Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade

This Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade is a quick and easy marinade that packs your chicken dinner full of flavor! You can use it to cook chicken in the oven, on the grill or in a skillet.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade recipe

Busy weeknights are my nemesis. Feeding kids as well as my husband and myself is such a chore sometimes!

After a long day of homeschooling and work, I am usually craving something super healthy with lots of flavor that won't take too long. Doesn't that kind of recipe sound like a needle in a haystack?

Well, it's not! Let me introduce you to this Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade. It has saved me on more than one occasion.

After breakfast or during my lunch hour (or honestly, sometimes right after work), I will throw this marinade together and let the chicken sit in it til I'm ready to make dinner.

It only needs 30 minutes at a minimum, but it gets more flavorful the longer it sits, but you should plan to cook it within 24 hours.

Why you'll love this recipe

This cilantro lime marinade for chicken is A+ and I think you're going to love it.

• It comes together in just a few minutes. Easy peasy!
• You can cook the chicken in the skillet, in the oven or on the grill — whatever works for your schedule!
• Packed full of cilantro and lime flavor, it works well for salads, tacos and bowls, but it works well on its own, too.

Love juicy marinades? Check out this Italian Marinade for Pork Chops.

Ingredients

• fresh cilantro
• fresh limes — you'll need the zest and juice
• olive oil
• honey
• chili powder
• salt
• pepper

Instead of honey, you can use agave nectar or maple syrup. You can omit it, but I wouldn't — it adds a hint of sweetness to balance the zesty lime flavor.

Despite its name, most chili powders are pretty mild. If you'd like, you can use a spicier one like ancho chili powder.

Oh, and don't forget the chicken! I usually use chicken thighs and drumsticks when I make this recipe — they are so tender and juicy! You can absolutely use chicken breasts and wings if you like.

This recipe also works great for seafood. Try it as a shrimp marinade or for larger pieces of fish like cod or tuna.

How to make a cilantro lime chicken marinade

This marinade is SO easy! Here's what to do:

In a large bowl, combine cilantro, zest from one of the limes, olive oil, lime juice, honey, chili powder, salt and pepper.

Blend them together using an immersion blender (affiliate). (You can use a food processor or regular blender instead.)

Then, place your chicken in a big ziptop bag and pour in the marinade, covering it. You can use your original mixing bowl, too — just cover it with a lid or plastic wrap and place it in the fridge.

How long to marinate cilantro lime chicken marinade

Once your chicken is covered in the marinade, let it sit covered in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, there will already be a lot of flavor in this chicken.

For even more flavor, let the chicken rest in the marinade for at least 2-8 hours. It can marinate for up to 24 hours, but no longer than that.

You can make the marinade in advance when meal prepping and just pour it over the chicken the day you plan to cook it.

How to cook marinated chicken

There are a few ways to cook chicken that has been marinated.

On the stovetop

Pan-seared chicken is one of my absolute favorite ways to make chicken. It always has a crisp outer skin and tender meat inside. 

Here's how to do it:

1. In a heavy-bottomed skillet, heat extra virgin olive oil on medium heat.
2. Sear chicken in pan and cook for about 3 minutes until skin has browned. Flip chicken and repeat on other side.
3. After both sides are browned, place lid on pan and cook for about 15 minutes. Check internal temperature with a meat thermometer. Continue cooking if needed until internal temperature is 165°F .

In the oven

To cook the chicken in the oven, first preheat the oven to 350°F. Baking at a higher temperature cook the outside of your chicken faster than the inside, which means the center will be raw or undercooked.

Cooking time depends on the size of the chicken, cut and weight, and whether or not they are boneless pieces.

Use a meat thermometer to make sure chicken is cooked to 165°F internally.

On the grill

To make grilled cilantro lime chicken, first heat the grill to 350°F degrees. Once hot, clean the grill grates. Spray with grill spray.

Using grill tongs, remove chicken from bag and place on grill over direct heat. Discard remaining marinade.

Grill your chicken for around 18 minutes, flipping every six minutes (one side of the thighs will be grilled twice), or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before eating.

How to serve cilantro lime chicken

This cilantro lime chicken is fantastic on its own, but there are so many ways to serve it.

• Shred it and serve it with tortillas and your favorite taco toppings for burritos and tacos (or lettuce for lettuce wraps).
• Slice it into strips to make grilled chicken fajitas with your favorite veggies.
• Cut it into pieces and serve it over a hearty salad.
• Dice or shred it and stir it into soup such as taco soup.
• Shred it and add it to enchiladas.
• Mix cut pieces into your favorite pasta dish.

It would also be divine with a homemade cilantro chimichurri sauce or avocado cream sauce on top!

Serving tip: Before serving this cilantro lime marinated chicken, sprinkle additional lime zest (from one lime), a teaspoon of mild chili powder and chopped cilantro over top for extra flavor and garnish.

What to serve with cilantro lime chicken

This recipe is so good with so many yummy sides! Try it with:

• Traditional Mexican Rice
• Homemade Risotto
• Grilled Zucchini
• Pineapple Cilantro Salsa
• Grilled Corn Salad

Got leftovers? Check out the best ways to use leftover chicken.

If you make and love this recipe, please leave a ★★★★★ review below! It means so much to me when you try my recipes, and I'd love to know how it goes. Please leave a comment below if you have any questions.