This Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs recipe is made for busy weeknights. A quick marinade with tons of fresh herbs and lime juice elevates the humble chicken into a dinner big on flavor without much effort.
There are a few ingredients out there that really can transform the taste of a meal, and two of them are used in this recipe: herbs and fresh citrus juice. This Cilantro Lime Chicken takes full advantage of both to tenderize the oft-used dinner staple and elevate it into something special. The cilantro lime sauce is based on a Latin chimichurri or Italian salsa verde sauce, where the fresh herbs are finely chopped to create a bright, herbaceous flavor.
This chicken can be made in a skillet, a grill pan, or outside on the grill. We like to serve it simply with rice or salted potatoes and a quick cucumber avocado salad or cut veggies.
Ingredients Needed and Substitutions
Here is a brief overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe. The full recipe with quantities is listed below this text in the recipe card.
- boneless, skinless chicken thighs (you can also use chicken breasts, but they are, of course, less flavorful, and be careful not to overcook them, like instructed in this Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Breast recipe)
- cilantro
- green onions
- garlic
- lime juice
- olive oil
- coarse kosher salt (this recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease the volume by half)
- red pepper flakes
How to Make It
This recipe is simple: prep the sauce ingredients with a knife and cutting board, or pulse everything in a food processor or blender for even quicker prep (like with this Colombian Aji recipe). Then divide the cilantro lime sauce in half. Marinate the chicken with one half and save the rest for serving. I love using an ingredient in both cooked and fresh forms to create dynamic, contrasting flavors. Cooked, it adds rich, caramelized depth, while fresh, it provides a light, refreshing contrast that elevates the dish.
This is a quick visual overview of the steps needed to make this recipe. If you are looking for the full recipe, keep scrolling!
Step 1: Clean the cilantro well! Nothing will ruin a dish faster than grit hidden inside of herbs.
Step 2: Prepare the cilantro sauce ingredients by finely mincing them with a knife (for a milder flavor) or chopping them in a food processor (for a more intense flavor).
Step 3: Mix the remaining sauce ingredients and taste to adjust the seasoning. The sauce should be full-flavored. Add more salt, lime, or garlic as desired.
Step 4: Add half of the sauce to the chicken and let it marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to a day.
Step 3: Grill or pan-sear until cooked through to of 175ºF. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Step 4: Serve warm with a few spoonfuls of the cilantro lime sauce.
Kelli's Notes
- The cilantro lime sauce is not meant to be smooth. Like a chimichurri, the sauce should be a mixture of finely minced herbs, green onions, and garlic, along with lime and other seasonings. However, it can be made in a blender if you don't want to chop it by hand. Just don't overprocess it and turn it into a smooth sauce.
- Marinate it for as little as 10 minutes for quick busy weeknights, or think ahead and prepare it the night before. Obviously the longer marinading time will develop deeper flavor, but I almost always make this the quick method and trust me, it's got plenty of flavor.
- A key part of creating good flavor in this recipe is ensuring the chicken is well-browned. Heat your pan or grill thoroughly. No need to add oil, as the marinade already contains it. This method produces better browning, especially when using a cast iron pan.
- Chicken thighs have more fat, and can be cooked a bit longer than chicken thighs, to at least 175º for a more tender texture.
More Chicken Recipes
Making this Cilantro Lime Chicken recipe? Be sure to leave a comment with a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on your experience! Have a question? Leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you as quickly as I can!
PrintFull Recipe
Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs
- Prep Time: 00:10
- Cook Time: 00:22
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop or Grill
Description
This Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs recipe is made for busy weeknights. A quick marinade with tons of fresh herbs and lime juice elevates the humble chicken into a dinner big on flavor without much effort.
Ingredients
- 1 cup lightly packed cleaned and picked cilantro leaves, finely minced (see note)
- 2 green onions, trimmed and finely sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, more to taste
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1-½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together cilantro, green onions, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, salt, and red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
- In a medium bowl, combine the chicken thighs and half of the cilantro sauce. Cover and set aside the remaining cilantro sauce for serving. Marinate the chicken for a minimum of 10 minutes, or up to 1 day, covered, in the refrigerator.
- Heat a grill pan (or a grill) over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken to the grill in a single layer with space in between the pieces (cooking in batches if necessary). Cook until nicely charred, 4 to 6 minutes per side, to an internal temperature of at least 175ºF.
- Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and drizzle with set-aside cilantro sauce. Serve.
Notes
The cilantro sauce can also be prepared by pulsing all of the ingredients together in a food processor or chopper.
This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease the volume by half.
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