Cilantro Lime Chicken
Cilantro lime chicken is bursting with fresh and tangy flavors that are best suited for summer. The combination of juicy chicken, zesty lime, and fresh cilantro creates an irresistible dinner dish perfect for grilling or pan-searing.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast, trimmed
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lime, juiced and zested
- ¼ c fresh cilantro, chopped, divided
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp cracked black pepper
- lime wedges (garnish)
Instructions
- Rinse and trim the chicken breast. If you're using large breasts, slice the breast into tenders. Place the tenders between plastic wrap and use a meat tenderizer to flatten the tenders to roughly equal thicknesses. This will both tenderize the meat and prevent drying out or under-cooking the chicken due to varying thicknesses. Transfer the chicken to a shallow dish or large Ziploc baggie.
- In a small bowl, combine the avocado oil, garlic cloves, lime juice and zest, 2 tablespoons of cilantro, honey, cumin, and salt and pepper to create the marinade.
- Pour the marinade over the chicken. Toss to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes, or up to overnight. We prefer to marinate our chicken about 4 hours. Turn the chicken over once or twice as it marinates.
- When you're ready to cook the chicken, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, drizzle a small amount of avocado oil in the bottom of the pan (you won't need much since the marinade also contains oil). Add the chicken in a single layer to the pan and brown on one side, undisturbed, for 5 to 7 minutes. Turn the chicken over, reduce to medium heat, and cook another 4 to 5 minutes, until browned and cooked through. A meat thermometer should read 165°F in the thickest part.
- Remove from heat and top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of cilantro and additional lime wedges, if desired.