This Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken is the BEST! Loaded with flavor, super juicy and perfectly grilled – it’s my go-to for every warm Summer evening!
Did I tell y’all that I recently bought a grill? Like, a nice grill! I’ve had a $20 charcoal grill for years but it just never really did the job. So, I decided to just bite the bullet and do it! I got a great deal on it and I’m SO excited. All the grilling recipes are coming to OBB this Summer!
First on the agenda, we have this amazing Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken!
Why You’ll Love this Chicken:
Y’alllll. Why is there just something that makes grilled chicken taste better than any other type? I mean, is it the smokiness from the grill? The grill marks themselves adding flavor? The incredible marinade? Maybe a little all of the above.
Whatever it is, I know that this chicken makes my taste buds HAPPY. Seriously, it has so much flavor.
The best part? You really don’t have to marinade this chicken for like, 24 hours like some recipes call for. I did it about 1 hour ahead of time and it really soaked in well and was delicious.
I love the zippy flavor of the lime as well as the classic spices like garlic, onion and of course, a little bit of cayenne to keep things spicy – although you can totally omit that if you’d like!
I also love the tiny bit of honey added in the marinade – it gives it a little bit of sweetness to help balance out the other flavors. So so yummy!
It’s incredibly juicy, ultra tender and just has the best flavor. Perfect for on top of a salad or just on a plate with maybe a side of Southwestern Pasta Salad!
So let’s get into exactly what you need for it!
Ingredients You Need:
- Chicken breast
- Olive oil
- Lime juice
- Salt
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Cayenne
- Black pepper
- Honey
- Cilantro
Best Grilling Tips:
With this recipe, it’s best to start with marinating the chicken. This will make sure all of those yummy spices and flavors are able to really sink into the chicken.
If your chicken breasts are large, I highly recommend you slice them in half long ways to make them go longer and ALSO to cook fast. It’s a win win for everyone!
While that’s marinating, do whatever you’d like – pour a beverage (maybe this Fizzy Watermelon Paloma) and play a game of cornhole or something fun!
Like I said earlier, I let my chicken marinate for about an hour. When it’s about 15 minutes away from being done marinating, go ahead and start up your grill.
We have a charcoal grill – so we let our grill heat up to about 350 degrees or so.
Once it’s heated, add the chicken directly onto the grill. It should take about 10 minutes to grill – I used tongs to flip mine around halfway. Of course, every grill varies and I would caution you to make sure that your chicken is cooked fully using a meat thermometer. It should read 165 degrees internally.
Once the chicken is done, place it on a plate and eat it up!
By the way, this chicken makes amazing leftovers to chop up for salads!
It’s SO good. Enjoy on a warm Summer evening and savor each yummy bite!
What to Serve With:
A batch of quick and easy creamy coleslaw never goes out of style!
Or maybe try out this unique spin on pasta salad: Tortellini Pasta Salad!
If you want things extra cooling, try this Creamy Cucumber Salad!
However you eat it, I hope you love it!
Did you enjoy this recipe? Here are a few others you might like:
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Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken
This Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken is the BEST! Loaded with flavor, super juicy and perfectly grilled - it’s my go-to for every warm Summer evening!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs large boneless chicken breasts, sliced in half long ways (optional - see notes)
- 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (and more to garnish)
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 1 tsp honey
Instructions
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If desired and the chicken breasts are super large like mine were, slice them in half long ways. This will ensure that 1) you get more chicken and 2) they cook faster!
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Once your have your chicken breasts prepped, add them into a bowl. To the bowl, add in the lime juice, cilantro, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, cayenne and honey. Mix together.
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Cover and let marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.
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When the hour is almost done, start up the grill. I have a charcoal grill and I heated mine up to about 350 degrees.
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Place the chicken directly onto the grill and cook for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway. Note that EVERY grill varies - I recommend that you have a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken is fully cooked on the inside.
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Once it's done, place it on a platter, squeeze extra lime and garnish with extra cilantro if desired. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
The chicken breasts I bought were extra large - so I sliced them in half long ways to 1) make the chicken go further aka increase the amount and 2) so it would cook faster. Highly recommend! You can also substitute chicken breasts with pre sliced chicken tenders - the cook time on the grill will probably be less though. Keep an eye on them and make sure you have a meat thermometer handy!