This quick and easy Cilantro Lime Chicken recipe is perfectly seared on the outside and bursting with juices and flavor from the marinade on the inside.
The chicken can be grilled, cooked in a skillet on the stovetop, or even baked, making it the perfect weeknight meal. It’s also packed with enough flavor to impress your dinner guests.

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Why You’ll Love Cilantro Lime Chicken
This Mexican-inspired chicken is the perfect recipe for summer cookouts. The cilantro lime chicken marinade has simple ingredients and takes under 5 minutes to prepare. You can cook this on the grill, on the stovetop, or even in the oven (instructions below).
When the weather starts warming up, grilling is one of our favorite ways to cook chicken breast or thighs because it seals in all of the juices and flavor, just like Grilled Steak or Grilled Pork Tenderloin.
The combination of zesty lime, cilantro, garlic, and a little honey is a clear winner, so it’s going to win your family over and get rave reviews.

How to Make Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Combine the ingredients for the marinade.
- Pour marinade over the chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Grill, Saute, or Bake the chicken (instructions below). Then, once cooked, serve the chicken with lime wedges and more cilantro to garnish.
Pro Tip:
The marinade is so delicious, we like to brush some over the chicken as it’s being grilled.

How to Cook Cilantro Lime Chicken
Once the Cilantro Lime Chicken is marinated, you can grill, saute, or bake in the oven. No matter what method you choose, this recipe makes the juiciest chicken!
GRILLED Cilantro Lime Chicken
Heat the grill to medium. Place the marinated chicken onto the grates, cover, and grill for 4-5 minutes on each side or until cooked to 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
SKILLET Cilantro Lime Chicken
If you prefer to cook on the stovetop, heat a large skillet or grill pan to medium heat. Coat with 1 Tbsp of oil and then place marinated chicken in the pan in a single layer. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side or until 165°F. If the chicken is browning too quickly, cover the pan with a lid after you flip it to the second side.
BAKED Cilantro Lime Chicken
It’s easy to bake the chicken following the instructions from our Baked Chicken Breast recipe. Simply bake on a sheet pan or dish for 20 minutes at 400°F or until an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F.

Can I Use Chicken Thighs?
Yes, chicken thighs will work just as great in this recipe. Grill the chicken like in our Chimichurri Chicken recipe until the thickest part of the meat has an internal reading of at least 165°F. They taste even better when they reach 175˚F. Chicken thighs are more forgiving since they aren’t as lean as chicken breast meat.
What to Serve with Cilantro Lime Chicken?
This classic recipe can easily be served with your favorite Mexican-inspired sides. We love to serve the chicken with white rice or our quick instant pot mashed potatoes. This cilantro lime chicken pairs well with:
Make-Ahead
Due to the amount of lime in the marinade, we don’t recommend marinating for more than 2 hours.
- To Refrigerate: Once cooled, store any leftover cooked chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Store cooled chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Thaw in the fridge overnight. Then reheat in the microwave, in a skillet, or in the oven. You can also eat it cold within one day of defrosting.

Once you try the cilantro lime chicken recipe, it will become a regular on your grilling menu. I love that it is enjoyed by kids and adults alike.
More Summer Grilling Recipes
We love cooking outdoors in summer because everything seems to taste and smell better on the grill; chicken, beef, seafood, veggies – you name it! If you love firing up the grill in summer, you will love these grilling recipes.
- Grilled Salmon
- Juicy BBQ Chicken Breast
- Honey Garlic Shrimp
- Grilled Corn in Foil
- Grilled Pork Chops
- Perfect Hamburger
- Carne Asada
Cilantro Lime Chicken Recipe

Ingredients
Instructions
How to Make Cilantro Lime Chicken
- In a bowl, combine oil, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, salt, pepper, paprika, and honey for the marinade.
- Add the chicken to the mixture and allow to marinate for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours then cook the chicken either on the grill, in a skillet, or bake it in the oven (see instructions below). Once it's cooked, serve with lime wedges and garnish with more cilantro if desired.
How to Grill Chicken
- Preheat the grill to medium heat. Cover and grill the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side, depending on thickness, or until cooked through*.
To Cook Chicken in a Skillet
- Set a large non-stick, non-reactive skillet or grill pan over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp oil and sautee chicken in a single layer for 4-5 minutes per side until browned and cooked through*, depending on the thickness of your chicken. If your chicken is very thick, cover the chicken with a lid after you flip it.
How to Bake Chicken
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the chicken breast on a lined baking sheet or large casserole dish. Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes or until cooked through.
Notes
*Chicken breast should be cooked until it reaches 165˚F at the thickest part on an instant-read thermometer.
So is the ground pepper sweet paprika or smoked? Not clear in recipe.
Hi Lois, we used regular paprika for this recipe. It just says “paprika” on the packaging. One of our readers mentioned using smoked paprika also and loved it!
made this for dinner last night , oh wow was it yummy, will be making it again-loved the citrussy flavors
So glad it was enjoyed, thank you for the wonderful review.
Wow I really love this recipe! Chicken comes out so juicy and flavorful – I marinate for at least 2 hours. And, really by accident, I used smoked paprika but I love how it lends a little smoky sweet flavor so I am sticking with that version lol. Thank you for this amazing, easy recipe!!!!
Hi Amanda. That’s wonderful. I love those kinds of mistakes. 🙂 Thank you for sharing your experience with this recipe.
I love your recipes ❤️❤️❤️ I cannot wait to try this
I hope it becomes your new favorite!
This was so easy and so good!! I marinated my chicken for an hour and my husband and kids were impressed. This is my new favorite marinade for chicken.
So glad you found a new favorite recipe! Thank you so much for the review and great feedback.
I love your recipes they are easy and always delicious my daughter will not any kind of meat except chicken I’m sure she will love this recipe.
I hope she loves it, Dorothy!
I wonder if the chicken will still be tasty if I cut the oil in the marinade in half. We’re on WW and I’d like to skim the points a little. Do you think it would be too dry? Should I add something else if I use less oil?
Hi Kris, I haven’t tried those substitutions, so I can’t speak to that. Substitutions may hinder the recipe outcome. I always suggest making a recipe as written the first time around.
Absolutely delicious!!! So much flavor!!! I am going to marinade some shrimp in it.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Recipe calls for honey… is that necessary? Could a sugar substitute be used instead or omitted all together?
Hi Tina, I think sugar will work as a substitute. If you try that, please share with us how it turns out.
Made this and omitted the sugar all together… turned out amazing! Great flavor. Will be making this a lot!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I cannot get a lime anywhere could lemon be used
Hi Deborah! It truly is best with lime!
I made this tonight. The chicken was so tasty and tender and moist. Everyone loved it. Thank you Natasha for all your delicious recipes. You are always my go-to. Last night I made the coconut shrimp, a big hit!
I’m so glad this was a hit, Linda! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Made this tonight with one adjustment…..I always cut my chicken breasts in half through the middle so it grills faster and evenly. The marinade was delicious! I served this with rice pilaf, pico de gallo (mixed some in the rice), and then made your toast for bruschetta but topped it with the pico de gallo. It was a delicious meal! Thank you Natasha for the recipes.
You are very welcome, Victoria. That sounds perfect, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Natasha , love your recipes
Plan on making this dish for party tomorrow. Quick question
I have sweet and hot paprika , which one?
Thanks
Hi Kathy, we use regular smoked paprika for this recipe.
Hi Natasha, I’m your list of ingredients there 3 cloves of garlic, minced. But then in your recipe garlic is missing from the marinade. I take it it’s just a typo description of the method? Garlic should be mixed in with other ingredients, right?
Thank you
Svitlana x
Thank you so much for pointing that out. I appreciate it. You are correct, it goes in with the marinade.
Thank you!! The flavor was so amazing and the chicken so moist!! I marinated chicken breast last week and will marinade chicken thighs today. So delicious!!!
Hi Nancy! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! It really is THAT good! Thank you for your lovely comment!
Delicious! Thank you.
Do you think we can use the same marinate on a whole chicken?
Thank you!
Thanks, Sue! I haven’t tried that yet but I imagine that will be okay. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes!
can i leave it out at room temp if marinating it for 30 min? or do i pop it back in the fridge if i marinate it for longer that and if so, when should i take it out so the chicken will come down to room temp?
Hi Sj, yes, you can marinate it for longer. Several of our readers have done that with very tender chicken outcomes. I recommend leaving it in the fridge for those 30 minutes to ensure your chicken stays at a safe temperature.
If I don’t have fresh cilantro an I use dried from a jor? If so how much. Thanks
Hi Paulette, I have only tried it with fresh cilantro. It may work with dried but I can’t speak to the outcome being the same.
Soooo good! And easy to prepare! I shredded it and put it over some nachos. Best dinner ever! Thanks!
Sounds awesome! Thank you for sharing your great feedback and review with us, Megan!
I have the grill together with my oven.
Is it ok?
I don’t have seperate grill.
Hi Bruria, If you give it a try in that oven, I would love to know how you like that.