Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken

Marinated for hours in a flavorful fresh lime and cilantro marinade and then thrown on the grill, this grilled cilantro lime chicken is impossibly juicy and will quickly become a grill staple!

Meet my trusty summer marinade that I ALWAYS turn to this time of year! It doesn’t get any more classic than cilantro + lime and I can confidently say this is the only marinade recipe you need.

I’m talking massive amounts of flavor, minimal on the ingredient list, and you can even prep it the night before! You’ll end up with the juiciest chicken of your life every time, scout’s honor.

There are only five basic ingredients in this marinade but each one packs in massive amounts of flavor! We’ve got tons of minced cilantro, crushed garlic, freshly-squeezed lime juice + zest, just a touch of veg oil, and a pinch of red pepper flakes for some heat.

So simple all around but trust me, this is one marinade you’re gonna want to hang onto forever.

This Grilled Chicken Features…

• A quick marinade that comes together in minutes
• Lots of fresh cilantro, lime juice, and garlic
• A perfectly juicy chicken texture

Making the Grilled Chicken

(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)

Ingredients You Will Need

• Lime
• Garlic
• Vegetable oil
• Cilantro
• Red pepper flakes
• Chicken

Choosing Your Chicken

I prefer to use boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. It cooks up quickly on the grill and turns out super tender and juicy every time especially after being marinated.

If you don’t have breasts on hand, boneless skinless chicken thighs will work great instead, however, you may need to adjust the cook time slightly if they are thicker breasts. Always use a kitchen thermometer to test the internal temperature of meat.

Tips for Perfect Cilantro Lime Chicken

1. Use fresh lime, cilantro, and garlic – fresh lime juice, zest, cilantro, and garlic adds an unmatchable flavor to the marinade.
2. Marinate chicken at least 2 hours – a good rule of thumb with marinating is 2 hours if you’re in a hurry and up to 12 if you’ve got some extra time.
3. Marinate chicken on bottom shelf of fridge – it’s always a good idea to keep raw meats away from fresh produce and on the bottom shelf of your fridge to reduce risk of cross contamination.

Recipe Variations

Try these ideas for a different twist on this chicken.

• Adjust heat level – you can skip the red pepper flakes in the marinade if you’re sensitive to spice. Start with 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes for a slight background of spicy flavor and up the amount of pepper to taste.
• Use another citrus – try using lemon in place of the lime.
• Try a different herb – try dill, parsley, or basil in place of the cilantro.
• Transform leftovers – chop up any leftovers of this chicken and put it on a salad or in a wrap.

Stovetop and Oven Instructions

Follow these instructions for how to cook the chicken indoors instead of on the grill.

• Stovetop: Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet (or brush over a large cast iron grill pan) Once pan is hot, add chicken and sear on both sides until chicken registers 165F, adding more oil to pan as needed. Note: if you are using a thicker cut of chicken, such as a chicken breast, I recommend searing chicken on both sides, then finish cooking in a 400F oven 5-10 minutes.
• Oven: Arrange chicken in a single layer on a greased sheet pan. Bake at 400F 20-25 minutes until chicken registers 165F. Optionally, broil chicken 1 inch from heat 2-3 minutes to crisp up the outside.

I mean, you can’t argue with how JUICY this chicken is! The fresh lime and aromatic cilantro really work their magic here and tenderize + flavor the chicken beyond your wildest dreams.

Currently dreaming about the next 840th time I make this chicken, how about you?

Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

Try these other chicken marinades next!

• Chimichurri Chicken
• Orange Marinated Chicken
• Lemon Ginger Marinated Chicken

This post was updated with new recipe adjustments and photos on 7/23/26.