Mexican-inspired recipes, is a seasoning that rounds all the flavors together and adds a nice hearty note to the marinade. I would not recommend leaving it out!

Honey

Honey lends a sweetness that balances the sourness of the lime. The sugars from the honey also allow the chicken to slightly caramelize while cooking, producing those yummy crispy bits and grill marks that also contribute to the flavor of this dish.

How to Make Cilantro Lime Chicken

Make the marinade

The cilantro lime marinade is what makes this dish and it could not be any easier to make. Just throw all marinade ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend it up. I personally use my Magic Bullet Blender when making any marinade or dressing. I love how compact, yet powerful it is!

Marinate the chicken

Once the marinade is blended up, it’s time to marinate your chicken. You can do this by combining the chicken and marinade in either a large zip top bag, a Tupperware with a lid, or a bowl covered with plastic wrap/foil. Toss to coat all the chicken in the marinade and then pop it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors seep into the meat.

Grill the chicken

Once you are ready to cook the chicken, I strongly recommend taking it out of the fridge and letting it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes first. This is to let the chicken come to temperature after being in the fridge for a while, so that when you cook it, the outside of the chicken won’t burn before the inside is cooked. To cook, follow the recipe below. You can use a large skillet or grill pan indoors or may choose to use an outdoor grill. I’ve done both and they both do the job just fine.

What to Serve with Cilantro Lime Chicken

Here are a few recommendations for what to eat with Cilantro Lime Chicken:

• Serve with your favorite sides: My go-tos are rice and beans, roasted veggies and potatoes, sautéed peppers and onions, and my Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes.
• In tacos: Slice up and serve in tortillas, topped with your preferred taco toppings, such as avocado, jalapeño peppers, slaw, sour cream, cheese, salsa or pickled onions.
• In a salad: Just like any grilled protein, sliced or diced Cilantro Lime Chicken is a wise addition to any salad. I enjoy tossed it with lettuce, avocado, corn, black beans, red onion (or pickled red onion), and a little sharp feta or queso fresco. YUM!
• In a wrap or sandwich: I especially love leftovers of this chicken because they make for a quick and convenient add-in to any wrap or sandwich, especially with some crisp lettuce, juicy tomato, creamy avocado, and melty cheddar cheese.

WHAT’S BETTER ABOUT THIS RECIPE?

High in flavor; low in sodium

Thanks to the bold flavors in the marinade from the lime, cilantro, garlic, and cumin, you really do not need much salt to achieve a flavorful dish. Salt isn’t evil and we do actually need some sodium in our diets to maintain fluid balance, conduct nerve impulses, and contract and relax muscles, but excess sodium intake can increase blood pressure, which is a risk factor for heart disease.

Protein-packed

Chicken is a convenient popular source of protein. Paired with your favorite sides or incorporated into any lunch or dinner, Cilantro Lime Chicken will add a boost of protein to your meal. In my opinion, protein is such an underrated nutrient and does not get enough praise when it comes to staying healthy, as does fiber and healthy fats. To name just a few benefits, protein helps us maintain and grow muscles, which is a HUGE part of healthy aging; it helps with satiety and cravings; and it aids in the production of hormones and enzymes.

Convenient

So many people struggle with putting a healthy meal together due to lack of time. By dedicating time on one day of your week to batch cook several options to have available to heat and eat the rest of the week (aka meal prepping), you will have a delicious and nutritious meal ready when your schedule doesn’t allow time to cook. This recipe is convenient in the sense that it can be made ahead and the reheated throughout the week.

Print Pin

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Full of bright zingy flavors and so easy to put together, Cilantro Lime Chicken is a tasty protein option for a weeknight dinner or weekly meal prep!

Course Main Course

Keyword Dinner, Lunch

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Equipment

• Blender, bullet, or food processor

Ingredients

For Cilantro Lime Marinade

• ½ cup cilantro
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 2 limes, juiced about ¼ cup lime juice
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp honey
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp salt

For Chicken

• 1 lb chicken breast or thighs boneless and skinless
• 1-2 limes sliced into wedges
• 2 tbsp cilantro leaves for garnish

Instructions

• Add the marinade ingredients to a blender, bullet, or food processor and blend until completely broken down. Marinade should look like a smooth bright green salad dressing.
• Place chicken breast or thighs in a large bowl or Tupperware. Pour marinade over chicken and toss to evenly coat all the chicken with marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. The longer you let it dit, the more flavorful the chicken will be.
• When you are ready to cook the chicken, take it out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. The marinade has enough oil so that you shouldn't need to cook the chicken in additional oil. Add chicken and cook for 5-7 minutes per side, depending on thickness of the chicken. Chicken is cooked through when the internal temperate reaches 165° F.
• Transfer cooked chicken to a platter. Serve with lime wedges and garnish with cilantro leaves.