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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This recipe got lots of approval from my husband!
Well, then it’s a winner! Thanks again Theresa for sharing!
I am not a huge fan of chicken thighs. How would this recipe be using chicken breasts? This looks delicious and I want to give it a try.
Hi Mak, you can certainly use chicken breasts…bone in. I would just watch the cooking time. Start checking earlier to see if chicken reaches the magic internal temp of 165 degrees F. Chicken breasts tend to get more dry, but with all the juice in this recipe, it really shouldn’t be a problem.
The flavors exploded in my mouth. Very, very good. I will make this again. Thank you!
Thank you Elaine! So glad you enjoyed it!
I’m new to the Mediterranean Diet. It seems like there is more fat than I would have thought: ie.. leaving skin on.
I made your Balela Salad, which day was absolutely fabulous! But the nutritional fat and calorie count seemed very high. Can you please let me know how this all works? Thank you so much!!
Hi Susan, in this particular recipe, we leave the skin on for cooking, but certainly take it off when eating. However, you can make this same recipe with skinless chicken…it will be slightly different result. As far as nutrition goes, we use a program that calculates this information, and there is some margin of error. For the Balela Salad, the 7.6 grams of fat listed is all good-for-you fat that is mainly from chickpeas and olive oil. We don’t avoid or omit fat all together when eating the Mediterranean way, because in fact, good fat is helpful in maintaining a healthier weight. I hope this answers some of your questions. Glad to have you here.
How would this recipe reheat? I was thinking of making it for my friend after she has a baby.
Hi Jen, it would work fine for your friend to cover and reheat in the oven on 350 degrees F.
Are you freakin’ kidding me! This recipe was AWESOME. My wife, who thankfully doesn’t cook, kept saying ‘this is the best food you’ve ever made’. I could not have been more pleased.
The only thing I did differently, which I always do, is de-bone the chicken thighs. I then cook completely stove top. Along with the chicken, I prepared your Greek potatoes. Again, AWESOME. I can’t thank you enough.
Michael, thank you so much for your kind feedback! I am so happy to hear that both the chicken and Greek potatoes were winners! Thanks for sharing your tweaks!
I found youe Cilantro Lime Chicken recipe a few weeks ago and it got buried in my “to do file” and forgotten.
I came across it again a few days ago and just HAD to try it and my wife and I LOVED it! I’ll do lit again in the very near future, for sure. Thank you so very much for sharing it!
P.S. I think I will use the juice of another lime the next time. The limes I had were a little “dry” and juice from anothe hald to a whole lime would give a little more Pizzazz!
Hi Ron. Thank you so much! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, hope you find more to try!
Absolutely love this recipe, and those I’ve served it to loves it also! It’s become a family favorite. And it pairs so well with the Pearl Couscous Salad.
Thanks Suzy
Awesome, Gene! So glad you all enjoy it! It’s a winner!
I don’t have a deep cast iron skillet like the one that you picture. For the time being — that is, until I get one — do you think that I could use the shallow 12″ cast iron pan that I have, brown the chicken pieces and then take them out? I would then simmer the sauce (without chicken) in the pan, and then put everything into a baking tray. Looking forward to trying this.
Yes, that’s exactly what I would if I were in your place. Enjoy!
Hi. When the recipe says ‘chicken broth’ what does that mean?
Hi Sarah, chicken broth or chicken stock which you can buy in boxes or cans at the store. Or you might make at home by boiling chicken in water with vegetables and aromatics, the liquid then turns to what we call “chicken broth.”
This recipe is unbelievable, I’ve made this twice already. One of my husbands favorites now, He wants it on our menu from now on. thank you so much for this delicious recipe !!
That’s awesome, Kristine! I am so glad you both enjoyed it. Thanks for the kind comment!
I made this for dinner today. Yum yum yum! It was perfect! My family LOVED it!! Thank you!
Yay! I am so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi,
I don’t see the link to the video!
Thanks!
Fantastic.
Great, Will! So glad to hear it!
Rarely do my dishes resemble the photos from the recipe but in this case it actually did and it was every bit as delicious as advertised. I will make it again and in larger quantities!
Liz, that’s great! I am so glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe!!! It is so worth making again!
I love the flavor profile in this dish! I’m thinking how lovely this would taste with brown rice pilaf! Pinning
Oh brown rice pilaf is such a good idea with this one! Enjoy