Mexican Lime Chicken Thighs are zesty and fresh. With a quick and easy cilantro lime chicken marinade, this recipe is one of the best ever meals to make with chicken thighs!
Recipes like our Moroccan Lamb Couscous make for culturally inspired week night cooking!
Turkey Chilli Con Carne, Ground Beef Casserole, are each easy dinner recipes you can serve or pair with a side dish like our skin on roast potatoes or creamy garlic potatoes for a complete meal!
Jump to:
How long should you marinate chicken
Chicken can be marinated for as little time as it takes to coat it in the marinade or as long as overnight.
For this recipe, we make a thick marinade from a combination of lime juice, olive oil, coriander, garlic, burrito seasoning and lime zest.
Once the chicken thighs are coated in the marinade, we want to pop them into the fridge for 30 mins to let the flavours develop.
You can leave them like this overnight if you want to cook them the next day also.
What foods go with cilantro
Cilantro and lime are a match made in heaven.
Cilantro itself is easy to grow and cultivate for home cooking like this.
It is a herb (also commonly known as coriander) and it can be used to add flavour and texture to a number of recipes.
The combination of fresh lime juice and zest, with the chopped cilantro is Mexican inspired for a unique flavoured dish which is the complete opposite taste to our Creamy Garlic Chicken Thighs.
Ingredients needed
The ingredients for this recipe are simple and easy to find at the local shops. They are set out in the photo below so you can see exactly what you need:
As you can see, we have:
- chicken thighs (skinless, boneless)
- limes
- coriander (cilantro)
- burrito seasoning (or your favourite Mexican seasoning)
- olive oil
- garlic
- salt and pepper
For the seasoning you can use taco, burrito or fajita mix, grab your favourite Mexican flavour combination!
Step by step instructions
The photos below are the easy step by step instructions you need to bring this dish together.
- Zest limes with zester or grater (Photo 1)
- Chop coriander (Photo 2)
- Start marinade by adding lime zest and coriander (Photo 3)
- As well as lime juice to a bowl (Photo 4)
We whisk together this marinade and let the chicken thighs sit in it for at least 30 mins to absorb the flavours!
It will take less than 5 mins to make the marinade and we then use it to coat the chicken thighs.
Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs instructions
- add burrito seasoning to cilantro lime mix (Photo 5)
- as well as garlic (Photo 6)
- salt and pepper (Photo 7)
- and olive oil (Photo 8)
- whisk together ingredients to combine the marinade (Photo 9)
- one by one add chicken thighs to the bowl and coat with the marinade (Photo 10 and 11)
- place the chicken thighs in the fridge to marinade for at least 30 mins (Photo 12)
We use both the zest and the juice of at least 2 limes it get maximum citrus flavour through the dish.
- pour olive oil into skillet and turn to a medium heat (Photo 13)
- one by one add chicken thighs to the skillet (Photo 14 and 15)
- cook the chicken thighs for 5-10 mins each side (Photo 16)
Frequently asked questions
- there is 7 total ingredients for this recipe!
- you can use your favorite Mexican seasoning, burrito, taco, fajita are all good options!
- this recipe will feed 4 people
- we grill these chicken thighs till nicely brown or a little crispy
- this is a super easy recipe that is quick to prepare
- the chicken is best marinated for at least 30 mins
- use skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- use the zest and juice of 2 limes with additional limes in the skillet and to serve
- we cook 4 chicken thighs for this recipe
- serve with a simple salad or side of roast potatoes or rice
- the recipe takes approx 15 mins (with 30 mins marinade time)
- This is an EASY recipe
Expert tips
These tips are to help you master this recipe from the 1st time you make it:
- use ½ the oil in the marinade and ½ to coat the pan to cook the chicken
- cut some of the limes in half and add to the pan whilst grilling the chicken
- use the cooked lime halves for drizzling (but taste 1st as might be too tart)
- ensure the pan is well seasoned with oil, this recipe can stick/char which adds to the flavour, but a little oil will help!
Chicken thighs tend to be more tender and moist than chicken breast, which is thicker also!
Related recipes
For chicken recipes that get dinner on the table fast, have a look at these ideas:
- Easy Butter Chicken
- Thai Chicken Pizza
- Chicken Noodle Stir Fry
- Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs
- Chili Lime Chicken Wings
- Honey Soy Chicken Stir Fry
- Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken
These recipes are to bring ease and convenience to your kitchen! Give them all a recipe and bookmark pick your favourites!
PIN and save the recipe for later
Hunger still got you? You can SUBSCRIBE to receive the latest recipes, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook.
📖 Recipe
Mexican Lime Chicken
Equipment
- Skillet
- Glass mixing bowl
- Mini whisk
Ingredients
Mexican Lime Chicken Thighs
- 4 chicken thighs Note 1
- ½ bunch coriander Note 2
- 6 - 8 limes Note 3
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbs garlic minced
- 1 packet burrito seasoning Note 4
Instructions
Mexican Lime Chicken Thighs
- Make the marinade by zesting 2 of the limes, juicing them and chopping the coriander
- Add olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, followed by burrito seasoning and whisk to combine
- Use tongs to take your chicken wings and 1 by one coat in the marinade, return all 4 to the mixing bowl and place in the fridge for 30 mins
- Add olive oil to skillet, turn to a medium heat and use tongs to place each marinated chicken thigh into the skillet
- Cook for 5-10 mins each side and the juices at the thickest part of the juice run clear (not pink)
- Serve with fresh chopped coriander and lime wedges
Video
Notes
- Note 1 My preference is to use skinless, boneless chicken thighs.
- Note 2 We use the stems and leaves of the coriander. I much prefer this to pulling of the individual leaves and discarding the stems. Who has time to do that!!
- Note 3 We need at least 2 limes for the zest and juice. The other limes can be split in halves and some placed in the pan for grilling and some cut into wedges to squeeze over the cooked chicken.
- Note 4 You can use your favourite Mexican seasoning. So taco, burrito, fajita all work well. One packet tends to be around 40 grams and we use that entire packet.
Nutrition
Chicken Thighs recipes
You are going to seriously LOVE this recipe. I made it especially for you!
Limey, zesty, garlicky good, this one is perfect for week night cooking.
Tender, moist chicken which has a zingy freshness.
If you grow your own coriander, grab it and get to it as it makes it even more interesting to use homegrown herbs in the dish.
Please give me a shout if you have questions or make the recipe as I would love to hear your feedback.
Who needs tequila when we have Mexican Lime Chicken!!
Adrianne x
Order Food Online says
I Like this recipe I will try this at home.
Adrianne says
Sounds great, thanks!
Lynn Thompson says
Silly question,but could this be done on the grill?
Adrianne says
Yes Lynne, absolutely it could be! Cheers