This Grilled Lime-Garlic Chicken Breast recipe is a family favorite. It’s perfect for grilling during summer or whenever you’re craving a quick, protein-rich and flavorful meal. The marinade is incredible! Made with cilantro, lime, garlic, and jalapeño, it gives the chicken a fantastic flavor while keeping it moist and tender on the grill.
Lime, garlic, and cilantro are a perfect match in this recipe, creating one of my favorite flavor blends. Whether you’re grilling on the weekend or prepping a simple weekday meal, the chicken turns out juicy, tender, and full of flavor each time.
The marinade’s flexibility is another plus—it’s perfect for chicken breasts, thighs, or shrimp. It’s naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and low-carb, fitting various diets easily. Even better, you can prepare it quickly in a blender, making your meal prep effortless.
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Ingredients
- Chicken breasts – Boneless, skinless. I save money by buying whole chickens and butchering them, freezing the breasts, thighs, legs, etc. separately. It’s cheaper this way, but a bit more work.
- Fresh cilantro – Remove the bottom inch of the stems and add both the leaves and remaining stems to the blender.
- Lime juice – Look for juicy limes!
- Olive oil
- Garlic cloves – Fresh garlic is the ONLY way to roll in this recipe!
- Ground cumin
- Jalapeño – Remove the seeds, and if you like it spicier, try a serrano chili.
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
How to Make Grilled Lime-Garlic Chicken Breasts
- Combine cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, jalapeño, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor and blend until mostly smooth but slightly textured.
- Put chicken breasts into a large zip-top bag or shallow container. Add the marinade and evenly coat the chicken.
- Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2–3 hours or up to 8 hours for a richer flavor.
- Heat your grill or grill pan over medium-high heat and lightly oil the grill to prevent sticking.
- Remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess to drip away. Discard leftover marinade.
- Grill chicken breasts about 5–6 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and grill marks form.
- Let the chicken rest briefly before slicing. Optionally, serve with lime wedges and extra cilantro.
Step-by-step process
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Pound chicken breasts slightly to ensure even cooking and juiciness.
- Save 1/4 cup of the marinade before adding the chicken to use as a sauce at the table. It’s yummy!
- Rest the chicken for about 10 minutes before serving to keep the juices locked in.
- This marinade is also excellent with shrimp, tofu, zucchini, or bell peppers.
Recommended
Make It A Meal
This Grilled Lime-Garlic Chicken pairs perfectly with many side dishes. Serve alongside green salad, roasted veggies, or cilantro-lime rice. It’s also excellent in tacos, wraps, or grain bowls for a delish meal. This is the perfect cookout dish, and the leftovers are terrific!
Storage
Keep leftovers refrigerated in a sealed container for 3–4 days. Cooked chicken freezes well when sliced and stored properly, up to 2 months. Gently reheat in a skillet or microwave to maintain texture.
Grilled Lime-Garlic Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 1 cup fresh cilantro packed
- 1 lime juice
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 jalapeño seeded and roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, jalapeño, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor and blend until mostly smooth but slightly textured.
- Put chicken breasts into a large zip-top bag or shallow container. Add the marinade and evenly coat the chicken.
- Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2–3 hours, or up to 8 hours for richer flavor.
- Heat your grill or grill pan over medium-high heat and lightly oil the grill to prevent sticking
- Remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess to drip away. Discard leftover marinade.
- Grill chicken breasts about 5–6 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and grill marks form.
- Let the chicken rest briefly before slicing. Optionally serve with lime wedges and extra cilantro.
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Pound chicken breasts slightly to ensure even cooking and juiciness.
- Save 1/4 cup of the marinade before adding the chicken to use as a sauce at the table. It’s yummy!
- Rest the chicken for about 10 minutes before serving to keep the juices locked in.
- This marinade is also excellent with shrimp, tofu, zucchini, or bell peppers.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
These were great! I used them in a Southwest-style salad and everyone in the family liked it. Because they don’t like cilantro or very spicy foods, I left out the cilantro and jalapeno, and it was still tender and delicious.