Hi! Today I have a quick and easy chicken marinade to share! As you all know we have been trying to eat better around here and I have been experimenting with different “healthy” marinades for chicken. This cilantro-lime chicken marinade does the trick! It is soo yummy, light and refreshing. It would be perfect for tacos, on the grill in skewer form or even just seared like I will show you here. Read on for this simple chicken marinade!
Ingredients
1/2 Chicken, cut in pieces (any four pieces will do)
2 each Garlic Cloves, smashed
1/2 Cup Cilantro, fine chop
2 each Scallions, green part only, finely chopped or bruised*
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1 Tbls Cumin, powder
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Olive Oil
1 Tbls Water
1 tsp Honey
1/2 each Lime, juice and zest
Cooking Spray
Salt & Pepper to taste
*Cut the ends off the scallions. With back of knife tap along length of scallion until it is bruised, darker in color. I do this to be able to discard the onion before cooking, if you like more of an onion taste chop the scallion finely instead.
Directions
Place all ingredients in a bowl and combine with whisk. Pour marinade over chicken parts in plastic bag. “Massage” marinade into chicken to make sure it is coated evenly. Let sit for at least 30 minutes up to an hour in fridge.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Throw away scallion pieces (once again, if you like the flavor leave the chopped pieces). Get a pan hot over medium heat. Spray pan with cooking spray and sear off chicken pieces. Do this in batches if needed to not over crowd the pan. When you get a nice golden color on the outside place in an oven safe dish. If you have available, insert oven safe thermometer into largest piece of chicken.
This is how the chicken should look after being seared. This chicken pictured is not fully cooked.
Place in oven until internal temperature reads at least 165 degrees. This won’t take very long, maybe up to 15 minutes. Serve with your desired sides, or slice chicken breasts for tacos and enjoy!
Thanks for reading!
- ½ Chicken, cut in pieces (any four pieces will do)
- 2 each Garlic Cloves, smashed
- ½ Cup Cilantro, fine chop
- 2 each Scallions, green part only, finely chopped or bruised*
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
- 1 Tbls Cumin, powder
- ¼ tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 tsp Olive Oil
- 1 Tbls Water
- 1 tsp Honey
- ½ each Lime, juice and zest
- Cooking Spray
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- *Cut the ends off the scallions. With back of knife tap along length of scallion until it is bruised, darker in color. I do this to be able to discard the onion before cooking, if you like more of an onion taste chop the scallion finely instead.
- Place all ingredients in a bowl and combine with whisk.
- Pour marinade over chicken parts in plastic bag. "Massage" marinade into chicken to make sure it is coated evenly.
- Let sit for at least 30 minutes up to an hour in fridge.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Throw away scallion pieces (once again, if you like the flavor leave the chopped pieces).
- Get a pan hot over medium heat.
- Spray pan with cooking spray and sear off chicken pieces. Do this in batches if needed to not over crowd the pan.
- When you get a nice golden color on the outside place in an oven safe dish. If you have available, insert oven safe thermometer into largest piece of chicken.
- Place in oven until internal temperature reads at least 165 degrees. This won't take very long, maybe up to 15 minutes.
- Enjoy!
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Oooohhh… Dana – this sounds divine! I love cilantro, so I can imagine that I’d love this marinade! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much!!
Totally pinned this!
Thanks again for joining this week’s Link Up!
Yay! Thank you!!
I absolutely had to pin this recipe. I will be trying it very soon. I came to visit from Mom’s Monday Mingle. I am a new follower and look forward to reading more posts.
Thank you so much, will follow back 😉
I’m salivating looking at these photos and recipe. I might have to make this. I love making stuffed chicken breasts, so this might be a good one to add to the dinner rotation. Thanks for sharing.
FYI: I’m visiting from the blog hop. 🙂
Ooooh, that’s a great idea! Stuffed with avocado and gooey cheese, I feel an idea brewing, LOL!
Yum. This looks delicious. I’m making out our menu for the next two weeks and I’m adding this on. Thanks for the recipe.
Yay, I’m so glad, let me know how you like it!
This looks ridiculously delicious! I love cilantro and lime so this would be heaven for my teaste buds!
Selene @ Restoration Beauty
YAY! I’m glad you likey hehe
I was looking for a way to recreate my favorite cilantro lime steak burrito, and now I have a marinade to start with 🙂 Thank you so much!!!
Woo hooo! I’m glad I can help!
Hi Dana
Thanks for sharing your awesome chicken recipe at our Recipe Swap Hop. It looks delicious.
I’m a new follower also. Hope you will share with us this Friday also.
Angel @ sewcraftyangel.blogspot.com
I’ll be there, thanks so much for coming by!!
Please put me on your email list. Can’t wait to try this.
Thanks so much!! I signed up your e-mail address for my e-mail notifications. You will receive a notice in your e-mail to confirm!
This looks amazing! Yum-yum! Thanks for linking up to my Pin Me Linky Party!
Thanks for hosting!
I love the flavor combo – and i know it would be a hit with my family! I’m pinning this 😉 Thanks so much for joining us at last week’s All my Bloggy Friends …. We look forward to seeing what you share this week!
YAY, thanks for pinning!!
Will you explain the lime … One half teaspoon or one half lime …what
All you need the the juice and the zest from 1/2 of one lime. Thanks for coming!
Thank you so much for linking this recipe to the Tasty Tuesdays link party! I’ve pinned this recipe to my Tasty Tuesday’s board. 🙂 This week’s party is live on the blog & I would love for you to come link up with us! Here’s the link: http://anyonitanibbles.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/Tasty-Tuesdays-Link-Party-9.html
Yay, thanks girl, I’ll be there!
This was great! I chopped some onions and sauteed them.. Once they were browning, I poured in the marinade plus the chicken breasts which I had cut into ~1 inch cubes. I cooked it covered over medium heat, then served it over white rice (which also had lime juice & fresh chopped cilantro in it). Because I was planning to cook the marinade and serve it as sauce, I doubled all of the amounts to be sure there was enough.
The chicken juices plus the butter & extra oil from the sauteed onions made a delicious, thick sauce. The cumin really came through, so I’d use a bit less next time or substitute chili powder.
YUM. Glad I found this blog. Thanks for sharing!
So glad you liked it, thanks!
This chicken looks fabulous! I’m always looking for new chicken marinades, and I love the idea of lime and cilantro:) Thanks for sharing! Pinned!
This looks absolutely delicious. Would love to try it.
Are you sure it’s correct to put one tablespoon of cumin powder into this? I’m thinking it will become the dominant flavour of the marinade.
Yes, 1 Tbls of cumin is correct. Feel free to add less of course, we really love the flavor of cumin. To me it isn’t over powering but you can try first with 1 teaspoon, it will still be delicious!