Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade
Made with fresh lime juice, garlic, cilantro, and simple pantry staples, this easy cilantro lime chicken marinade works beautifully with both chicken breasts and chicken thighs.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves chopped
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 large limes zest and juice
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
Instructions
- Add ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup honey, ¼ cup cilantro leaves, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper to a large shallow dish or glass measuring cup. Zest 2 large limes over the dish, then cut the limes open and juice them over the dish.
- If needed, remove any excess grizzle on chicken. Then, place the chicken into the marinade. Toss the chicken in the marinade to coat, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, but no longer than 2 hours, turning the chicken once halfway through marinating.
- After the chicken has been marinated, preheat a grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grates. Alternatively, heat a greased grill pan over medium-high heat on the stove or preheat the oven to 425℉ (220℃).
- To Grill Chicken: Remove the chicken from the marinade, discard the marinade, and place the chicken onto the preheated grill or grill pan. For thighs, cook for 5 minutes, flip and continue to cook for 6-7 minutes, or until the chicken thighs reach 185℉ (85℃). For chicken breasts, cook for 6 minutes, flip and continue to cook for 6-8 minutes, or until the chicken breasts reach an internal temperature of 165℉ (74℃).
- To Bake Chicken: Remove the chicken from the marinade, discard the marinade and bake in a single layer in a glass baking dish. For chicken thighs, bake for 17-20 minutes, or until the thighs reach an internal temperature of 185℉ (85℃). For chicken breasts, bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the breasts reach an internal temperature of 165℉ (74℃).
- Remove the chicken from the grill or oven, tent with foil, and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Yield: This marinade works well for 1 pound of chicken. Scale as desired.
Note on Lime Zest and Juice: You are looking for about ⅓ cup of lime juice and 1 tablespoon of lime zest, which is what you'd expect from 2 large limes. It doesn't need to be exact, but should be close.
Cayenne: Optional. Increase, decrease or omit if needed to control the spice.
Honey: Omit only if needed. Otherwise, highly recommended to balance out the tang.
Olive Oil: If you plan to grill the chicken, use pure olive oil as it has a higher heat tolerance. For baking, extra virgin olive oil works just fine.
Note on Marinade Time: 30 minutes in the marinade is sufficient, 1-2 hours is the sweet spot. 4 hours is the ABSOLUTE maximum time. I personally don't like to go past 2 hours.
Nutrition is based on using ALL of the marinade and chicken thighs.
Nutrition
Calories: 338kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 494mg | Potassium: 348mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 166IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg
