This “saucy” cilantro lime chicken takes on a delicious Mediterranean twist with a special spice mix and a zesty, garlicy sauce. Word to the wise, make every use of the tasty sauce!
Of the many tasty chicken recipes I have featured here, this cilantro lime chicken is most often requested by my biggest critics–the family. It’s also my go-to recipe when I’m looking for a comforting, unpretentious but bold dish to serve company.
Clearly the stars of this recipe are cilantro, lime, and garlic.
But before they come into play, a Mediterranean spice mix, including two of my favorites (paprika and nutmeg), covers the chicken thighs. A little browning in my go-to extra virgin olive oil begins the process. Then the chicken finishes cooking in the oven, allowing the garlicy au jus to work it’s magic in tenderizing and imparting amazing flavor.
What to Serve with Cilantro Lime Chicken
You get a lot of au jus with this cilantro lime chicken; that’s liquid gold my friend! It tastes way too good to waste; be sure to have your favorite crusty bread to sop it up. You can also serve it on top of some rice, couscous, or orzo pasta.
I do often serve this with Greek potatoes and a simple salad like Fattoush.
WATCH HOW TO MAKE THIS CILANTRO LIME CHICKEN
Cilantro Lime Chicken Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 pieces 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
All-star cilantro lime chicken recipe, prepared Mediterranean-style with a special spice mix. Cooked to tender perfection in a tasty garlic and lime sauce.
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
- Private Reserve Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 limes, juice of
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 bunch cilantro, stems removed, chopped; more for garnish
Spice mix:
- 1 tbsp seasoned salt like this one
- 1 tsp sweet Spanish paprika (or hot paprika, if you like)
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, mix the spices. Pat the chicken thighs dry, and season each thigh on both sides with the spice mix. Be sure to season underneath the skin as well. Let the chicken thighs sit in room temperature for about 15 minutes.
- When ready, heat 1-2 tbsp of olive oil in a cast iron skillet with a lid like this one. Brown the chicken thighs deeply on both sides in the heated oil. Remove from skillet and set aside briefly.
- Lower the heat and deglaze the skillet with the white wine. Let cook to reduce and then add the broth.
- Bring the liquid to a simmer then add lime juice and garlic.
- Now return the chicken to the skillet; and toss in the cilantro. Bring to a high-simmer for about 5 minutes or so.
- Cover and transfer to the 375 degree F-heated oven for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with more cilantro, if you like.
- A simple fattoush salad and a side of rice, couscous or Greek potatoes complete this chicken dinner.
Notes
- Recommended for this Recipe our Greek Private Reserve extra virgin olive oil (organically grown and processed in Greece!); all-natural paprika, and all-natural ground nutmeg.
- SAVE! Create your own 3-pack or 6-pack of our all-natural or organic spices! Or try our Ultimate Mediterranean Spice Bundle
- Category: Entree
- Method: Braised or Baked
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: Cilantro Lime Chicken, Cilantro Lime Chicken Recipe, Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs, Baked Chicken, Baked Cilantro Lime Chicken
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Michele says
Whole family loved this. I used boneless skinless and rather than put them in the oven for an hour I let them simmer on the stove top. Turned out great!
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Thanks for sharing, Michele! So glad
Luz Hernandez says
Great flavor the only thing I added was cumin, but that is a personal choice. Substituted paprika with cayenne pepper
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Awesome, Luz! Thanks for sharing your variation
Carrie says
Oh my word this dish was wonderful! I ended up substituting Mrs. Dash Table Blend for the seasoning salt simply because I was out, but it was still so good!! My picky kids ate it up!
★★★★★
April says
My husband said this is the best chicken I’ve ever made. My 3 kids gobbled it up too!!!
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
April, that’s great to hear! Thank you.
Carrie says
This was excellent
★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Thanks, Carrie! So glad
Teresa Diaz says
This recipe is delicious! I was looking for something to really give the chicken flavor and this was it! I checked it at 35 minutes and it was done. Thank you for this recipe!
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Wonderful, Teresa! Thanks for giving it a try!
Carla says
Do you have an Instant Pot version of this recipe?
Suzy Karadsheh says
Hi Carla, I do not personally have one, but with many of the recipes, I typically use the guide that came along with the Instant Pot to see what’s recommended.
Angela says
Is this good as a make ahead meal?
Suzy Karadsheh says
You can make this a day or two in advance, Angela. Refrigerate in a tight-lid glass container. You can warm it up in a medium-heated oven.
Michelle says
Hello,
Have you ever browned the chicken ahead of time and cooked it in the oven later on when guests arrived? I’m having company over and wanted to have it prepped ahead of time
Thank you,
Suzy Karadsheh says
No, I don’t typically just brown the chicken. Better to make the whole thing and reheat later.
LB says
I made this recipe last year for some friends and they loved it. I paired with coconut rice and vegetables. It was a wonderful tasty delight. We even ate it the next day for brunch. Thank you for posting the great recipe.
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
So glad this worked out for your dinner with friends! Thanks for sharing.
Loren C says
This was great. Transferred to casserole dish since my skillet is too small. Even my picky eater liked it!!
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Love hearing this, Loren! Thanks for sharing
Jules S says
This is delightful. Company loves it every time and can prepare other stuff while In oven. My husbands faveorite meal for dinners at home. Is simple to make, inexpensive and we call it the “liquid gold chicken”. The sauce is soooooo good. Serve w rice or rice cauliflower, salad and bread, just as you mentioned. It’s the perfect meal. Thank you!!!!!
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Thank you so much for sharing, Jules! I agree the sauce is so good!
Barbra says
Oh my goodness, this was amazing! The flavors blended so well and it tasted fabulous. I used boneless and skinless thighs and browned the meat briefly in a cast iron skillet. I also used red wine instead of white because I had a half bottle of good dry red leftover. I did everything else exactly as the recipe called for. Outstanding and my husband loved it too. Thanks for always providing flavorful and quick recipes! Have been getting your weekly newsletter and cooking your recipes for about a year and am never disappointed.
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Barbara, thank you so much! This chicken dish is a family favorite, and I’m excited to hear your twist using boneless thighs and red wine. Thank you for the kind note.
Neil says
Looks delicious! Question: the one reason I often hesitate to cook a recipe that calls for searing chicken in a cast iron pan is the mess. How do you avoid oil splatters everywhere?
Laura says
Neil, consider getting a splatter screen – it’s a fine mesh screen that you place over pans and pots to keep the oil splatters under control. I use it when frying bacon and cooking moisture-heavy foods in oil…so many fewer arm burns now! Just try to use a pan with tall enough sides that you can rest the screen on top without it touching your food.
Suzy, this is one of my favorite recipes; it’s so flavorful! I like to serve it with roasted sweet potato chunks and blanched-then-pan-seared green beans.
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
A splatter screen is a great idea! I just ordered another. Thank you, Laura for the kind comment!
Gail says
My family loved this recipe, I will certainly be making this one again
Thank you
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Awesome, Gail! Thank you!
Kate says
Excellent. Delicious. I think I’d recommend reducing (reserving the cooked chicken) after roasting.
Thank you!
★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Thanks, Kate! Glad you enjoyed it!
Lynn Barrett says
What size cast iron skillet…need dimensions please…I bought what was in the image you send folks to, but it says a deep dish 5 QT cast iron …when I got it home it looks too deep — it is deeper than 3 1/2. closer to 4 1/2 or 5. Will that work? I can’t seem to find a “skillet” with cast iron top. At any rate what diameter of the skillet should I search for and is 3 1/2 the right depth?
Suzy Karadsheh says
That should work too, Lynn. Or if you have a large cast iron skillet that does not have a lid, you can use foil to tightly cover.
Cynthia says
Is sweet Spanish paprika the same as regular paprika or smoked paprika? If it isn’t, could I substitute either of those two? Thanks!
Suzy Karadsheh says
Hi Cynthia, sweet paparika is also referred to as paprika sometimes. But smoked paprika has a different taste, a bit deeper and on the smoky side.
Laura says
So yummy! It is a staple recipe in my home!!!
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Glad to hear it, Laura!
Shelley says
Finally made this tonight! My kitchen smells amazing,and the dish is delicious,thanks!!
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Yay! Glad you enjoyed it
Cassandra Lipnicki says
Amazing! Definitely a winner, and will go on my regular rotation! Loved it!
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Awesome, Cassandra! Thank you for sharing!
Maria says
Can I use chicken stock instead of broth? Also I don’t have a cast iron skillet, blasphemy I know… what’s a good alternative?
Suzy Karadsheh says
Maria, you can totally use chicken stock. If you don’t have an oven safe skillet, you can just move the chicken pieces and everything to an oven-save baking dish before you place it in the oven.
Jill Yamway says
One of the best chicken dishes I’ve ever made! Thanks so much for sharing!
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Yay! Thank you, Jill!
David says
Hi Suzy
Oh my!!!!!
That juice is something special. Love this dish. I am a huge fan of coriander and your use of this fragrant spice with lime is just divine.
I paired this up with your mujadara rice and lentils dish. Previously I would have had plain rice, which is great, but I have been looking to increase my fibre intake with meals and this just hits the spot…..separate review for that one!
Web site visitor – if you are reading this review just stop and start cooking, you will not be disappointed!
David
★★★★★
Laura says
Never mind the question I just sent – I missed it but found the garlic now, thank you!
Laura says
What do you do with the garlic cloves, when are they added? Thanks!
Katie says
If I dont have a stove top, can I just keep cooking in cast iron pot?
Suzy Karadsheh says
Sure! enjoy!
Evita says
This is by FAR the best chicken I’ve ever had or ever made.
I’ve made it now for at least 20 times. There’s such a balanced symphony of flavors,
where the lime, cilantro and garlic stand out, but not in an overpowering way. Truly awesome!
At first, was a bit concerned to use an entire bunch of cilantro but it is perfect!
The one thing I’ve changed is to reduce the wine/broth by half. There are STILL plenty of juices for your rice or whatever. Also, reducing the liquids concentrate the flavors more.
I don’t have the right pot to cook it on the stove, so I brown the chicken thighs, put them in my oven safe dish and then make the sauce in the pot the chicken was browned in, then pour the sauce on top of the chicken thighs and then braise in the oven, under foil, at 375 degrees for 45-60 minutes.
Outstanding dish!
★★★★★
maureen says
OMG. My husband, who doesn’t cook often, made this dish and it was so AMAZING. The cilantro does NOT overpower the dish.
Will make this dish forever.
Suzy Karadsheh says
So glad to hear it, Maureen!