Zippy, garlicky, and bursting with fresh herby flavor, this cilantro lime chicken is an easy dinner you’ll make on repeat!
It’s a blessing that this recipe is so easy, as it is one of my family’s most requested dinners. While many cilantro lime chicken recipes rely on an overnight marinade, I’ve found that a bold spice blend brings so much flavor that you don’t need to plan ahead!
It’s the same trick I use for my Balsamic Chicken, Garlic Dijon Chicken, and beyond. Here, paprika, nutmeg, and garlic powder give the chicken thighs a sweet-savory depth that perfectly balances the zing of fresh lime.
Everything comes together in one pan, which means fewer dishes and richer flavor. The savory chicken drippings mix with white wine, lime juice, and cilantro for a pan sauce is so tasty you’ll want to eat it by the spoonful. The chicken thighs simmer in the sauce until they’re juicy and fall-apart-tender. Incredible!
- Tip: Turn them into a tasty lunch the next day! Shred the chicken and toss with black bean and corn salad for a protein-packed power lunch, or make a zippy healthy chicken salad.
Table of Contents
Cilantro Lime Chicken Ingredients and Substitutions
Fresh cilantro and lime juice are a perfect duo that may call to mind Mexican cuisine, but they are also gloriously used in Mediterranean cooking, where we balance the lime’s zing with fragrant warming spices. You’ll need:
- Chicken: I love juicy, crispy-skinned chicken thighs, but you can use any cut of chicken you have. Just adjust the cooking time so the chicken registers at 165°F at the thickest part.
- Extra virgin olive oil: There’s no substitute for good Mediterranean olive oil! Use a high quality extra virgin variety for the best flavor.
- Garlic: Adds that addictive sweet-savory quality. If you avoid garlic, substitute with shallot or green onion.
- Limes: Add a sharp zing. Lemons will work too, just keep in mind they tend to be slightly sweeter.
- White wine: Dry white wine adds a rich depth of flavor, and most of the alcohol cooks off. If you avoid alcohol, swap with more chicken stock or broth and an extra squeeze of lime.
- Chicken broth: Use homemade stock or broth if you have it, or go for a low sodium store bought option.
- Cilantro: Both the stems and leaves add loads of flavor. If you’re not a fan of cilantro, this recipe is delicious with parsley.
- Spices: Spanish paprika, garlic powder, and nutmeg bring a warming, cozy quality to balance the zing of the lime. Salt and pepper perk everything up.
How to Make Cilantro Lime Chicken
It’s a blessing that this cilantro lime chicken is so easy, as it is one of my family’s most requested dinners. Here’s how it’s done:
- Get ready. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Roughly chop 6 garlic cloves. Chop 1 bunch of cilantro, discarding and tough stems.
- Season the chicken. In a small bowl, mix 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Pat 8 bone in, skin on chicken thighs dry, then season all over with the spice mix. Be sure to season underneath the skin as well. Let the chicken thighs sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes while your oven heats.
- Brown the chicken. Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken thighs with the skin side down and wait until the skin releases from the pan and turns golden, 5-7 minutes. Flip and wait until the second side is golden, about 4 minutes. Remove the chicken from skillet and set aside briefly.
- Make the cilantro lime chicken sauce. Lower the heat to medium low and add 1 cup white wine to deglaze the skillet. Let cook for a few minutes to reduce, then add 2 cups of chicken broth. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Stir in the cilantro (save a little for garnish) and garlic, then juice in 2 limes.
- Simmer the chicken in the cilantro sauce. Return the chicken to the skillet and bring to a simmer once more. Simmer for about 5 minutes or so.
- Bake the chicken. Cover the skillet with the lid (or foil if you don’t have one). and transfer to the heated oven for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked through. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with more cilantro, if you like.
What to Serve with Cilantro Lime Chicken
When you’re planning what to serve with cilantro lime chicken thighs, your number one goal is to take full advantage of the incredible pan sauce. A hunk of crusty bread more than does the trick. I also love the chicken on a bed of rice, with plenty of the sauce spooned over top. Round out the meal with something fresh and crunchy, like a mini sweet bell pepper salad.
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Ingredients
- 8 bone in, skin on chicken thighs
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 bunch cilantro, leaves and tender stems chopped
- 2 limes juiced
- 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
For the Spice Mix
- 1 teaspoon sweet Spanish paprika (or hot paprika, if you like)
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Get ready. Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Season the chicken. Mix the spices in a small bowl. Pat the chicken thighs dry, then season all over with the spice mix. Be sure to season underneath the skin as well. Let the chicken thighs sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes while your oven heats.
- Sear the chicken. Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken thighs with the skin side down and wait until the skin releases from the pan and turns golden, 5-7 minutes. Flip and wait until the second side is golden, about 4 minutes. Remove the chicken from skillet and set aside briefly.
- Make the cilantro lime sauce. Lower the heat to medium low and add the white wine to deglaze the skillet. Let cook for a few minutes to reduce, then add the broth. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Stir in the cilantro (save a little for garnish), lime juice, and garlic.
- Simmer the chicken in the cilantro lime sauce. Return the chicken to the skillet and bring to a simmer once more. Simmer for about 5 minutes or so.
- Bake the chicken. Cover the skillet with the lid (or foil if you don’t have one). and transfer to the heated oven for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked through. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with more cilantro, if you like.
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Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the olive oil and spices used in this recipe.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The pan sauce may solidify in your fridge; simple reheat over low heat. Alternatively, shred the chicken and into a healthy chicken salad, wrap, or as a topping for Caesar salad.
- Slow Cooker/Crockpot Instructions: Once you’ve browned the chicken and prepared the sauce, transfer the sauce to the bottom of a large slow cooker or crockpot. Nestle the chicken into the sauce and add the fresh cilantro. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or high for 2 to 3 hours (internal temperature should register 165 degrees F).
Nutrition
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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!
Thanks for sharing, Michele! So glad
Great flavor the only thing I added was cumin, but that is a personal choice. Substituted paprika with cayenne pepper
Awesome, Luz! Thanks for sharing your variation
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!
My husband said this is the best chicken I’ve ever made. My 3 kids gobbled it up too!!!
April, that’s great to hear! Thank you.
This was excellent
Thanks, Carrie! So glad
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!
Wonderful, Teresa! Thanks for giving it a try!
Do you have an Instant Pot version of this recipe?
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.
Is this good as a make ahead meal?
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.
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,
No, I don’t typically just brown the chicken. Better to make the whole thing and reheat later.
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.
So glad this worked out for your dinner with friends! Thanks for sharing.
This was great. Transferred to casserole dish since my skillet is too small. Even my picky eater liked it!!
Love hearing this, Loren! Thanks for sharing
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!!!!!
Thank you so much for sharing, Jules! I agree the sauce is so good!
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.
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.
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?
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.
A splatter screen is a great idea! I just ordered another. Thank you, Laura for the kind comment!
My family loved this recipe, I will certainly be making this one again
Thank you
Awesome, Gail! Thank you!
Excellent. Delicious. I think I’d recommend reducing (reserving the cooked chicken) after roasting.
Thank you!
Thanks, Kate! Glad you enjoyed it!