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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Nice recipe! I added a bit of palm sugar and not oven it. Despite that, its taste yummy ?! Thank you.
Great to hear it!
Great recipe, Suzy!
Definitely a keeper and now joins my pantheon of favorite chicken recipes.
Thanks!
Wonderful, David! Thanks so much for giving it a try!
Hi suzy!
Mine is in the oven right now. I followed the recipe exactly. I eat low carb high fat so this fits right in. Has anybody added a schlock of heavy whipping cream to the sauce before serving? Or some Philadelphia cream cheese to thicken? Do you think that the lime juice will cause it to curdle? The aroma from my oven right now is amazing!
Hi Theresa! Hope y’all enjoyed the cilantro-lime chicken. I’m sorry I had been away and didn’t see this comment right when it came through. I personally don’t thicken the sauce with cream or cheese, so can’t tell you for sure if it works. The sauce on its own is delicious, and we like to dip some good bread in it or use it atop rice or pasta.
Yummy
What would be a good substitute for the wine ? Or is that even an option ?
You can eliminate the wine, Su. There is enough juice in this otherwise. Enjoy!
I prepared this dish this evening and it was fabulous! I will definitely make it again!
Wonderful, Ann! So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to share!
This recipe was amazing! I made a few adjustments but nothing that takes away from your work of art. I seasoned the chicken the night before and added onions, that’s it. I browned the chicken 5 minutes each side, added the wine add then added the garlic and onions half way through to get them translucent. At the end I put the chicken in the broiler for 2 mins to crisp up the skin again. I strained the juice too get all the cilantro and onion out then used that with some basmati and served it with shaved brussel sprouts. One of the best dinners I have ever made!
Joe, this is awesome to hear! I am inspired that you made this recipe your own! I love how you used the sauce, it’s too good to waste, right?! Thanks so much for sharing! Hope you find more recipes to try!
This dish was so good! I’m not sure what I did wrong but my sauce turned out more like a soup but still delicious!
Anarys, thank you so much! I am glad you enjoyed it. This dish has a lot of sauce, which is meant to be used on top of rice or to dip your favorite bread.
I have made this dish once and it was amazing. I’m making it again tonight! Love this site. Thank you for all of your amazing recipes.
Melissa, that’s wonderful! I am so glad you’re enjoying this chicken recipe…it’s a favorite over here! Thanks so much for the kind comment.
Hi Suzy,
Thanks for the recipe, I just tried it out tonight. The flavors were great but my chicken skin didn’t turn out like your pics, it was not crispy and somewhat gelatinous…I am guessing I should have probly seared it longer? All things considered it tasted great, just want to correct my mistakes.
Hi Eric, great to hear you enjoyed this one! It’s a favorite. Yes, the chicken probably needed a little more browning. I use a cast iron skillet, and that usually helps a bit. But when you try it next, you just need to give it some more time to brown
I made this last night with a couple of additions. After deglazing and thickening I added pearl onions, and when it came out of the oven I added halved grape tomatoes. Served it with wilted spinach with garlic. Thank you for the great recipe. Everyone loved it. I will be making this again!!! YUM!!!
Can you please share what seasoned salt you recommend? Also wondering if I can just make this in my big Le Crueset pot as I do not have a cast iron skillet. Can’t wait to make this! Thank you 🙂
Hello, Mary Kay. As far as seasoned salt, you can use something like a Lawry’s Seasoned salt–>http://amzn.to/2cqwHVS
And you can certainly use your Le Crueset pot. Enjoy
New to your blog and have pinned several of your recipes! I’m going to try this recipe tomorrow, but have one question. Can I make this all in my Le Crueset pot and just keep it on the stove? I’ll be roasted veggies in my oven….so wanted to know if I could use on my stovetop in the braised to cook it to it’s entirety.
Thanks!
Hi kristin! Great to have you here! So there is a lot of juice in this chicken that I think you can totally keep it stove-top. You’ll want to cover it for a good amount of time as it cooks, or the juice/sauce will dry up. Enjoy!
This chicken recipe is amazing!!! My boys are always requesting it.
Thanks!!!
Thank you, Donna! So glad to hear it!!!
Can you quantify “bunch” of cilantro? I’m cutting it from my herb garden and I’m not sure how much I need. 1/4 cup? 1/2 cup? Whole cup?
Thanks!
Hi Sandra, I would say about 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups of cilantro leaves. Enjoy!
This was amazing good and super easy !! A hit for Mother’s Day! Guest loved this!
Great to hear, Yvonne! Thanks for stopping in and sharing!