This Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken recipe uses a simple marinade to make the most juicy, delicious grilled chicken. The marinade takes no time to prepare and can be done the night before.
Serve with our fluffy lime quinoa and creamy avocado sauce drizzle for a complete meal that's super healthy. The combination of flavors is like a party in your mouth!
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Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken
If you are a cilantro and lime fan, then this Cilantro Lime Chicken recipe will become part of your family dinner rotation in no time. I like to use freezer bags to marinate meat because it makes the clean-up easy-peasy and molds around the chicken to really make sure the marinade is covering the entire thing.
If you want to substitute chicken tenderloins or bone-in chicken, go right ahead! It all works and tastes great too. Just be sure to marinate for at least 4 hours to get the juiciest, most flavorful chicken possible.
Cilantro Lime Chicken Video Tutorial
What To Serve With Cilantro Lime Chicken
I highly recommend serving this grilled chicken with the additional recipes for Lime Quinoa and Creamy Avocado Sauce. They're simple to make and the flavors and textures are a match made in heaven.
- Lime Quinoa- Move over rice - this delicious quinoa is more nutritious and here to stay! The secret to cooking quinoa is adding lots of flavor because on its own, it is pretty “earthy.” You can make it on the stovetop just like rice, but the rice cooker makes it even easier.
- Creamy Avocado Sauce- This is such a healthy choice and oh-so delicious. It’s made with a blend of plain Greek yogurt, avocado, fresh lime juice, cayenne powder and salt. Together, they form a perfectly smooth, creamy, slightly tangy, and spicy sauce that is perfect for drizzling over your Cilantro Lime Chicken.
If you want to mix it up, this Cilantro Lime Chicken would also taste great with our Homemade Rice Pilaf, Easy Spanish Rice, Hasselback Potatoes, Best Sweet Potato Fries, or these Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes.
Cilantro Lime Marinade Ingredients
- Lime Juice - fresh squeezed is best.
- Avocado Oil - you can also substitute canola or vegetable oil. You want something with little to no flavor.
- Oregano - we definitely prefer fresh, but if you only have dried that works too.
- Green Onions - these should be thinly sliced.
- Cilantro - you want to use fresh cilantro for this recipe. You can feel free to add a bit more or less to your marinade.
- Garlic - fresh mined is best.
- Chili Powder - you can add a little more or less, depending on how spicy you like things. You could also add a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like.
- Salt & Pepper
Lime Quinoa Ingredients
- Quinoa - I usually use white quinoa as it has the most mild and least bitter flavor. With that being said, you can also use red quinoa or black quinoa if you prefer. The flavors will work with any of them.
- Chicken Broth - this gives the cooked quinoa more flavor.
- Garlic - fresh minced garlic has the best flavor.
- Butter - you can use salted or unsalted butter for the quinoa. Just season accordingly.
- Salt and Pepper
- Green Chilies - you'll need a can of green chilis. Drain them before adding to the quinoa.
- Lime - fresh squeezed lime juice has the best flavor.
Creamy Avocado Sauce Ingredients
- Avocado - the difference between good and great avocado sauce is, of course, the avocadoes. Try and find ripe avocados that are a bit soft when pressed but not squishy.
- Greek Yogurt - you'll need plain Greek yogurt to make this sauce. Sour cream would be a good substitute.
- Lime - use fresh lime juice for the sauce.
- Cayenne Pepper - this is optional but really gives the sauce a little kick.
- Salt
How to Make This Cilantro Lime Chicken Recipe
- Marinate the chicken. In a large plastic ziplock bag, add the lime juice, avocado oil, oregano, green onion, fresh cilantro, garlic, chili powder, salt and pepper. Close the bag, shake well, then add the chicken breasts. Seal the bag tightly, then marinade for 4-24 hours in the refrigerator.
- Preheat the grill. Once you are ready to cook the chicken, preheat the grill, scraping and cleaning the grill if necessary. Spray the grill with non-stick cooking oil or vegetable oil before grilling.
- Cook the chicken. Using tongs, remove the chicken from the marinade and season each chicken breast with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the grill and close the lid. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the first side is golden brown, then flip to cook the other side and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Using a digital thermometer, check to make sure the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees before removing from the grill.
- Let the chicken rest. Place the chicken on a plate or platter, tent with foil, and let sit for 5 minutes to let the juices redistribute.
- Make the lime quinoa. Put the quinoa, chicken broth, garlic, butter, salt, pepper and green chilies in a rice cooker and turn on the white rice setting. Once the quinoa has finished finished cooking, add the lime juice and fluff with a fork.
- Make the avocado sauce. Put the avocado, Greek yogurt, lime juice, cayenne pepper and salt into a blender, and blend until smooth.
- Serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bone-in chicken is actually an excellent substitute for this recipe. The cooking time will be slightly different; otherwise, you can be sure it will be juicy, flavorful, and delicious.
The answer is technically yes? But we don’t recommend it.
It would be nice to be able to tell you that you can make this recipe several different ways (grilling, baking or in the crockpot) but the truth is, grilling is the way to go with this Cilantro Lime Chicken marinade!
We tried baking the chicken after it marinated and while it turned out really juicy, the flavor just wasn't as intense. The grill gives it such a deep and intense flavor that can’t be beat.
The grilling time for chicken breasts depends on factors like how thick they are and how hot the grill is. In general, if your grill is preheated to 350 degrees F, it should take between 8-10 minutes for your chicken breasts to cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
Cilantro Lime Chicken
- 3-4 large Chicken Breasts
- 2 Limes juiced
- 3 tablespoons Avocado Oil can substitute canola oil
- 1 teaspoon Oregano dried or fresh
- 3 Green Onions thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons Cilantro chopped
- 2 teaspoon Garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ tsp Pepper
Lime Quinoa
- 1 cup Quinoa uncooked
- 2 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 tsp Garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- Salt to taste
- Black Pepper to taste
- 1 4.5-oz can Green Chilies
- ½ Lime juiced
Creamy Avocado Sauce
- ½ Avocado ripe
- ¼ cup Greek Yogurt plain
- ½ Lime juiced
- 1 pinch Cayenne Pepper
- 1 pinch Salt
Instructions
Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade
- In a large plastic ziplock bag, add the lime juice, avocado oil, oregano, green onion, fresh cilantro, garlic, chili powder, salt and pepper. Close the bag, shake well, then add the chicken breasts.
- Seal the bag tightly, then marinade for 4-24 hours in the refrigerator.
- Once you are ready to cook the chicken, preheat the grill, scraping and cleaning the grill if necessary.
- Spray the grill with non-stick cooking oil or vegetable oil before grilling. Using tongs, remove the chicken from the marinade and season each chicken breast with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the grill and close the lid. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the first side is golden brown, then flip to cook the other side and cook for another 4-5 minutes.
- Using a digital thermometer, check to make sure the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees before removing from the grill. Place the chicken on a plate or platter, tent with foil, and let sit for 5 minutes to let the juices redistribute. Serve with Lime Quinoa, drizzled with Creamy Avocado Sauce. Enjoy!
Lime Quiona
- Put the quinoa, chicken broth, garlic, butter, salt, pepper and green chilies in a rice cooker and turn on the white rice setting.
- Once the quinoa has finished finished cooking, add the lime juice and fluff with a fork.
Creamy Avocado Sauce
- Put the avocado, Greek yogurt, lime juice, cayenne pepper and salt into a blender, and blend until smooth.
Nutrition
Here are some other delicious chicken entrees that we love!
- Garlic Parmesan Wings
- Green Chili Hasselback Chicken
- Baked Lemon Chicken
- Southwest Grilled Chicken Breast
- Easy Grilled Caprese Chicken
- Crockpot Chicken and Gravy
- Crockpot Lemon Pepper Rotisserie Chicken
- More Chicken Recipes
- More Main Dish Recipes
This easy Cilantro Lime Chicken is like a party in your mouth. It uses a simple marinade to make the most juicy, delicious chicken that we serve with fluffy Lime Quinoa and a Creamy Avocado Sauce drizzle.
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