Quick Look at these Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs
- Ready In: 30 minutes!
- Serves: 6
- Difficulty Level: easy, beginner
- Main Ingredients: chicken thighs and our easy cilantro lime marinade (cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, & kosher salt).
- Equipment: Weber gas grill
- Dietary Info: Whole30, Paleo, Dairy-Free, & Gluten-Free
- Best Side Dish Pairing: fresh homemade guacamole!
Share and summarize this recipe:
Why You’ll Crave This Recipe All Summer
- Fresh Flavors! Cilantro + lime juice = yes, please!
- Chicken Thighs → higher fat content (juicy), quick cooking, and has better flavor retention.
- All the pro tips included to grill like a pit master!
- Minimal clean-up for this delicious summer dinner.
- Options in the notes for cilantro lime chicken breasts and bone-in thighs.
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs – the best cut of chicken to grill (in my opinion), but bone-in chicken thighs or chicken breasts would also work!
- Lime Juice – option to use fresh lime juice or lime juice concentrate, I have used both.
- Kosher Salt – if you plan to use table salt, cut the amount in half or it will be way too salty.
How To Make Cilantro Lime Chicken
Step 1 – Put cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, and salt in a food processor.
Step 2 – Blend until smooth, scrape sides if needed.
How Long To Marinate?
Here is a quick guide:
- 15-30 minutes: minimum to add quick flavor
- 1-2 hours: ideal for maximum flavor
- Over 2 hours: not recommended due to the acidity of the lime juice, it will affect the texture.
Step 3 – Pour the mixture over the chicken thighs and let marinate for at least 15 minutes.
Step 4 – Place on a hot grill and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Internal Temperature Guide for Grilled Chicken Thighs
| 162 degrees F | Pull off the grill at this temp. It will continue to rise as it rests |
| 165 degrees F | Safe internal temperature to eat chicken |
| 175-185 degrees F | Many people prefer the texture of cooked chicken thighs at this temp |
👉 After grilling for over a decade, I can tell you that I have always pulled chicken thighs off the grill around 162 degrees F, let them rest for 5-10 minutes, and they are juicy EVERY TIME!
Step 5 – Flip chicken and continue until fully cooked. Let rest and enjoy!
Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken Breasts
Preheat grill to a high heat. Grill chicken breasts on direct heat (directly over flame) & cook at medium heat for 4-5 minutes per side. Move chicken to indirect heat (maintain the same grill temp, but not over a flame) & cook until the internal temp of the thickest part of the chicken reads 162 degrees F.
What Pairs Well With Cilantro Lime Chicken
There are a variety of cilantro lime chicken thigh sides that would be absolutely delicious:
- Rice: regular cooked rice is great, but feel free to level it up with cilantro lime rice or cilantro lime cauliflower rice.
- Vegetables: grilled sweet corn, Mexican street corn salad, or flavorful fajita veggies!
- Other Sides: the best homemade guacamole, grilled potato wedges, or grilled sweet potatoes.
Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs FAQs
Yes, feel free to marinate the chicken thighs for up to 2 hours ahead of time. Do not let them sit in the marinade for more than 2 hours because the acidity of the lime juice will start to breakdown the texture of the chicken.
Follow the same marinating instructions, but adjust the cook time to 4-5 minutes per side. Then finish cooking over indirect heat until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Shorten up the cook time but cutting them into cutlets and follow our post on Grilled Chicken Cutlets.
Yes, I love the minimal clean-up and flavor of grilled chicken, but you can also make the following versions of this recipe: slow cooker cilantro lime chicken, smoked chicken breasts, or air fryer chicken breasts. Follow that process but use this marinade.
No, it is not recommended to freeze chicken in this marinade due to the acidity of the lime juice denaturing the texture of chicken when sitting in it for longer than 2 hours.
It’s always a good idea to make more than you need – the leftovers are amazing! Just place them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Other Grilled Chicken Recipes You Might Like
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Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped and loosely packed
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, sub avocado oil
- ⅓ cup fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, more for seasoning at the grill
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sub chicken breasts or chicken cutlets
- ground black pepper
Serving Suggestions:
- fresh homemade guacamole
- red onions, diced
Instructions
- Marinate Chicken: In a small food processor, add 1 cup fresh cilantro, ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, ⅓ cup fresh lime juice, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Blend until smooth. Place 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs in a large plastic bag or storage container and pour marinade over top. Use your hands and gently massage the marinade into the chicken so it is fully coated. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes.
- Prep Grill: Clean grill grates and preheat grill to medium-high heat (about 400℉).
- Grill Chicken: Remove chicken from the marinade (allowing excess to drip off) and season with some additional salt and pepper. Grill chicken on direct heat (directly over flame) for 3-4 minutes per side (the bigger the thigh, the longer you will need to cook it), flipping once. Remove from grill once the internal temp has reached 160-165℉ (use a meat thermometer). See Notes for grilling bone-in thighs, chicken breasts (or cutlets).
- Rest: Remove from grill and let rest at least 5 minutes; internal temperature will continue to rise as it rests (up to 10℉). Chicken is safe to eat when it reaches an internal temp of 165℉ at its thickest part.
- Serve: Enjoy with some fresh homemade guacamole and diced red onions!
Notes
- Bone-In Chicken Thighs or Breasts: option to use bone-in chicken thighs or breasts, just adjust your cooking time accordingly & keep an eye on the internal temp – they will take longer due to the bone.
- Grilling Chicken Breasts: Place chicken breasts on direct heat (directly over flame) and cook at medium heat for 4-5 minutes per side. Move chicken away from direct heat, so that it is cooking on indirect heat (maintaining the same grill temp) and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes (you don’t need to flip at this point because the chicken will cook as if it is in an oven) or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken reads 160 degrees F.
- Chicken Cutlets: if you are using chicken breasts, I highly recommend cutting them in half lengthwise to make chicken cutlets. They will be thinner and therefore cook faster and stay more juicy on the inside. Simply cut them, marinate as directed above, and follow our grilled chicken cutlets instructions.
- Serving Suggestion: we highly recommend serving with fresh homemade guacamole for best results! Or cut the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces and serve as cilantro lime chicken tacos.
Bridget says
Yum! These are so good!!
Andrea says
I LOVE this recipe – been making for years. This recipe needs to have more reviews!! SOOOO GOOD
Erin says
Yay!!! So happy to hear you enjoyed it, Andrea!!!
Melissa says
This was so good and easy! I’m new to grilling so I appreciated the helpful grilling instructions!
Erin says
So glad you found it helpful, Melissa! And thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Brooke says
This is so tasty and very simple to make!
Erin says
Thank you so much, Brooke! So glad you enjoyed it! And thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review + feedback!
Carly says
This is so tasty and sooo simple! Great for summer nights! Hi from a fellow Minnesotan 😀
Erin says
Yay! Hi, Carly! So glad you enjoy this recipe as much as we do! It is a family favorite 🙂 Thank you so much for the feedback – I really appreciate it.