Chicken has never been a favorite of mine. I don’t know if I’m scarred from my parents feeding me BOILED chicken growing up, or if it’s just not in my culinary DNA. I’m trying to find new flavorful ways to add more chicken into my repertoire. Cilantro lime chicken is a giant leap in the right direction.
The only way I really like plain chicken is if it’s grilled or barbecued. I love the slightly charred and caramelized taste and texture of grilled chicken. It nullifies that plain chicken taste I just can’t stand.
Boneless, Skinless Versus Bone-In, Skin On Thighs
For this recipe, I prefer boneless, skinless chicken thighs. The skinless thighs are going to be a little healthier and you don’t have to fight with the bone. Bone-in skin-on thighs tend to be a little juicier thanks to the skin and bone. I think these are best for roasting.
Chicken thighs, in general, are more tender than your typical chicken breast. The dark meat is most comparable to the chicken wing or drumstick.
How to Cook Chicken Thighs in Cast Iron
Cilantro lime chicken is a sweet and savory chicken that tastes as if it’s grilled to perfection. But how do we get around grilling marinated chicken if we forget to marinate overnight or don’t have time? Easy, we sear it in a cast iron skillet with a sauce that will instantly caramelize into a sticky glaze. I typically cook for about 7-8 minutes per side on medium heat.
It helps to unfold the chicken thighs so they lie flat in the skillet. They will cook much quicker and more evenly this way. Typically packaged chicken thighs are slightly rolled into a more circular shape.
Cilantro Lime Marinade
The marinade consists of honey, cilantro, fresh lime juice, garlic, and cumin. The honey will add a sweet sticky glaze as the sauce reduces, similar to your classic barbecued chicken, while the lime, cilantro, and cumin will add a citrusy twist.
Can I Grill this Recipe?
Absolutely, just note the recipe won’t turn out the same. You won’t get the same caramelized thick glaze with grilling as we’re not cooking the sauce. If you do decide to grill this recipe, it’s absolutely essential that the chicken marinates overnight or for 4-6 hours to soak up the flavor.
More Chicken Thigh Recipes You’ll Love
- Roasted chicken thighs
- Korean-style chicken thighs
Skillet Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 3-4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
Description
Boneless cilantro lime chicken thighs seared in a cast iron skillet and then sauteed in a honey-based cilantro and lime marinade.
Ingredients
- 4–6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, for searing
Cilantro Lime Sauce
- 1/4 cup lime juice (or juice of 2 limes)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1–2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Combine cilantro lime sauce ingredients in a bowl, whisk until combined. Set aside.
- Season chicken thighs liberally with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in cast iron skillet on medium heat. Once warm, add the chicken and sear for about 6-8 minutes. Flip and sear for an additional 6-8 minutes. See note below.
- Add the cilantro lime sauce, let sauce simmer until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Flip the chicken in the sauce until well coated. Garnish with additional cilantro if desired and serve.
Notes
It helps to unfold the chicken thighs so they lie flat in the skillet. They will cook much quicker and more evenly this way. Typically packaged chicken thighs are slightly rolled into a more circular shape.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About 1 chicken thigh
- Calories: 281
- Sugar: 17.6g
- Sodium: 586mg
- Fat: 8.2g
- Saturated Fat: 2.2g
- Carbohydrates: 18.8g
- Fiber: 0.2g
- Protein: 32.4g
- Cholesterol: 97mg
Keywords: cilantro lime chicken thighs, cast iron chicken thighs, chicken recipes
Adapted from: The Recipe Critic
Hi, it was delicious but my sauce did not carmelize. Not sure what I did wrong. Followed times exactly.
★★★★★
May need to turn up the heat a little more and get a good simmer going for it to caramelize.
Thanks! The recipe is a keeper no matter. Easy but great flavors.
DEEELISH!
Om! Recipe is fantastic
Thanks Carol!
I intended to make this 2 night ago but only had time to whip up the sauce! How long do you think the sauce will last in the fridge?
I hope I’m not too late – but I think 2-3 days (prob even longer) refrigerated is fine if I had to guess.
Amazing! I used my cast iron skillet. Your timing is perfect. Thank you.
Thank you, Sarah!
This was absolutely amazing! So glad you shared it! We used boneless and skinless chicken thighs and thought it was flavorful with the cilantro-lime sauce. The cast iron did a great job of adding a crispy texture. We have a fairly new cast iron and i was afraid the lime was going to strip the oil finish, but it turned out fine. Thanks again!
Lots of flavor! Awaken your tastebuds with the sweet/sour combo!
★★★★★
Thank you, Veronica!
This was amazing! I’m so happy I found this. I made tacos with this recipe topped only with Mexican cream. It was so good I ran back to the kitchen to cook more! Thank you!
★★★★★
VERY interesting idea, Melissa! I will have to give that a try.
I’ve made this now a couple of times. My husband and son are in love with this recipe. I went different with it tonight and made it with shrimp. It was delicious!!! Wondering now how it would taste with steak?? Maybe on my next venture to the meat market I will get a good cut and try it out 🙂 Thank you bunches for this recipe!
★★★★★
You’re welcome – so glad you and your family like it. Maybe with steak tips? I think it may be too sweet for your typical steak, but it could be perfect as a steak tip marinade. Give it a shot!
This looks amazing, thanks for sharing and can’t wait to try it! boiled chicken…that is just not right ?Sorry you had to go through that, but good to see you are on the road to recovery w this delicious recipe! 🙂
★★★★★
Thanks Jenn! Yes, slowly but surely getting there 😉