Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken is an easy and flavorful grilling recipe that is perfect for a summer taco night! It is also delicious with rice and grilled veggies, or burrito bowls!
I’ve been on a mission to create the most flavorful and juicy grilled chicken recipes for easy summer grilling. This Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken knocks it out of the park! This chicken recipe uses a handful of simple ingredients to create an explosion of flavor on chicken breast.
While I typically use chicken breast for this recipe, chicken thighs and chicken tenderloins will also work! Chicken thighs will be darker meat, and I like them for grilling as they tend to be more tender and moist after cooked. The chicken tenderloins will have a similar look to chicken breasts, but are typically more tender than breasts. They are found next to the breast in the chicken, and come in smaller pieces, meaning they will cook faster. If you want smaller pieces of chicken breast, simply cut the breasts into slices prior to marinating. Then adjust your cooking time accordingly.
This cilantro lime chicken recipe is super simple, from start to finish. To begin, pound the chicken breasts to about even thickness. They don’t need to be completely flattened, but doing this helps evenly cook the chicken on the grill, and will also slightly reduce cooking time.
Next, make the cilantro lime marinade. In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, garlic, cumin, honey, and salt. Add this to the chicken in either a glass or plastic Tupperware container or a plastic Ziploc baggie. Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 8-12 hours. If you marinate on the longer range of things, the outside of the chicken may start to turn white, as the lime sort of “cooks” the chicken, as it does to ceviche, but it won’t affect the outcome.
Once the chicken is marinated, preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 6-8 minutes on each side. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the chicken, so I recommend using a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is cooked to 165 degrees F.
Serve topped with additional cilantro, and enjoy!
This chicken can be served in a variety of ways. I especially like using this chicken on chicken burrito bowls, with rice, salsa, corn, black beans, sour cream, and guac! Oh and my green sauce if I’m feeling extra. It is also great for tacos or burritos, or simply served with some grilled vegetables and rice.
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