Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs (Best Marinade!)

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Juicy grilled cilantro-lime chicken thighs marinated in honey, lime juice and zest, fresh cilantro, and smoked paprika, then glazed on the grill and served with a fresh cucumber, avocado, and mango salad tossed in honey-lime dressing. This gluten-free, dairy-free, high-protein, healthy dinner works on an outdoor grill or a stovetop grill pan.

Why This Cilantro Lime Chicken Beats Every Other Grilled Chicken

• Chicken thighs stay juicy: I use skinless, boneless chicken thighs because they are forgiving. They have enough fat to survive a hot grill without drying out, which is not always true of breasts. If you prefer breasts, check out my grilled chicken breasts recipe.
• The marinade is a 5-minute whisk. Olive oil, honey, lime, cilantro, and four pantry spices. No blender, no chopping beyond the cilantro.
• The reserved marinade is my secret weapon: I always set aside a few tablespoons of the marinade before the raw chicken goes anywhere near it. Brushing that on during the last minute of grilling gives you a glossy, slightly caramelized finish. I use the same trick with my Korean BBQ chicken and my teriyaki chicken skewers.
• No outdoor grill? No problem: A stovetop grill pan gives you great sear marks and works year-round. I give instructions for both methods below.
• A complete meal on one plate: Protein from the chicken, healthy fats from the avocado, and fruit and vegetables from the mango and cucumber. If you want to stretch it further, add cilantro-lime black bean rice or my avocado corn tomato salad on the side.
• Great for a crowd: This scales beautifully for cookouts, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, and backyard BBQ's. The marinating happens the day before, so there is very little to do when guests arrive.
• Nutrition information: Cilantro-lime chicken is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and high in protein, with about 25-40 grams per serving. It's also grain-free, egg-free, nut-free, and soy-free, and sweetened only with honey instead of refined sugar. It's Paleo-friendly, as honey is allowed on Paleo. The cucumber-avocado-mango salad brings fiber, healthy fats, potassium, and vitamin C to the plate.

Ingredients and Substitutions

This recipe has 3 components: cilantro lime chicken thighs, cucumber-avocado-mango salad, and honey-lime dressing. I encourage you to read this section for helpful tips and ingredient substitutions, but feel free to skip to the recipe card.

1) Cilantro Lime Chicken Ingredients

• Chicken thighs: Skinless and boneless. You will need 2 pounds, which is usually 6 to 8 thighs. Boneless, skinless breasts work too, but watch the timing closely because they cook faster and dry out more easily.
• Fresh cilantro: Finely chopped. Use the greenest bunch you can find. If cilantro tastes like soap to you, use flat-leaf parsley instead.
• Olive oil: Keeps the chicken from sticking to the grates. Use high-smoke "light" olive oil, not extra virgin.
• Limes: You need both the juice and the zest from 3 medium limes.  Zest before you juice. Much easier that way.
• Honey: It balances the lime and helps the glaze caramelize. Maple syrup or agave will also work.
• Smoked paprika: My favorite spice for anything grilled. It adds smokiness even when you are cooking indoors on a grill pan.
• Chili powder: You can easily find non-spicy chili powder if you don't like heat, or simply skip it. Add more if you like heat, or add a pinch of cayenne.
• Garlic powder and onion powder: I use the powdered versions rather than fresh in this marinade because fresh minced garlic tends to scorch on a hot grill.
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper: Start with 1 teaspoon of salt and adjust after you taste the marinade.

2)  Salad Ingredients

• Avocados: 2 medium, sliced. Ripe but still firm enough to slice cleanly. They should give slightly when you press near the stem.
• Mango: One ripe mango, peeled and sliced. Fresh peaches or nectarines are a great swap if mangoes aren't at their best.
• English cucumber: 1 large, sliced into half-moons. I like English cucumbers because the skin is thin and the seeds are small, so no peeling is required.
• Fresh cilantro: Finely chopped. You can use fresh basil or fresh parsley instead.

3) Dressing Ingredients

• Extra virgin olive oil: The dressing base.
• Honey: Just enough to balance out the lime. Add more or less to your taste.
• Lime juice: Freshly squeezed again. 
• Salt and pepper: To taste. 

How to Make Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs (Step-by-Step Photos)

This is a recipe overview. Scroll down to find the complete instructions and ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.

• Whisk the cilantro-lime marinade: Combine the olive oil, honey, cilantro, lime juice, lime zest, and all the spices in a medium bowl.
• Reserve some marinade: Move a few tablespoons to a separate bowl before the chicken touches it. This is your basting glaze.
• Marinate: Add the chicken thighs to a large ziploc bag, pour in the remaining marinade, press out the air, and massage the bag to coat. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Take the chill off: Let the chicken sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling so it cooks evenly.

• Grill (outdoor): Preheat to medium-high, about 400°F to 450°F (200°C to 230°C). Grill 5 to 7 minutes per side until charred and cooked through.
• Grill (stovetop pan): Heat the pan over medium-high, brush lightly with olive oil, and cook 6 to 8 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula for even contact.
• Glaze and check: In the last minute, brush both sides with the reserved marinade and let it caramelize. The internal temperature should read 165°F (74°C).
• Rest: Transfer to a plate, tent with foil, and rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

• Toss the salad: Combine the avocado, mango, cucumber, and cilantro. Whisk the dressing separately, pour it over, and toss gently so the avocado holds its shape.

• Assemble: Arrange the cilantro-lime chicken over or beside the salad and finish with extra cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

Recipe Testing Notes

• Let the chicken sit out for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling. Cold chicken hitting a hot grate cooks unevenly and the outside chars before the center catches up.
• Get the grill properly hot before the chicken goes on. Medium-high, around 400 to 450°F (200 to 230°C). A grill that isn't hot enough gives you pale chicken and no grill marks.
• Let the marinade drip off. Excess marinade dripping into the flames causes flare-ups. Lift each thigh with tongs and let it drip for a second before setting it on the grate.
• The honey will darken faster than you expect. That's the sugar caramelizing, and it's what you want, but if the chicken is browning ahead of schedule, move it to a cooler part of the grill to finish.
• Use a thermometer. Chicken thighs are done at 165°F (74°C), and I actually pull mine closer to 175°F (79°C) because thighs stay juicy at that temperature and the connective tissue softens.
• Rest the chicken for 5 minutes under foil. If you slice it immediately, the juices will run onto the board instead of staying in the meat. So, please let the chicken rest before slicing.

Success Tips for the Grill Pan Method

• Preheat the pan for a full 3 to 4 minutes. Cast iron takes longer to heat up than it looks like it should. If the chicken doesn't sizzle the second it lands, the pan wasn't ready.
• Brush the ridges with oil, not the whole pan. A light coat is enough. Too much oil pools between the ridges, and the chicken steams instead of searing.
• Press the thighs down gently with a spatula. Chicken thighs are uneven by nature, and a little pressure for the first 30 seconds gives you contact across the whole surface and much better grill marks.
• Work in batches. Crowding the pan drops the temperature and you'll end up with gray chicken. I cook 4 thighs at a time in a 12-inch pan.

Other Chicken Cuts You Can Use

• Can I use bone-in chicken thighs? You can, but they need considerably longer on the grill, roughly 10 to 12 minutes per side over indirect heat. After searing, move them away from the direct flame so the honey in the cilantro-lime marinade doesn't burn before the chicken cooks through.
• Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs? Yes. Pound them to an even thickness first and reduce the grilling time to about 4 to 6 minutes per side. Same internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). My grilled chicken breasts post walks through the technique in more detail.

What to Serve With It

The salad makes this a complete plate on its own, but I usually add something starchy alongside. My cilantro-lime black bean rice is the obvious partner and takes 15 minutes. You can also add coconut rice or plain jasmine rice to soak up the extra dressing. Warm corn tortillas turn the leftover cilantro-lime chicken into tacos, and grilled corn is never a bad idea. You can also set out my Mexican street corn dip for everyone to snack on while the chicken grills.

• More fruit. For a fruit-forward side, put out a bowl of my 15-minute mango salsa, or peach salsa when peaches are in season, or traditional pico de gallo.
• Another Salad. Any of my other summer salads work here too, like my avocado corn tomato salad with creamy cilantro-lime dressing or the most amazing Greek salad.
• Grilled vegetables. Zucchini, bell peppers, and corn go on the grates right alongside the chicken.

Chicken FAQs

1. How long should I marinate the chicken? Four hours in the fridge is my minimum, and overnight is ideal. I would not go past 24 hours because the lime juice starts changing the texture of the meat after that.
2. Is it safe to reuse the marinade the chicken sat in? No. Discard whatever the raw chicken touched. This is exactly why I set aside a portion at the very beginning, before the chicken goes in.
3. What temperature should grilled chicken thighs be? 165°F (74°C) is the safe minimum. Chicken thighs actually taste better around 175°F (79°C), because the extra time lets the connective tissue break down and the meat turn silky instead of slightly springy. Breasts, on the other hand, should come off at exactly 165°F (74°C).
4. What if I don't have an outdoor grill? A stovetop grill pan works well. Heat it over medium-high, brush lightly with olive oil, and cook the thighs 6 to 8 minutes per side. Press them gently with a spatula so they make full contact with the ridges. You will get grill marks and a good sear, just less smoke.
5. Can I bake these chicken thighs instead of grilling them? Yes. Arrange the marinated thighs on a foil-lined, lightly oiled baking sheet and bake at 425°F (220°C) for 20 to 25 minutes, brushing with the reserved cilantro-lime marinade in the last few minutes. For more color, broil for the final 2 to 3 minutes. Always check for 165°F (74°C) at the thickest part.

Salad FAQs

1. How do I keep the avocado from browning? Slice the avocado last, right before you dress the salad. The lime juice in the dressing slows browning quite a bit on its own. If you're prepping ahead for a party, cut everything else and hold the avocado until the last ten minutes.
2. Can I make the salad ahead? You can slice the cucumber and mango up to a day ahead and keep them in separate containers in the fridge. Whisk the dressing ahead too. Then it's just the avocado and a quick toss when you're ready to serve.

More Grilling Recipes

• Grilled Chicken Breasts (Juicy Every Time)
• Korean BBQ Chicken (Dak Bulgogi)
• Hawaiian Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Pineapple Skewers
• Grilled Flank Steak with Mango Avocado Salsa
• Grilled Marinated Shrimp
• Grilled Salmon (Best Marinade)
• Grilled Marinated Pork Chops with Mango Salsa

More Cilantro Lime Recipes

• 30-Minute Cilantro-Lime Chicken and Corn
• Cilantro-Lime Chicken Bowls with Peach Salsa
• Cilantro-Lime Chicken Thighs and Potatoes
• Cilantro-Lime and Black Bean Shrimp and Rice
• Chicken Pasta with Creamy Cilantro-Lime Alfredo Sauce
• Avocado Corn Tomato Salad with Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing