Having purchased some chicken drumsticks last week, I finally got around to cooking them, and they were fantastic.
The cilantro lime marinade in the chicken made a perfect choice for me since I am fond of southwest flavors.
I chose this chicken drumsticks for the dinner because the savory, garlicky marinade infuses the chicken and creates the most wonderful pan juices, which I then served over rice.
It is safe to say that I will be making these cilantro lime chicken drumsticks again in the future.
Please share with Apronese the results you have done with.
Lime Cilantro Baked Drumsticks
Do I have to use drumsticks?
If you do not have drumsticks, no problem.
This recipe works equally well with boneless, bone-in chicken thighs as well. You can even use chicken breasts, but I like the tender juicy dark meat that I bake with.
If you choose to make this dish with breasts, I would suggest pounding them out thin so that the meat to marinade ratio increases.
Make sure not to over cook them as breasts tend to dry out quickly after cooking.
Cilantro Lime Chicken: Can I grill it?
There’s no doubt that this is a great chicken recipe to grill, but it is a recipe that would be even better if you had a grill.
Since I have neither, I used the oven, but the smoky flavor of the grill would be incredible, not to mention cilantro lime has such a great flavor in the summer, and I’m dreaming about grilling poolside in the summer sun.
Cilantro Lime Chicken Drumsticks
You can quench those winter blues with these garlicky Cilantro Lime Chicken Drumsticks! These are also great to grill on the grill to get rid of that blues that you have been feeling.
Prep Time: 45 mins / Cook Time: 45 mins / Total Time: 1 hour 30 mins
Servings: 3 to 4 servings
Ingredients
- 6 chicken drumsticks (about 1.75 lbs.) ($3.54)
- 1/2 bunch cilantro ($0.40)
- 2 limes ($0.66)
- 1/2 tsp cumin ($0.10)
- 2 tbsp olive oil ($0.24)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced ($0.24)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- Freshly cracked pepper ($0.05)
Instructions
- It will be useful to combine the olive oil, garlic, cumin, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper in a bowl, then cover it and let it sit for at least 15 minutes.
- If you want to remove the zest from a lime, use a zester, microplane, or cheese grater with small holes. For the marinade, add a teaspoon of zest and three tablespoons of juice. Remove 1/4 bunch of cilantro leaves and chop them finely. Combine the chopped cilantro with the marinade. The other 1/4 bunch will be added after baking.
- As soon as you have poured the marinade into a gallon size zip top bag, add the chicken drumsticks and seal the bag tightly. Massage the chicken pieces in the marinade by rubbing between your fingers to mix and coat them thoroughly with the marinade, then refrigerate for 30 minutes depending on your preference.
- Taking the chicken pieces and arranging them in a casserole dish, you should distribute them evenly around so that they do not get overcrowded. Next, place a layer of the remaining marinade over the chicken and put the casserole dish in the oven. When it is time to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- If you wish to brown the chicken, turn on the broiler after the cooking time ends and broil for 2-4 minutes or until you are satisfied with the browning you desire. In order to be certain that the meat has reached 160oF, make sure that you use a meat thermometer when you’re cooking it to make sure it’s done. The total cooking time will ultimately depend on the size of your drumsticks and the closeness with which they’re packed in the baking dish.
- The chicken dish should then be garnished with lime slices and more cilantro leaves, if you choose.
Serving: 1 Serving ・ Calories: 528.6 kcal ・ Carbohydrates: 7.13 g ・ Protein: 48.6 g ・ Fat: 33.57 g ・ Sodium: 763.5 mg ・ Fiber: 1.87 g
The nutritional values shown here are only estimates. Please see our nutrition disclaimer.
Cilantro Lime Chicken: How to Make It – Step-by-Step Photos
Firstly, start your marinade by combining two tablespoons of olive oil, four cloves of minced garlic, a half teaspoon of cumin, a half teaspoon of salt, and a generous pinch of freshly cracked pepper (about 10-15 turns on a pepper mill).
In a small bowl, grate the cheese with small holes and then squeeze out the juice using a squeezer (a microplane or grater may also work).
Add about a teaspoon of zest to the marinade as well as about 3 tablespoons of juice (you may have to cut open the second lime in order to get 3 tablespoons).
The remaining 1/4 bunch will be added to the baked chicken after it’s been roasted. Chop about 1/4 bunch of cilantro (leaves only).
To make the marinade more flavorful, add the lime zest, lime juice, and chopped cilantro and mix everything together well.
The marinade should be added to a large zip top bag with six chicken drumsticks inside. Mix the marinade well.
Massage the bag to coat the chicken pieces in marinade. Place the bag in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
If you are ready to bake the chickens when they are ready, take a large baking dish and put the pieces in one layer, making sure the pieces do not overcrowd each other (the more space between the pieces, the faster they will cook).
Now preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
After pouring the rest of the marinade from the bag over the chicken, make sure to pile the remaining minced garlic and chopped cilantro from the bag on top of it as well.
You can garnish your prepared chicken with the remaining minced garlic and chopped cilantro.
In order to make sure the chicken is cooked to 160°F (you can use a meat thermometer to verify this), it is recommended to leave the chicken under the broiler for up to two minutes, or until the chicken has reached the color you’re looking for.
It is important to know that fresh cilantro has a distinct flavor and you do not want to add cooked cilantro to the cooked chicken.
To begin with, you will need to chop the second half of the cilantro fresh just before putting it on the chicken.
You absolutely cannot go wrong by using the sauce on the bottom of the dish, which is so incredible that you simply cannot afford to waste any of it.
Make sure you don’t let the lime juice sit in the hot liquid for too long, as the rind can start to turn bitter.
In addition to serving the chicken with rice, scoop some of this liquid from the bottom of the dish over the rice, which is also served along with roasted sweet potatoes.
Don’t worry, that recipe will come out tomorrow.
Chicken with lemon leaves – the immortal combo in the chicken-eating village is not only fascinated by Apronese, but many people are also addicted to it.
Perhaps this is the recipe that so many people have been waiting to try.
Done, if you have any good ideas and recipes, remember to comment to share with everyone.
