Cilantro Lime Chicken

Cilantro lime chicken. Upgrade your chicken dinner with this unique combo of lime and coriander (cilantro) leaves. It takes just 15 minutes to prep and then your oven will work the magic. Pair this with steamed rice and fresh salad. Give it a try!

Simple baked chicken thighs are obviously a weeknight staple. But, when you’re bored of the basic version of baked chicken, take the recipe to the next level with flavor packed ingredients like cilantro (coriander leaves) and fresh lime. They might not be the classic additions, but trust me, the delicious combo is simply amazing.

Cilantro lime chicken. The combination of juice and zest of lime and coriander leaves alongside chicken makes for a customizable weeknight dinner. Zest it up with extra flavor from olive oil, cumin, and paprika. During the process of marinating and baking, the lime in the marinade tendenrize the chicken making it very tender and lip-smacking.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Recipe

Cilantro lime marinade – As the name suggests, the key ingredients in this marinade include coriander or cilantro leaves and fresh lime. Both zest and juice of limes flavor this marinade. Chop coriander (cilantro) leaves into very fine pieces to allow more flavor infusion. You’ll need about 3 limes to create this recipe. Juice all 3 limes and zest 1 lime. Garlic cloves are also finely minced to achieve maximum flavor. Another essential element that add tons of flavor is olive oil. Apart from all these ingredients, you will also require a few spices like cumin and paprika. This form the basic marinade, however, don’t forget the quintessential salt and pepper.

Marinate and cook chicken – Although chicken thighs are perfect to create this dish, chicken breasts, drumsticks, or even whole chicken are also delicious. Toss chicken in the marinade, and marinate for at least 30 minutes. If you have time, overnight marination would be perfect. The lime juice in the marinade tenderize the meat making it soft and delicious. At this point, you can pan fry, bake or grill until cooked through. Apart from chicken, you can use the marinade for fish, prawns, or meat.

More Baked Chicken Recipes:

• Lemon Pepper Chicken
• Spicy Chicken Parmesan

Yield: 4

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Print

Succulent baked chicken flavored with cilantro lime marinade

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 27 minutes

Ingredients

Cilantro lime marinade:

• 3 tablespoons very finely chopped cilantro or coriander leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (approximately 3 limes)
• 1 tablespoon lime zest
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste

To bake:

• 1 kg chicken thighs (or chicken breasts, drumsticks or whole chicken)

Instructions

1. To make cilantro lime marinade, combine together cilantro (coriander leaves), lime juice and zest, olive oil, garlic, cumin and paprika. Season with salt and pepper. 
2. Coat chicken with the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight if possible. 
3. Preheat oven to 190 C or 375 F.
4. Place chicken in a baking tray.
5. Spoon the remaining marinade over the chicken.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through and the internal temperature of chicken reaches 75 C or 165 F. 

Notes

• You can bake, pan fry, grill, or air fry these chicken thighs
• To pan fry, cook 5 minutes on one side, and then flip and cook 7-8 minutes on the other side
• Serve this with steamed rice and salad, salsa or pico de gallo. 
• Use it to make sandwiches, tacos and salads.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 665Total Fat 48gSaturated Fat 12gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 36gCholesterol 320mgSodium 512mgCarbohydrates 3gFiber 1gSugar 0gProtein 59g

The nutritional data is for information purposes only

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