There is a beautiful sun shining outside, Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner, and I am over here craving the flavors of cilantro and lime for dinner.
Well, I am actually craving margaritas, but my body is not allowing me to consume a large amount of margaritas anymore, so I am going to have the same flavor of chicken as a replacement.
It is a faster and easier way to prepare Easy Cilantro Lime Chicken than a recipe I used to cook that involved baking chicken drumsticks in the oven.
You can make this recipe faster and easier with a skillet, and the boneless thighs are perfect for this recipe, since you can make them anytime! You will definitely have a few options with this recipe, so I recommend you read on to find out how you can make this recipe!
It is true that chicken has many ways to make, but braised chicken is little known, let’s explore this dish with Apronese.
Is It Okay to Use Chicken Breast?
I can tell you that you can make this with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, however chicken breasts are a bit more finicky, and so you need to take some additional care before you cook them.
You will need to pound the chicken breasts out to an even thickness before cooking, no more than 3/4 inch thick, since chicken breasts dry out more rapidly.
By doing so, you will ensure the chicken will be cooked completely without drying out, so it will be perfect for your family.
Is Bone-in Chicken Okay to Use?
As a result, I wouldn’t recommend cooking bone-in chicken for this recipe, since bone-in chicken takes longer to cook through while bone-in chicken takes less time to cook. In the meantime, here is a recipe for Cilantro Lime Chicken Drumsticks (you can use drumsticks or thighs), which is baked in the oven.
Is Cilantro Lime Chicken grillable?
Yes, it is possible to cook chicken on the grill with the open flame, allowing the chicken to regain even more depth of flavor after its marinating.
It is best to cook the chicken until well browned and cooked through on both sides.
Cilantro Lime Chicken: What to Serve
It goes great with a variety of sides, but my favorite is Cowboy Caviar with Cilantro Lime Chicken, and it also goes well with Sweet Corn Salsa, Cumin Lime Coleslaw, Quick Seasoned Black Beans and Taco Rice, and Corn and Avocado Salad with Sweet Corn Salsa.
As an alternative to using the chicken for filling tacos, you could slice it up and use it as a topping for your favorite salad.
Easy Cilantro Lime Chicken
There’s nothing more refreshing than a skillet full of fresh summer flavors, like this easy cilantro lime chicken with a quick grill method.
It’s a tasty dinner you can make in no time at all.
Author: Beth
Servings: 6 one thigh each
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced ($0.32)
- 1/2 tsp cumin ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- freshly cracked pepper ($0.05)
- 2 limes, divided ($0.40)
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, divided ($0.40)
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (1.5 to 1.75 lbs. total) ($5.11)
Instructions
- The olive oil, garlic, cumin, salt, and a little freshly cracked pepper should be combined in a small bowl along with olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, salt, and a few cranks of the pepper mill.
- I would suggest that you zest one of the limes, squeeze the juice from the remaining lime and cut it into wedges for garnishing the chicken once it’s cooked. It’s best to roughly chop the cilantro for garnishing the chicken. You will need 2-3 tablespoons of lime juice.
- Adding a teaspoon of lime zest, 2-3 tablespoons of lime juice, and half of the chopped cilantro to the marinade and stirring to combine is an excellent way to enhance the flavor of the chicken. (The remaining cilantro will be added after the chicken has been cooked).
- I like to marinate my chicken thighs in a shallow dish or a large zip-lock bag with the marinade. I add the marinade and toss it to coat the chicken. I allow the chicken to marinate for 30 minutes or up to 8 hours (refrigerated), turning it once or twice during the marinating period.
- When you are ready to cook the chicken, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. In the same skillet, heat the chicken until it is well browned and cooked through. Once the chicken is cooked, you don’t need to add any more oil to the skillet as it already had enough oil coating it. The chicken was already coated with oil from the marinade, so I did not have to add any extra oil.
- As the chicken gets ready for eating, top it off with a little more fresh cilantro and some lime juice, along with any extra lime wedges that may be available to you.
Nutritional
Serving: 1 Serving ・ Calories: 238.82 kcal ・ Carbohydrates: 3.42 g ・ Protein: 22.63 g ・ Fat: 16.28 g ・ Sodium: 340.73 mg ・ Fiber: 0.92 g
The nutritional values shown here are only estimates. Please see our nutrition disclaimer .
Equipment
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Cilantro Lime Chicken: How to Make It – Step by Step Photos
Firstly, prepare a marinade for the cilantro lime shrimp by adding 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a small bowl and mixing it with 4 cloves of minced garlic, 1/2 tablespoon cumin, 1/2 tablespoon salt, as well as some freshly cracked pepper (about ten cranks on the pepper mill).
The lime juice should be 2-3 tablespoons. If needed, you can juice half of the second lime and cut it into wedges for serving with the cooked chicken.
The remaining lime juice should be used to serve the chicken as well.
Cut the cilantro up into small pieces and use them to garnish the cooked chicken. I will put half of the cilantro in the marinade and the other half on top of it.
To the marinade, add half of the chopped cilantro, one tablespoon of lime zest, and a few tablespoons of lime juice (depending on how much lime juice your lime produced) and stir to combine.
Using a shallow dish or zip-top bag, place six boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1.5 to 1.75 pounds total). Pour the marinade over the chicken and toss it to coat.
The chicken will marinate for 30 minutes (up to eight hours in the refrigerator), turning the chicken once or twice during the marinating process.
During the cooking process, you should warm a large skillet over medium high so the chicken browns and cooks rapidly.
You don’t want it to get soupy and won’t brown if the heat is too low or the chicken is too crowded, so cook in two batches if necessary.
Make sure the chicken browns and cooks through for approximately 5 minutes on each side.
Chop the remaining cilantro and add it to the chicken once it has been cooked.
Fresh lime wedges can be served with the finished chicken or fresh lime juice can be squeezed over the top.
There’s nothing like a fresh lime pop.
The meal prep for this dish is quite easy, since it includes Easy Cilantro Lime Chicken, Quick Seasoned Black Beans, and Easy Taco Rice.
A chicken dish that Apronese thinks is easy to make and tastes good to many people, especially if you want to treat your family to a weekend treat.
Experience and share with everyone in the comments section.
