Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken Breasts combine the zesty flavour of limes with aromatic cilantro in a marinade that is not only full of flavour but also makes the chicken tender and juicy.

Originally published on June 12, 2021, this recipe has been updated in June 2025.

Grilled cilantro lime chicken breasts on a white plate with a sprig of cilantro on the side of the plate.

Grilled chicken breasts are perfect for hot summer days, but after a while, you may run out of ideas for flavouring chicken. These Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken Breasts are great for a quick weeknight barbecue.

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Ingredients For Cilantro Lime Marinade

To make this recipe, you will need:

Fresh cilantro.
Lime juice and zest.
Avocado oil.
Garlic.
Onion powder.
Salt.
Pepper.

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Can Other Types Of Chicken Be Used?

Yes, the cilantro lime marinade can be used for chicken thighs as well. The cooking method remains the same, but the grilling time may need to be adjusted.

This marinade also works great on bone-in chicken breasts and thighs.

The Marinade for Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken Breasts

The cilantro lime marinade for this recipe takes only minutes to make. It takes only 1 hour for the marinade to flavour the chicken breasts, but the chicken can marinate for up to 4 hours. (any longer than 4 hours and the lime will break down the meat. making it mushy)

The marinade also makes a great sauce for pouring over the chicken after it’s grilled. The recipe for the marinade can be doubled and reserve half of it in a mason jar or covered bowl in the fridge for use as a sauce. Heat it in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until heated through and drizzle over the chicken after grilling.

Equipment Used To Make This Recipe

When making this marinade, a food processor or blender is used to make this marinade creamy.

This recipe calls for the chicken to be grilled on a barbecue. Gas or charcoal barbecues can be used to make this recipe. If you don’t have a barbecue, these chicken breasts can be grilled indoors using a grill pan.

One of the most important tools you can have when grilling chicken is a thermometer for testing the chicken. You don’t want to overcook the chicken because it will be dry. But most importantly, you do not want to undercook chicken, which can lead to food poisoning. Chicken should be cooked to 165°F internally. A good thermometer will help you to make sure you cook the chicken to the right temperature. You don’t need a fancy thermometer. We use a small pen-sized thermometer for cooking chicken on the grill.

Serving Ideas

One of our favourite ways to eat this chicken is sliced and used in fajitas, topped with grilled peppers, onions, and avocado cream. The Avocado Lime Crema we serve with fish tacos also tastes great with this chicken.

Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken can also be paired with Grilled Corn Salad. The flavours of the cilantro and lime go well with the chipotle in the corn salad.

This grilled chicken can also be used as a topping for a fresh salad. And since the marinade in this recipe will cover six to eight chicken breasts, you can have leftovers to use in meal prepping for a couple of days.

For another great BBQ chicken recipe try our BBQ Pineapple Chicken.

Leave a comment below to let us know if you have tried this recipe.

Grilled cilantro lime chicken breasts on a white plate with a sprig of cilantro on the side of the plate.

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5 from 3 votes