Roasted Lime and Cilantro Chicken Breasts

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 05/27/21
Baked chicken with lime and cilantro

Adam Frank / Getty Images

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Marinate: 2 hrs
Total: 2 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 4 breasts

Lime juice, garlic, and cilantro flavor these easily roasted chicken breasts. We used bone-in split chicken breasts for this recipe, but you could use chicken parts or even boneless chicken breasts. Just be sure to reduce the time to about 20 to 25 minutes for boneless, depending on the size and thickness of the chicken breasts. The marinade would also be excellent for grilled chicken pieces or whole legs.

Ingredients

  • 4 bone-in chicken breast halves

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

  • 3 clove garlic, finely minced

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice

  • 2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest, from 1 lime

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

  • Cooking spray

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Put the chicken in a large plastic sealable food storage bag or covered container. Combine the vegetable oil, cilantro, garlic, lime juice and zest, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture into the bag or container and turn to coat the chicken thoroughly; cover the container or seal the bag. Refrigerate for about 2 to 4 hours to marinate, turning from time to time.

  3. Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C/ Gas 5). Line a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan or rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

  4. Arrange the chicken, skin-side up, in the baking pan.

  5. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until chicken registers at least 165 F/73.9 C on an instant-read thermometer, the minimum safe temperature for chicken and other poultry products.

  6. Serve and enjoy!

Tips and Variations

Recipe Variations

  • For grilled marinated boneless chicken breasts, put the chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound them to a uniform thickness. Marinate the chicken as directed and prepare the grill for medium-high heat, or about 400 F. Grill the chicken over direct heat for about 12 minutes, turning frequently, or until the chicken reaches at least 165 F (73.9 C) on an instant-read thermometer. 
  • Replace the lime zest and juice with lemon zest and juice and replace the cilantro with parsley.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
324 Calories
18g Fat
1g Carbs
37g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 324
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 23%
Saturated Fat 2g 11%
Cholesterol 102mg 34%
Sodium 354mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 1g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 37g
Vitamin C 4mg 20%
Calcium 25mg 2%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 331mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)