This chicken is easy to cook and so flavorful! You can either make the cilantro lime chicken on its own or pair it with cilantro lime rice and an amazing mango avocado salsa to make a healthy summer meal.
To make the cilantro lime chicken, simply whisk together marinade ingredients. Remove approximately ½ cup for later use. To make sure the chicken cooks evenly, pound out the breasts to an even thickness. You should use a meat mallet for this. Once you’ve mixed the chicken breasts into the marinade, leave in the refrigerator for anywhere from thirty minutes to 24 hours. To cook the chicken, you can grill, sauté, or bake—as long as it reaches 165 F. A digital meat thermometer would be helpful for this.
As the chicken is cooking, baste it with the marinade you kept aside. Place your chicken on top of cilantro lime rice and add the mango salsa for an amazing meal. The salsa’s texture and sweetness pairs great with the cilantro lime chicken. The mango and orange juice balance the chicken’s cilantro-lime tang. If you are shooting for low-carb, convert the meal into a salad by serving over finely chopped romaine lettuce and your favorite veggies.
Chicken Marinade
- 1 and 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (can also use thighs)
- 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice, separated
- 1/2 cup + 1 teaspoon olive oil, separated
- 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, separated
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons lime zest, separated
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon + 1/4 teaspoon cumin, separated
- 2 and 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro, separated
Mango Avocado Salsa
- 1 ripe mango
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeño, optional
- Fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
- Optional: cilantro-lime rice or quinoa (see recipe notes)
Recipe by Chelsea's Messy Apron
Text by Thomas Cox and Martha Kendall Custard
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