Cilantro Lime Chicken Breast

Reach for this Cilantro Lime Chicken Breast recipe when you are craving a healthy meal that doesn't skimp on flavor. Chicken breasts saturated with the bright flavor of lime taste great on their own, and are versatile enough to use in a variety of other dishes.

I wanted to start this Cilantro Lime Chicken Breast post with a witty opening paragraph, but I can only seem to think of funeral jokes at the moment... don't ask. So instead, as you are reading this, just insert something clever -here- and continue on to the remainder of the post overwhelmed with a general sense of awe at my creativity...

You know why I love this recipe? This isn't one of those labor intensive recipes that requires a big production to make only for the family to shrug it off at the dinner table.  The marinade for the Cilantro Lime Chicken Breast is stupidly easy to dump together and really penetrates the meat.

Seriously, since the marinade incorporates a healthy amount of lime juice, you don't want to let it marinade overnight or you will end up with chicken ceviche instead!

This recipe is my go-to chicken recipe when I am making chicken tacos, a sandwich with Caribbean flare, or a myriad of other dishes. It is just a great all purpose recipe to keep in your back pocket because you'll find endless uses for it. Otherwise, there is nothing wrong with just serving the Cilantro Lime Chicken Breast whole with a side of rice, like my Coconut Milk Rice.

Those two recipes would taste phenomenal together.

Last time I made this recipe my digital oven thermometer broke. I picked up a replacement at a big box store, and the quality was just horrible. The reported temperature of my chicken breast was more than 10 degrees off, which can really make your family sick. I returned it and bought this digital oven thermometer instead. The price is the same as what I paid in the big box store, but the quality is infinity better.

I don't bake chicken without a digital oven thermometer. It is the best way to ensure you stop cooking while your Cilantro Lime Chicken Breast is at its optimal juiciness.

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Cilantro Lime Chicken Breast

This Cilantro Lime Chicken Breast recipe is what you want to reach for when you are craving a healthy meal that doesn't skimp on flavor. Chicken breasts saturated with the bright flavor of lime taste great on their own, and are versatile enough to use in a variety of other dishes.

5 from 3 votes

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Course: Entree

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Fox Valley Foodie

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

Marinade

• ▢ ¼ cup olive oil
• ▢ Juice from 3 limes
• ▢ Zest from 1 lime
• ▢ ~¼ cup cilantro leaves
• ▢ 4 cloves of garlic crushed
• ▢ Optional: Jalapeno seeds removed
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

• Mix all ingredients of the marinade together and pour into gallon sized plastic bag, then add chicken.
• Squeeze air out of the bag and ensure chicken is covered evenly by the marinade.
• Place in the fridge and let the chicken marinate for at least 15 minutes, but no longer than 3 hours. (2-3 hours is ideal)
• Heat skillet on medium high heat and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Remove chicken from marinade, discarding any produce clinging to the chicken breast, and place in hot skillet.
• Let chicken sear on each side till golden brown, trying not to move the chicken while it is browning.
• Transfer chicken to a oven safe pan and let finish baking till it reaches 165 degrees inside. ~15 minutes depending on your chicken breast's thickness.
• Let rest for 5 minutes and serve.

Notes

The acid in the lime juice will cook the raw chicken breast if it marinates too long, just like ceviche. I've seen other similar recipes say you can marinate the chicken up to overnight, DON'T DO IT!

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