Chicken thighs are a stable food around my house. They are quick, easy to make, and taste pretty good. They are not, however, exciting. They never have a WOW factor to them, and generally tend to be a bit boring.
The other night, when Melissa said she only had chicken thighs left, I let out a sigh. That was until I stumbled onto the greatest cilantro lime chicken recipe in the history of man.
These bring chicken to an entirely new level I have never experienced before. All of the flavors come together beautifly and create something special. Follow the recipe below and you too could be having a taste of the Mediterranean tonight. The best part is that all the ingredients are probably already in your house!
Before I begin, here is a picture of what it can look like (if you have a proper camera and lighting). This picture is from http://www.themediterraneandish.com/.
The Best Cilantro Lime Chicken You Will Ever Eat
I am going to go step by step through this recipe. You can find a printable version at the bottom!
Before you begin, go ahead and preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
Now you can start the magic! Take the chicken thighs out of their package and dry them off with a paper towel. Place them on a sheet or a plate. Next, grab a small bowl and mix all those spices together. Rub these on both sides of the chicken liberally. You can let them sit for 10 to 15 minutes to absorb more flavor, or if you are impatient, you can move on to the next step.
When you are ready to cook, grab your favorite skillet and heat up 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat. Place your chicken in the pan and brown both sides. Once your chicken thighs are browned, remove them from the pan and set them aside.
Once the chicken is removed, lower the heat and put the white win in and deglaze the pan. Let it cook until the liquid starts to thicken up. This creates the base that is simply to die for.
Once the liquid has reduced, add your broth and bring this mixture up to a boil. Add in your garlic and the lime juice to bring the flavors together.
Once this sauce is slightly boiling, add the chicken back to the skillet and generously sprinkle your cilantro on top. Fresh works best but if you only have dried like we did, this will still taste great! Simmer the chicken in the base for 5 minutes until it starts to absorb the sauce.
Cover your skillet and place everything into the oven you have heated up to 375 degrees F. It is very important you get it covered. We did not have a cover and used a baking dish and the tops ended up burning a bit. Cook for 45 minutes or until the chicken is tender and ready to serve.
After removing it from the oven, let it sit for 5-8 minutes until the juices in the chicken have settled. Add some more cilantro or just a tiny squeeze of lime juice if you would like.
Serve and enjoy! I can almost guarantee after trying this cilantro lime chicken recipe, you will be making it again!
- 6-8 Bone In Chicken Thighs
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 6 Cloves of Garlic
- 1 Cup White Wine
- Lime Juice (2 Limes)
- 2 Cups Chicken Broth
- Fresh Cilantro
- 1 Tablespoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Paprika
- 1 Teaspoon Pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Nutmeg
- Preheat the oven to 375 Degrees F.
- Grab a small bowl and mix together the spices.
- Dry your chicken thighs with a paper towel and rub both sides with the spice mixture.
- Let the seasoned thighs sit for 10-15 minutes.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet. Brown both sides of the chicken and remove from the pan.
- Lower the heat and add the white wine to deglaze the pan. Reduce the mixture until it starts to thicken and add the chicken broth.
- Bring to a small boil and add the garlic and the lime juice.
- Add the chicken back to the pan and put as much cilantro on top as you would like.
- Simmer the chicken in the glaze for 5-8 minutes.
- Cover the skillet and place it in your oven that has been preheated. Cook for 45 minutes of until the chicken is tender.
- Take it out of the oven and let it sit for a few minutes. Add more lime juice or cilantro if desired.
- Enjoy!
Leave a Reply