This Cilantro Lime Marinade for Chicken, with a little olive oil, lime, cilantro, and garlic, tenderizes the meat and creates incredible flavor in just 30 minutes of marinating time. We love to serve this chicken as a main dish with sides, or it is delicious added in bowls, salads, tacos, and quesadillas.
What we love about this Cilantro and Lime Chicken Marinade
The Cilantro Lime Chicken develops a tangy garlicky goodness from this simple marinade. With just a few simple ingredients: olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, garlic, cilantro, and seasonings, the chicken develops amazing flavor and texture. The acidity from the lime juice helps to actually break down the connective tissues in the meat, making it more tender. It also makes the chicken more juicy and flavorful. I love eating it as a main dish with sides, but it also adds great flavor to other southwestern dishes.
We love how quickly the marinade works! You only need to marinate the chicken for 30 minutes since the lime juice in the marinade can start to break down the chicken if marinated for too long. You can marinate it for up to 2 hours for additional marinating time if desired, but after that, the lime juice can start to break down the meat enough that the texture is less desirable.
We love this chicken with our Cilantro Lime Chicken and Rice. This southwestern dish with black beans, rice, green chiles, tomatoes, red pepper, and cheese tastes delicious with the Cilantro Lime Chicken.
What you need to make this Chicken Marinade with Lime and Cilantro
You will need the following ingredients:
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts sliced in half horizontally (2 chicken breasts)
- ½ bunch of cilantro, chopped (about ¼ cup)
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2-3 limes)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2-3 garlic cloves)
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade Substitutions
I know what it’s like when you don’t have everything on hand and the last thing you want to do is run to the store and pick something up. Here are a few ideas to substitute items on the ingredients list if needed:
- Another type of oil could substitute for the olive oil.
- You could use chicken thighs instead of breasts, or try the marinade with a protein like shrimp. I would marinate the shrimp though for a very short amount of time (15 minutes) so the lime juice doesn’t break down the shrimp.
- You could add different southwest seasonings like chili powder, coriander, or chipotle powder.
- You could possibly substitute the cilantro for another herb like parsley, though the flavor will be different.
Step-by-step Instructions for Cilantro Lime Marinade for Chicken
Step 1. In a small bowl, whisk together the chopped cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, minced garlic, lime zest, salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the marinade and set aside.
Step 2. In a medium-sized bowl or gallon-sized sealable bag, combine the marinade and the chicken. Turn the chicken until fully covered with the marinade. Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate covered for no more than 2 hours, turning halfway through marinating time.
Step 3. Preheat a large skillet that has a lid to medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and cook on skillet for 4 minutes per side or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 4. Brush the chicken with the reserved marinade.
Tips
- I don’t marinate the chicken longer than about an hour maximum, though you could for 2 hours, because after about 2 hours, the lime juice starts to break down the chicken and essentially starts to cook it. The lime juice tenderizes the chicken and adds great flavor. Marinating for 30 minutes at room temperature works really well in this recipe.
- Using freshly grated lime zest and freshly squeezed lime juice makes a huge difference in the flavor of this dish. When zesting limes, I love using my microplane zester/grater to get finely grated lime zest. It is very sharp and makes it easy to zest the lime. Be careful not to remove the white pith underneath the lime peel as it has a bitter flavor.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Frequently Asked Questions
| How to store the chicken and marinade? |
| a. The chicken can be safely stored in the fridge, covered, for 3-4 days, or kept in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for about 3-4 months for best quality. Thaw chicken completely in the fridge before warming to eat. b. Homemade marinades and sauces typically last about 3-4 days in the fridge if sealed in an airtight container to preserve flavor. With the fresh cilantro and citrus in the marinade, I think it would be best used in the first 24 hours. The acidity from the lime will affect the taste and texture of the other ingredients and the fresh chopped cilantro won’t last long. |
| How to reheat Cilantro Lime Chicken? |
| One way to warm the chicken without it becoming dry is to place it in a covered skillet on low heat with a touch of broth until completely warmed through. You can also stir in a little broth, cover it, and microwave it in 30-second intervals until heated through. |
| What should I serve with this Cilantro Lime Chicken Recipe? |
| Sides could include rice, beans, a roasted vegetable, corn or corn salad, avocado salad, side salad, chips and salsa, a side of fruit, cornbread, or a roll. This chicken can also be used to make other main dishes including salads, rice bowls, tacos, or quesadillas. We like this chicken with our Cilantro Lime Chicken with Rice recipe. |
Cilantro Lime Marinade for Chicken
4
servings40
minutes8
minutes48
minutesThis Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade, with a little olive oil, lime, cilantro, and garlic, tenderizes the meat and creates incredible flavor in just 30 minutes of marinating time. We love to serve this chicken as its own main dish with sides, or it is delicious added in bowls, salads, tacos, and quesadillas.
Ingredients
1 pound 1 boneless skinless chicken breasts sliced in half horizontally (2 chicken breasts)
½ bunch of cilantro, chopped (about ¼ cup)
3 tablespoons 3 olive oil
2 tablespoons 2 fresh lime juice (from 2-3 limes)
2 teaspoons 2 minced garlic (2-3 garlic cloves)
1 teaspoon 1 lime zest
1 teaspoon 1 salt
½ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
Directions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the chopped cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, minced garlic, lime zest, salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne pepper.
- Reserve 1 tablespoon of the marinade and set aside. In a medium-sized bowl or gallon-sized sealable bag, combine the marinade and the chicken. Turn the chicken until fully covered with the marinade. Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate covered for no more than 2 hours, turning halfway through marinating time.
- Preheat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and cook on skillet for 4 minutes per side or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the chicken and set it on a large plate or platter for serving, brush the chicken with the reserved marinade, and serve.
Notes
- This chicken could also be grilled over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes per side or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- The lime juice in the marinade helps tenderize the chicken and enhances the flavor and juiciness. Do not marinade the chicken for more than 2 hours (you can technically go up to four), but I find that after 2 hours, the lime juice starts to break down the chicken and texture.
This looks delicious, I love anything cilantro. Thanks for the great recipe.
Thank you so much! It really gives the chicken so much flavor in a short amount of time. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
I love how easy this is! Perfect marinade…so yummy!
Thank you! This marinade makes the most flavorful chicken! I appreciate your feedback, thank you!
I’m planning to try this cilantro lime marinade for chicken, looks so yummy!
Thank you, I love hearing this! It really is so easy and imparts so much flavor in just 30 minutes. Let me know if you like it, thanks for the great review!
Delicious!!
Thank you so much! We use this all of the time! Thanks for taking the time to stop by and for the positive feedback!