Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken – a quick and delicious weeknight meal your whole family will love!
We have been making this recipe for the past 2-3 summers and I kind of can’t believe it has taken me this long to get it up on the blog for you guys! All you go is throw together a quick marinade, pop these guys on the grill and then serve with guacamole! Kiddos LOVE it and we always make extra because the leftovers can be used in tacos, salads or just reheated for a quick lunch. It is simple, easy and full of delicious ingredients.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Fresh Flavor: That fresh lime juice and cilantro just make me think of summer dinner on the patio!
- Summer Vibes: Grilling just always reminds me of summer (even though we grill year-round) – we have this on permanent rotation every summer!
- Grilled: Eating grilled food is such a quick and easy way to get dinner on the table FAST! with minimal clean up!
Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade
Aren’t we all always looking for the best cilantro lime chicken marinade!? Yes! This one is so, simple and turns out ever time and it is only 4 INGREDIENTS!! Here’s what you will need:
- fresh cilantro
- olive oil (avocado oil would work too)
- fresh lime juice
- kosher salt
Can I Freeze the Chicken in the Marinade
Yes! To freeze simply:
- Make marinade, as directed.
- Combine chicken with marinade in a large silicon bag or freezer-safe plastic bag.
- Let marinate for 30 minutes.
- Squeeze as much air out as possible and the securely close the bag.
- Freezer for up to 3 months.
- To thaw place in the refrigerator overnight.
- Grill when thaw per recipe card below.
What to Serve it With
- Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Fresh Guacamole
- Grilled Potato Wedges
- Grilled Asparagus
Other recipes you might like:
- Best Homemade Dry Rub
- Grilled Eggplant Bruschetta
- Garlic Burgers
- How to Grill Chicken Breasts (without them drying out!)
Made this recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: American
Description
Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken – a quick and delicious weeknight meal your whole family will love!
Ingredients
- 6 boneless chicken breasts or chicken thighs
- 1 cup roughly chopped and loosely packed fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup olive oil (avocado oil would work too)
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
- Combine olive oil, lime juice, cilantro and salt in bowl and stir to combine.
- Place chicken in either a large plastic bag or storage container and pour marinade over top.
- Use your hands and gently massage the marinade into the chicken so every crevice is covered.
- Cover and place in refrigerator for a max of 30 minutes.
- Clean grill grates and preheat grill to medium-high heat (about 400 degrees).
- Chicken Thighs: 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.
- Chicken Breasts: Place chicken on direct heat (directly over flame) and cook at medium heat for 4-5 minutes per side. Move chicken away from the direct heat (direct flame) 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 during 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 on your meat thermometer.
- Remove from grill and let rest at least 5 minutes; internal temp will continue to rise as it rests (up to 10 degrees). Chicken is safe to eat when it reaches an internal temp of 165 at its thickest part.
Notes
- Kosher Salt: make sure you are using kosher salt and not table salt! Table salt will result in a much too salty flavor.
- Bone-In Chicken Thighs or Breasts: you can use bone-in chicken thighs or breasts, just adjust your cooking time accordingly – they will take longer because they are bone-in.
- Serving Suggestion: Serve with fresh guacamole for best result 🙂
Keywords: cilantro lime chicken, grilled cilantro lime chicken
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.