Cilantro and Lime Chicken Breasts
As you can tell from my blog, I love Mexican food and flavors. I was craving chicken, so I marinated a couple of breasts in a simple marinade of some olive oil, garlic, lime zest, and cilantro. Both my kids and my husband loved this dish, and we thought it paired well with roasted tomatoes topped with cotija cheese and spicy black beans. These cilantro and lime chicken breasts would also be great sliced up on a salad or in a burrito.
Cilantro and Lime Chicken Breasts
Ingredients:
- 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, trimmed of any fat
- 2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
- Zest and juice of 1 lime (reserve the juice for the last 15 minutes of marinating)
- 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
How to Make Cilantro and Lime Chicken Breasts:
Place trimmed chicken breast in a large zip-lock bag. Pound the chicken breasts flat with a mallet until ½-inch thick.
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, lime zest, cilantro, garlic, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Mix thoroughly and marinate in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours.
Remove chicken from the refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking, and add the lime juice to the marinade; mix thoroughly.
Heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add chicken breasts and cook for 4-5 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 4-5minutes, or until juices run clear.
Remove from heat and let sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts trimmed of any fat
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided
- Zest and juice of 1 lime reserve the juice for the last 15 minutes of marinating
- 1 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place trimmed chicken breast in a large zip-lock bag. Pound the chicken breasts flat with a mallet until ½-inch thick.
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, lime zest, cilantro, garlic, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Mix thoroughly and marinate in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours.
- Remove chicken from the refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking, and add the lime juice to the marinade; mix thoroughly.
- Heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add chicken breasts and cook for 4-5 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 4-5minutes, or until juices run clear.
- Remove from heat and let sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.
I added seeded poblano and jalepenos to give it a smoky flavor. Without the seeds, I would consider it a mild dish. Love this recipe! I want to serve it with mashed cauliflower for a wonderful low carb meal.