Cilantro-Lime Chicken Recipe: Cooking Tips and Serving Ideas

Cilantro-lime chicken is a simple preparation of chicken flavored with herbs and citrus. One way to make this dish is to blend the cilantro and lime into a multipurpose sauce, using a portion as a quick marinade to build flavor and the remainder as a finishing sauce. Serving the chicken with lime wedges and tender cilantro leaves will bolster the fresh qualities of the marinade.
If you’re a fan of grilling, you can also use the cilantro lime marinade to make grilled chicken. To finish, pour the extra marinade over the cooked chicken to enhance the flavor, or use it to make cilantro lime rice and roasted vegetables for an easy and flavorful side dish.

Here’s how to get juicy chicken packed with herby, zesty flavor.

1. 1. Use the cilantro stems. While most recipes call for cilantro leaves, cilantro stems are very flavorful. Use the stems for the chicken marinade, and save the prettier leaves for garnishing.
2. 2. Save the zest. Lime zest is even more flavorful than lime juice, since the peel is full of essential oils. Use the zest in the marinade along with the juice to get the ultimate fresh lime flavor. Here’s how to zest a lime perfectly.
3. 3. Finish in the oven. Searing the chicken on the stovetop and then transferring it to the oven to finish cooking is a surefire way to make tender chicken with crisp skin. Use this method with any cut of chicken: thighs or breasts, boneless, bone-in, or even a spatchcocked chicken. Just adjust the cooking time accordingly—breasts cook faster than thighs, and a bone can also increase the cooking time.

This easy chicken preparation is perfect for meal prep or an individual meal plan. Enjoy cilantro-lime chicken for dinner tonight, then add the leftovers to other dishes throughout the week.

1. 1. Burritos: Cilantro and lime pair perfectly with classic burrito ingredients. Warm a large flour tortilla, then fill it with chopped cilantro-lime chicken and your favorite toppings like homemade pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, guacamole, cheese, and black beans or leftover roasted vegetables. Tuck the sides over the filling and roll it up for a hearty meal.
2. 2. Rice bowls: Pair this chicken with whole-grain or cauliflower rice, then top your rice bowl with garnishes like pickled carrots, sautéed spinach, or roasted zucchini.
3. 3. Salad: Upgrade your next taco salad by serving cilantro-lime chicken over a bed of greens along with sliced avocado, charred corn, fresh jalapeños, crushed tortilla chips, and cilantro lime dressing.
4. 4. Soup: You can easily turn this chicken into a hearty chicken soup by adding a few cups of chicken broth and chopped veggies to the pot before transferring it to the oven. Shred the chicken once it’s cooked, and drizzle the remaining sauce into the soup to brighten the dish right before serving.
5. 5. Tacos: Make a taco bar that’s fun for the whole family by setting a variety of toppings, fillings, garnishes, and salsas on the table so each person can customize their plate.