Enjoy a fresh, vibrant meal with this Cilantro Lime Chicken and Rice, a bright and zesty twist on my classic Chicken and Rice Bake recipe. Marinate tender chicken with lime and cilantro, then serve it over fluffy rice for a dish that feels both nourishing and satisfying. Perfect for weeknight dinners or easy meal prep, this recipe brings the same comforting chicken-and-rice foundation to life with bold citrus and herb flavor.
Try our Cheesy Rice or our Buttered Garlic Rice if you are looking for just a rice side dish recipe. Cook up our Spam Fried Rice if you want to use up plain, leftover rice.
Ingredients
Using fresh limes in this recipe, really brings the dish to life! Fresh cilantro can usually be found at your local grocery stores with the herbs. Watch those labels, you want to make sure you are not buying flat leaf parsley!
- Chicken Thighs
- Limes (Juice and Zest)
- Olive Oil
- Fresh Cilantro
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Smoked Paprika
- Chili Powder
- Bell Pepper
- Onion
- Basmati Rice
- Chicken Broth
- Dijon Mustard
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Make sure you are using a deep frying pan or sauté pan, which has a lid, AND is oven safe. This recipe requires going from cooking on the stovetop, to baking in the oven.
Start by combining all the ingredients for the marinade inside of a large plastic bag, or a bowl.
Place the chicken thighs in the marinade, making sure they are all well coated.
Refrigerate the marinating chicken thighs for at least 30 minutes. Prepare in the morning and leave in the refrigerator for up to 8-10 hours.
Heat you non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle in a little bit of olive oil. Place your chicken thighs skin side down. *Discard of the extra marinade leftover in the bag.* Let the chicken crisp up to a nice golden color on both sides. They do not have to cook fully at this time. Remove from the pan and reserve.
In the same skillet, cook you onion, and belle pepper pieces. Deglaze with the broth and bring to a simmer.
Evenly place the rice in the skillet with ¾ of the chopped cilantro. Top with the fried chicken thighs, skin side up. Place the lid on the skillet and place in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, and then take the lid off for the last 10 minutes for a more crispy texture on the chicken and rice. Make sure the chicken is cooked with an minimum internal temperature of 165F. Before serving this dish, I like squeezing fresh lime juice on top and sprinkling the rest of the fresh cilantro on top. You can also serve it it with individual lime wedges.
Variations
Modify this dish slightly to suit your taste or to use up ingredients you may have.
- Like it spicy? - Add a 1 teaspoon of chili pepper flakes when adding the broth.
- Broth - Use vegetable broth or even beef broth if you don't have chicken broth.
- Vegetables- If you want to add corn or black beans, add ⅓ Cup when adding the broth and stir them in with the rice before adding back the chicken to bake.
Storage
Store the cooked Cilantro Lime Chicken and Rice by allowing it to cool completely before transferring it to airtight containers. Refrigerate for up to 3 days to keep the flavors fresh and the rice tender. Reheat gently in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of water or broth to restore moisture. Freeze individual portions in freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months, thawing overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Recipe
Cilantro Lime Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
Lime Marinade
- ½ cup Lime Juice
- 2 teaspoon Lime Zest
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 3 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
Other Ingredients
- 3 pounds Chicken Thighs 9-10 skin on, bone in thighs
- ½ large White Onion diced
- ½ large Red Bell Pepper diced
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- 2 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 2 cups Basmati Rice (not instant rice)
- ? cup Fresh Cilantro Leaves chopped
Instructions
- In a large re-sealable plastic bag, or in a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the Lime Marinade.
- Place the chicken thighs in with the marinade and make sure they are all well covered. Seal the bag, or cover the bowl with a lid. Place in the refrigerator to marinade for at least 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours.
- When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350F with a rack in the middle position. To cook this recipe you will need a large oven-proof casserole skillet which has a lid.
- When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350F and place the skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil in the pan and place the the chicken thighs, one at a time, skin side down. Discard the remaining marinating liquids.
- Cook the Thighs 5-8 minutes per side, or until they get a nice golden color on each side. Remove from the pan onto a clean plate and reserve.
- In the same skillet on medium-high heat, cook the prepared onion and bell pepper pieces and sprinkle in the salt. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan by slowly pouring in the broth. Use your spoon or spatula to scrape off any stuck on bits from the bottom. Bring to a simmer.
- Stir in the Dijon mustard and ¼ cup of the chopped cilantro into the broth. Evenly place the rice into the broth. You want to make sure the rice is level in the pan for even cooking.
- Place the seared chicken thighs on top of the uncooked rice in the skillet. They should be skin side up. Place the lid on the skillet and place in the preheat oven.
- Cook the covered dish in the oven for 20 minutes. After that time, remove the lid and continue cooking for 10 minutes. The chicken is ready when the internal temperature reached 165F. Remove from the oven.
- Serve hot with the rest of the chopped fresh cilantro and extra lime wedges.
