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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Lisa says
May 9, 2019 at 2:34 pm“All -star” recipe is right on!! Easy and fast, and absolutely delicious! Came out better than I expected — shared with my coworkers and they loved it!! Thank you!
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
May 9, 2019 at 3:02 pmI am so glad to hear it, Lisa! Thank you!
Holly Lam says
May 1, 2019 at 2:16 amThis sauce is insanely good! My entire family practically licked their plates clean (even my mom and sister who are extremely picky-eaters)! Thank you so much for this recipe! Finally enjoy cooking again 🙂
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
May 1, 2019 at 6:41 pmYay! So glad you enjoyed it, Holly
Aranka Griffett says
April 2, 2019 at 3:24 amThe lime coriander chicken was lovly i had heaps of sauce can i freeze it and use a slow cooker with the leftover?
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
April 3, 2019 at 9:24 amYou can reserve the sauce for later use, Aranka. Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Michele says
February 26, 2019 at 7:19 pmWhole 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
February 28, 2019 at 11:01 amThanks for sharing, Michele! So glad
Luz Hernandez says
February 17, 2019 at 6:57 pmGreat flavor the only thing I added was cumin, but that is a personal choice. Substituted paprika with cayenne pepper
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
February 19, 2019 at 12:55 pmAwesome, Luz! Thanks for sharing your variation
Carrie says
January 7, 2019 at 9:23 pmOh 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
January 4, 2019 at 8:29 amMy husband said this is the best chicken I’ve ever made. My 3 kids gobbled it up too!!!
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
January 6, 2019 at 1:03 pmApril, that’s great to hear! Thank you.
Carrie says
January 2, 2019 at 9:47 pmThis was excellent
★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
January 3, 2019 at 10:09 amThanks, Carrie! So glad
Teresa Diaz says
December 29, 2018 at 11:19 amThis 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
December 30, 2018 at 10:24 amWonderful, Teresa! Thanks for giving it a try!
Carla says
December 16, 2018 at 10:40 pmDo you have an Instant Pot version of this recipe?
Suzy Karadsheh says
December 17, 2018 at 3:16 pmHi 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
November 28, 2018 at 10:57 pmIs this good as a make ahead meal?
Suzy Karadsheh says
December 11, 2018 at 2:33 pmYou 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
November 2, 2018 at 6:52 amHello,
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
November 15, 2018 at 4:08 pmNo, I don’t typically just brown the chicken. Better to make the whole thing and reheat later.
LB says
October 29, 2018 at 11:53 pmI 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
October 30, 2018 at 4:33 pmSo glad this worked out for your dinner with friends! Thanks for sharing.
Loren C says
October 23, 2018 at 7:35 pmThis was great. Transferred to casserole dish since my skillet is too small. Even my picky eater liked it!!
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
October 23, 2018 at 9:06 pmLove hearing this, Loren! Thanks for sharing
Jules S says
October 22, 2018 at 3:23 pmThis 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
October 23, 2018 at 10:12 amThank you so much for sharing, Jules! I agree the sauce is so good!
Barbra says
October 18, 2018 at 12:27 amOh 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
October 20, 2018 at 3:50 pmBarbara, 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
October 15, 2018 at 4:13 pmLooks 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
January 11, 2019 at 2:51 pmNeil, 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
January 12, 2019 at 1:05 pmA splatter screen is a great idea! I just ordered another. Thank you, Laura for the kind comment!
Gail says
October 15, 2018 at 4:45 amMy family loved this recipe, I will certainly be making this one again
Thank you
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
October 15, 2018 at 2:17 pmAwesome, Gail! Thank you!
Kate says
August 26, 2018 at 12:17 amExcellent. Delicious. I think I’d recommend reducing (reserving the cooked chicken) after roasting.
Thank you!
★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
August 26, 2018 at 5:20 pmThanks, Kate! Glad you enjoyed it!