This easy Cilantro Lime Chicken for One is bright, fresh, and just right when you want a simple chicken dinner for one. Tender chicken thighs are marinated with fresh lime, cilantro, garlic, and a few simple seasonings, then cooked in a small skillet until juicy and lightly browned.
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Prefer to keep it simple? You can also bookmark this page and come back anytime.
A Few Things to Know About This Recipe
- Made specifically for one. The ingredient amounts and cooking method are designed around boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- Uses a small skillet. An 8-inch skillet keeps the marinade and cooking juices close to the chicken rather than spreading everything across an oversized pan.
- Fresh, simple flavor. Lime, cilantro, and garlic do most of the work.
- Flexible timing. Marinate the chicken ahead of time or cook it almost immediately.
- Easy cleanup. If you marinate in a zip-top bag, there isn’t even a marinade bowl to wash.
- A good starting point for dinner. Add rice, potatoes, tortillas, or a simple vegetable depending on what you have.
Ingredients and Notes
- Chicken Thighs – Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs weighing about 6 to 8 ounces. For the most even cooking, I like the chicken to be about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick through the thickest part.
- Fresh Lime – You’ll need both lime juice and a little zest. Zest before squeezing. Fresh lime is important in this recipe. Since there are only a handful of ingredients, the flavor of bottled lime juice really stands out. I find that it has an artificial flavor, so this is one recipe where I don’t recommend the shortcut.
- Fresh Cilantro – Fresh cilantro gives the chicken its bright, distinctive flavor. Some goes into the marinade and a little more can be sprinkled over the cooked chicken. Don’t worry if buying a bunch of cilantro leaves you with extra. Use the remainder in scrambled eggs, rice, tacos, salsa, soup, or another chicken dish later in the week.
- Garlic – One small garlic clove is plenty for a single serving, but feel free to load it up.
Dish Duty: Light – You’ll have an 8-inch skillet, knife, cutting board, measuring spoon, and possibly a microplane or grater to wash. If you mix and marinate everything directly in a zip-top bag, cleanup is even easier.
What You May Be Wondering About
Can I make cilantro lime chicken without marinating it?
Yes. The marinade adds a little more flavor when it has time to sit, but you can coat the chicken with the cilantro-lime mixture and cook it right away. That’s one reason this works well as a last-minute dinner.
I want to use a large chicken breast instead of thighs. Can I still use it?
Yes, but I wouldn’t cook a very thick chicken breast exactly as written. Slice the chicken horizontally into two thinner pieces. Cook one for this recipe and refrigerate or freeze the other for another meal.
Can I use bottled lime juice?
Technically you can, but I don’t recommend it for this recipe. I use fresh lime juice because bottled lime juice tastes artificial to me, and with such a simple marinade there aren’t enough other ingredients to hide that flavor.
Lets Make the Recipe Y’all!
Start with the Prep
- Prepare the chicken.
Pat the chicken dry. If it is much thicker on one end, gently pound the thicker portion until the breast is approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick throughout. - Make the marinade.
Combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, lime zest, 1 tablespoon cilantro, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper. - Marinate if you have time.
Place the chicken and marinade in a small zip-top bag. Press out the excess air, seal the bag, and turn it a few times so the chicken is coated. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes or up to 2 hours. You don’t have to marinate the chicken, however. If dinner needs to happen now, coat the chicken with the mixture and move right on to cooking.
Lets Cook it
- Heat the skillet.
Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in an 8-inch skillet over medium heat. - Cook the chicken.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and let the excess drip off. Place it in the hot skillet. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes on the first side without constantly moving it. Turn and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken. - Check for doneness. The chicken is ready when the thickest part reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Finish with fresh lime. Remove the skillet from the heat. Give the chicken a small squeeze of fresh lime juice and sprinkle with the remaining cilantro.
- Rest and serve. Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes before slicing or serving.
A Few Recipe Notes
Size Matters – This is one place where single-serving recipes can go wrong. A 6-ounce chicken breast and 8-ounces of chicken thighs don’t cook in the same amount of time. Rather than relying exclusively on the clock, check the thickness of your chicken and use an instant-read thermometer.
Why I Use an 8-Inch Skillet
A small skillet is particularly useful when cooking for one. Put 2 or 3 chicken thighs into a large 12-inch skillet and the small amount of oil and seasoning can spread across the pan and cook away quickly. An 8-inch skillet keeps everything concentrated around the chicken and gives you plenty of room to turn it without using an unnecessarily large pan.
Don’t Overdo the Lime Marinade
Lime juice is acidic, so longer isn’t necessarily better. For this small piece of chicken, 20 minutes to about 1 hour is plenty. I wouldn’t leave it sitting in lime juice overnight because the acid can begin changing the texture of the outside of the chicken.
Add a Little Fresh Lime at the End – The lime in the marinade mellows as the chicken cooks. A small squeeze of fresh lime over the cooked chicken wakes the flavor back up without making the chicken overly sour.
What to Serve With Cilantro Lime Chicken
For a simple dinner for one, try serving the chicken with:
- 1/2 cup cooked rice
- A small baked potato
- Corn and black beans
- A few slices of avocado
- A simple green salad
- Warm flour or corn tortillas
For an especially easy meal, I like rice and sliced avocado alongside the chicken. Spoon any juices from the skillet over the rice.
What Can I Do With the Rest of the Lime?
Cover the cut lime and refrigerate it for another meal, or squeeze the remaining juice into sparkling water, iced tea, salad dressing, guacamole, or another marinade. You can also freeze fresh lime juice in small portions if you won’t use it within the next few days.
You can save and try my slow cooker cilantro lime rice recipe.
How to Store Leftover Cilantro Lime Chicken
Since this recipe makes one serving, hopefully there isn’t much to store. If you do have leftover chicken, refrigerate it in a covered container for up to 2 days.
Reheat it gently so the chicken doesn’t dry out, or slice it cold and add it to a salad, wrap, or rice bowl.
Cilantro Lime Chicken
Ingredients
Recipe Directions
- In a bowl or directly in a ziploc bag , combine the lime juice, olive oil, lime zest, minced garlic, salt and black pepper.
- seasoning. Let the chicken marinate for a few minutes.Add the chicken thighs and toss well until the chicken is evenly coated with
- Heat a large skillet over high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the chicken thighs and cook until the chicken is nicely browned on one side.
- Flip the chicken and continue cooking until browned and fully cooked through. If the chicken releases a lot of liquid into the skillet, remove some of it to help the chicken brown rather than steam.
- Remove from the heat and let it rest for a few minutes. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and serve with fresh lime
Would you like to save this recipe?
We’ll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Prefer to keep it simple? You can also bookmark this page and come back anytime.
Nutrition
Notes
- Add more olive oil to the marinade if your chicken thighs are on the larger size.’
- If substituting a chicken breast, use boneless skinless and cut in half lengthwise to thin it out.
Your Private Recipe Notes
Freezer-Friendly Instructions
This is also a handy recipe to prep ahead and freeze, especially if you buy chicken thighs in a larger package and want to portion them into single-serving meals.
Freeze Before Cooking
Place 2 chicken thighs in a freezer-safe zip-top bag with the olive oil, fresh lime juice, lime zest, cilantro, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper. Press out as much air as possible, seal the bag, and lay it flat in the freezer.
For the best flavor and texture, use within about 2 to 3 months.
When you’re ready to cook, transfer the bag to the refrigerator and let the chicken thaw overnight. It will marinate as it thaws, so there’s no need for an additional marinating time. Once thawed, cook it according to the recipe instructions.
I like to freeze these bags flat because they take up very little freezer space and thaw more quickly than a bulky container.
Freeze Cooked Cilantro Lime Chicken
Let cooked chicken cool, then place it in a small freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. If you have any juices left in the skillet, spoon a little over the chicken before freezing to help keep it moist.
Freeze for up to 1 to 2 months for the best quality.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat gently in a covered skillet over low heat or in the microwave at reduced power. Add a fresh squeeze of lime and a little chopped cilantro after reheating to brighten the flavor.
If you know you’ll use the chicken for salads, wraps, or rice bowls, you can also slice it before freezing so it’s ready to use once thawed.