This cilantro lime chicken simmers in a creamy flavor-packed sauce and comes together in just one pan and in around 40 minutes from start to finish. This easy chicken dinner recipe is a favorite in my home—and many readers’ homes too—all year round!
I originally published this recipe in 2015 and have since added new photos and more helpful success tips. And based on reader feedback, increased the amount of creamy sauce! 😉
While I enjoy baking desserts the most, dinner is an everyday adventure. And if you’re like me, you’re constantly searching for quick and easy dinner recipes. Well, you’ve come to the right place! This is my one-pan creamy cilantro lime chicken, a consistent crowd favorite.
One reader, Marci, commented: “Thank you for this recipe. My family has been obsessed for months; we have it at least once a week and I recommend it to everyone. ★★★★★“
Another reader, Rose, commented: “Omg what a flavor bomb!!! This was absolutely delicious!! … Wish I made a double batch, but will be making again and again!! ★★★★★“
And another reader, Allison, commented: “STAPLE DINNER in our house and a GREAT thing to serve to guests! Everyone LOVES this ★★★★★“
Today I’m going to show you that one skillet is all it takes to transform chicken into something you and your family will love. The process is a lot like my skillet apple cider chicken and this creamy lemon thyme chicken. Pan-sear the chicken on the stove, make a flavorful cilantro lime pan sauce, then bake the chicken in the sauce to finish.
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Quick and easy 1-pan meal
- Extra tender, juicy chicken
- Creamy, buttery, zesty sauce tastes amazing on rice and vegetables, too!
- Undeniably crowd pleasing, so you’ll want to make it again and again
Grab These Ingredients
- Chicken: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Pound them down to even thickness. You could use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead if desired.
- Salt & Pepper
- Olive Oil
- Chicken Broth
- Fresh Lime Juice
- Onion: Yellow, white, or red—chef’s choice!
- Cilantro
- Red Pepper Flakes: Adds a bit of heat, but feel free to reduce or increase the amount to your liking.
- Heavy Cream: Just enough to make the sauce taste creamy and rich. See below for a dairy-free alternative.
- Butter: Adds so much delicious flavor!
Start the Chicken, Then Make the Pan Sauce
The process is the same as my lemon thyme chicken and creamy garlic chicken and vegetables, so if you’ve made either of those before you know how easy it is!
Cook the chicken in a large oven-proof skillet until both sides are browned—the chicken will cook again in the oven so if the centers aren’t cooked all the way through yet, that’s fine. Remove the chicken temporarily and set it aside.
If you’re in the market for a new skillet, I own and love this one.
Now, using the same skillet, make the pan sauce. The juices left behind by the chicken are key for flavor, so don’t clean the skillet before making the sauce!
Simmer the pan sauce until it has reduced and thickened.
Add the chicken back to the skillet:
Bake in the oven until the chicken is cooked through. Garnish the saucy chicken with extra cilantro (flavor! flavor!) and a squeeze of lime. Serve with rice and veggies, and smother them with the sauce, too!
Yes! Use full-fat canned coconut cream instead of heavy cream and coconut oil instead of butter for a dairy-free version with a delicious coconut-y twist.
No problem! After you cook the chicken and sauce on the stove, you can transfer both to a baking dish.
Yes, you can use chicken thighs instead if you prefer. No changes necessary!
Yes! The recipe below reflects an almost-doubled portion of the sauce. Before 2025, it made only about half as much, but now there’s plenty to generously coat the chicken and spoon over any sides you’re serving.
Yes, and this 10.25-inch cast iron skillet is a good size. This particular skillet is a workhorse and I use it for nearly everything from bruschetta chicken and walnut crusted chicken to honey skillet cornbread, too.
What to Serve With Cilantro Lime Chicken
We enjoy this chicken with a side of rice and a green vegetable like roasted broccoli (and the cilantro lime sauce poured over everything, of course!), but here are a few more suggestions for tasty pairings:
- Cornbread or cornbread muffins
- Soft dinner rolls or honey whole wheat dinner rolls
- Roasted or steamed asparagus, green beans, or Brussels sprouts
- Mashed or roasted potatoes
- Zucchini fritters or corn fritters
Description
This cilantro lime chicken simmers in a creamy flavor-packed sauce and comes together in only 1 pan!
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds (24 ounces/680g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) chicken broth (I recommend reduced sodium)
- 3 Tablespoons (45ml) fresh lime juice
- 1/2 cup (60g) chopped red onion
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2–1 teaspoon red pepper flakes*
- 1/3 cup (5 Tablespoons/80ml) heavy cream*
- 1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons/56g) unsalted butter
- optional: lime wedges and more cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- If the chicken breasts are uneven in thickness, pound them down so they’re all even. This way all the breasts will cook through simultaneously. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
- In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 6–7 minutes, turning once. You want the chicken nice and browned on the outside. (It doesn’t have to be cooked all the way through yet.) Transfer chicken to a plate and cover with foil until step 5.
- Remove skillet from heat and add the broth, lime juice, onion, cilantro, and red pepper flakes. Return to heat. Cook and stir to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Bring to a boil. Allow to boil, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes or until the liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup. Reduce heat to medium-low, then add the cream and butter. Stir until butter has melted, then remove from heat.
- Add the chicken back to the skillet, turning once to coat both sides in the sauce. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Bake uncovered until the chicken is completely cooked through, about 5–10 minutes (internal temperature should be at least 165°F (74°C)).
- Serve chicken with sauce spooned on top, and garnish with lime wedges and cilantro, if desired.
- Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for a few days. You can reheat on the stove over medium heat, in the microwave, or in the oven.
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Meat Tenderizer | Large Oven-Proof Skillet (I own and love this one) | Tongs | Citrus Juicer | Instant-Read Thermometer
- Red Pepper Flakes: Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to your liking. This amount made the chicken mildly spicy. The cream in the sauce mellows out the spice.
- Heavy Cream: You can use whole milk or half-and-half instead, but for the thickest, richest sauce I highly recommend heavy cream. If using whole milk, make sure it is at room temperature to help prevent curdling.
- Dairy-Free: Use coconut cream instead of heavy cream and coconut oil instead of butter.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast + 1/4 of the sauce
- Calories: 396
- Sugar: 1.5 g
- Sodium: 254.4 mg
- Fat: 23.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 4.3 g
- Protein: 40.8 g
- Cholesterol: 165.9 mg
Reader Comments and Reviews
Is there a substitute for the dairy for those of us who have a dairy allergy? Would love to make this
Hi Catherine! I suggest coconut oil and coconut cream.
I double all of the sauce ingredients and make extra and pour it over penne pasta. It is a staple at our house now.
Hi Sally!!
Can’t wait to try this!! A great Keto recipe !!
I made this today, and I can’t believe how amazing it tasted! I usually skip any recipe that calls for heavy cream, but this is more broth than creamy.
I made this dish for dinner tonight and everyone enjoyed it, even my 2 toddlers! I put extra peppers in it because we like spicy meals. I will definitely be making this chicken again.
This was absolutely delish. Made cilantro lime rice as a side. Will be making it again tonight as it is now one of my favorites.
Tried this tonight. Turned out fantastic, served it with bowtie pasta and steamed broccoli. Substituted plain Greek yogurt for the cream. My picky fiance gobbled it up.
Great week night recipe, easy prep and simple ingredients deliver a delicious and satisfying meal. I used 6oz chicken breasts for this recipe and they cooked up beautifully. I agree that the heavy cream for the sauce is a must! Leftovers are even more savory, will definitely make this again!
This is a sample meal in our house now! Love it! I usually double or triple the sauce and serve it over rice.
I don’t usually leave comments but dang, this recipe is just so good. I just made it for my boyfriend and his super picky friend for lunch, and there were no leftovers. I’ll definitely make it again, both for company and for my personal meal prepping. A few tips- I only used three chicken breasts (because there were only 3 of us) and the sauce was just enough for us. If I were to make this again for four people, I would definitely double the recipe for the sauce. Also, because I like spicy food, I added about 3/4 tsp of red pepper flakes instead of the 1/2 tsp and it really packed a punch. I didn’t end up baking the chicken either; instead, I cooked it in a pan, about 10 mins each side, and then set it aside until the sauce was done. I served it with a side of sauteed asparagus with a squeeze of lime on top, and it paired beautifully with the sauce!
Made this last night as a low carb meal prep with cauliflower rice and it is soooo delicious! I added about a teaspoon of fish sauce and it gave it a really nice kick. Definitely going to be a stable!
SALLYYYYYYYYY! We have a new catch phrase at my house: “Sally’s done it again!” We made this last night, and it was so yummy. I mean, c’mon, lime and Cilantro-how can you go wrong? The chicken was soft and moist, so cozy that it wanted to stay in the skillet. But not at my house. My kids loved it! I’m thinking about starting a blog called,” Jessica’s Sally Addiction.”
Hahaha…you are too funny 🙂 So happy you guys all loved this recipe – it’s a regular in my house!
Absolutely delicious! Definitely making this again, chicken was so tender and juicy mium
This is amazing and I plan on making it again! Chipotle rice is the perfect side and soaks up the cream sauce. Use a tad less lime juice and be sure to double the sauce. Delicious!
I made this tonight- amazing!! 4 large chicken breasts, double the sauce, served over taco brown rice (brown rice, chicken broth, some butter, 2 tsp of McCormick taco seasoning for 2 cups rice). I called it Mexican Curry – everyone loved it!!
I made this twice now. I love love love it. It’s so rich, creamy and delicious. Tiday I threw in some fresh mushrooms into the sauce right before baking it in the oven
Made this for dinner tonight with broccoli. The whole meal was delicious! I see why others said to double the sauce, I was kind of left with a paltry amount. Mine was definitely a ‘pan sauce’ and not really anything thick–but still good! I’m wondering if those are tenders shown in the picture instead of breasts? They look small! I might have had better luck with tenders.
This was SO good, even my kids (5, 4 and 1) all loved it. My hubby whipped it up quick and we had a great dinner with peas and jasmine rice. Next we’re going to try the lemon one. I’ve been a fan of yours for years and am thankful for your great work. My little girl’s birthday party is in a week and I’m thinking of doing the funfetti cake in a layer cake. I make everything of yours with gluten-free flour and it’s perfect, following the recipe exactly.
This was awesome! I made it tonight and served it over cauliflower rice. Both husband and toddler aprove!!! 🙂
Made this tonight and it was truly fantastic! Thanks for sharing.
I made this tonight and my family loved it! They are a bunch of picky eaters and I’m not a big fan of cilantro normally, but this was a hit! Thank you so much for this and many other recipes that I’ve tried (the oatmeal m&m cookies are a big favourite at our house) 🙂 I doubled the sauce to go over some pasta and some winter greens and it was perfect!
Happy Foodie greetings from Germany!
What a great recipe! I just made this for my family and friends and they loved it!! Thank you for sharing! I actually used a little white wine in the sauce and it was really good! 🙂
I made this tonight and the whole family, including 5 picky kids) loved it. I used coconut milk because I didn’t have any heavy cream.
My husband and I love this dish. We like the added heat of the red pepper flakes and serve it over white rice. Sally, keep the dinner recipes coming!
Not ‘quick’, but GREAT! I think it took us longer (20min in oven) to cook the breasts because ours were pretty big. We used coconut milk for our ‘cream’ as and ghee for ‘butter’ as we’re on the Whole30 cleanse right now. Doubled the sauce recipe and used it to go over some roasted potatoes and broccoli. Our out of town guest loved it – and was SUPER surprised when we said it’s Whole30. Don’t be shy with the lime, I used 2 limes for the doubled sauce recipe; I’m usually not a ‘creamy’ dish fan but the added acid really made it bright and lovely against the creaminess.
Fantastic! I used a heavy whipping cream for a thicker sauce and a tad more lime juice to keep the flavor. I also only used a dash of red pepper flakes so the kids could enjoy it without too much spice! No leftovers tonight!
Absolutely delicious. Thank goodness.
Thank you so very much I enjoyed every bite.
I topped mine with avocado tomato salsa and it was delicious! Made it with grilled corn and Spanish rice, which went excellent with the sauce from the chicken. Thx for sharing ❤