The Best Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken

Seriously. That’s not an over statement. This chicken is so tender and juicy that it’s tough to believe it’s actually super healthy. This pop of fresh citrus throughout the dish elevates the entire plate and will make you want to cook chicken like this from here on out. If you’re not a huge cilantro fan, don’t get scared away, it’s a very subtle element in this grilled cilantro lime grilled chicken dish and I promise it tastes great when everything is put together.

Why is This Chicken So Damn Good?

You wouldn’t think it’s possible to get a char on grilled chicken without a grill, but I’m here to prove you wrong. The secret to cooking perfect grilled chicken is getting it cooked through without burning the outsides. Ideally you want a perfect golden brown char all around the outside of the chicken and a tender juicy bite once you cut in. I showed you how to do this with this Grilled Chicken dish (if you liked that dish, I promise you’ll love this one as well.

Salsa is Life Amirite?

Yes, this cilantro lime grilled chicken is incredible. Like, seriously. But this dish isn’t complete without this fire pineapple mango salsa I made a few weeks back. If you saw that post, you’ll remember I talked about how that salsa is good on almost anything. That is especially true in the case of grilled chicken. Fresh citrus from a fruit based salsa + cilantro lime chicken? It’s almost too easy. I personally recommend making the full serving of this pineapple mango salsa in that recipe and using in as many dishes as possible until you run out. My guess is that it won’t last as long as you think once you dig in.

Cheers!

Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken

The best cilantro lime chicken you'll ever make served with a fresh pineapple mango salsa

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Course Main Course

Servings 2 Servings

Ingredients

  

For The Chicken

• 2 Raw Chicken Breasts
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 tbsp Oregano or Italian Seasoning
• 1 tsp Cayenne
• 1 tsp Salt and Pepper (each)
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp Lime Juice (fresh squeezed)
• 2 tbsp Chopped Cilantro

For the Mango Salsa

• 1 Large Red Bell Pepper (diced thin)
• 1 Pineapple (diced thin)
• 1 Ripe Red Mango (diced thin)
• 1 Jalapeno (diced thin)
• ½ White Onion (diced thin)
• 2 Limes (juiced)
• 1 tsp Salt

For the Cilantro Rice

• 1 Cup White Jasmin Rice (uncooked)
• 2 tbsp Chopped Cilantro

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 385°. Boil two cups of water in a small sauce pan. Once the water is boiling, add the rice, bring to a boil then cover and reduce heat to lowest possible setting.
• Place an oven-safe skillet on a stove top burner and turn heat up to medium-high. While the pan and oven heat up-- Add and mix all of your spices (and cilantro) for the chicken in a small bowl. Rub 1-tsp olive oil on all sides of both chicken breasts then rub your spice mix on all sides of the chicken until covered.
• Add 1 tsp olive oil to the now hot skillet and add both chicken breasts. Cook until both sides are browned (close to blackened) to your liking (note, the chicken won't be cooked all the way through, it'll finish cooking in the oven). Once the chicken is browned/blackened on all sides, squeeze fresh lime juice over both pieces of chicken and place skillet into the oven for 8-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
• While the chicken cooks, peel and dice all the ingredients for the pineapple mango salsa. Add everything into a mixing bowl and set aside.
• The rice should be just about done now. Remove cover, add chopped cilantro and mix thoroughly.
• Remove chicken from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes. Then slice it into strips.

To Serve

• Place a layer of cilantro rice at the bottom of two bowls. Layer equal parts chicken and salsa on top of the rice. Squeeze fresh lime over everything and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.

Keyword Grilled Chicken