Air Fryer Lime Chicken is tender, juicy, and so easy to make! Marinated in savory and zesty cilantro sauce, it’s a failproof recipe perfect for
Table of Contents
- Reasons You’ll Love This Lime Chicken
- What Do You Need for Marinaded Lime Chicken?
- Marinate, Air Fry, and Serve: How to Make Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Serving Suggestions
- Leftovers and Storage
- Common Questions About This Air Fryer Lime Chicken Recipe
- More Flavor-Loaded Chicken Recipes
- Air Fryer Lime Chicken Recipe Recipe
Reasons You’ll Love This Lime Chicken
Say goodbye to bland, dry chicken for good with this easy lime chicken recipe! Marinated in the fridge, it’s infused with savory, zesty lime flavor and cooked in
If that isn’t enough to get you on board, this chicken recipe is:
- Made with minimal prep time, a quick cooking time, and a total time of under an hour.
- High-protein, gluten-free, and made with healthy fats.
- Perfect for preparing in advance and enjoying throughout the week.
- Super versatile, pairing well with a wide variety of sides.
What Do You Need for Marinaded Lime Chicken?
The key to creating the best lime chicken is in the marinade. For this recipe, we utilize lots of bold seasonings to create an explosion of flavor guaranteed to knock your socks off!
- Chicken Tenders – Feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead, and slice them into strips.
- Fresh Cilantro – You’ll use both the leaves and the stems.
- Garlic Cloves – Use whole, fresh cloves.
- Salt and Black Pepper – Adjust the amounts used to suit your taste.
- Italian Seasoning – You can usually find this in the spice section at your local grocery store, or make your own homemade Italian seasoning instead.
- Greek Seasoning – Again, find this at your local grocery store, purchase Greek seasoning online, or make your own Greek seasoning blend instead.
- Olive Oil – This is crucial to combine the marinade ingredients and tenderize the chicken.
- Limes – Use fresh lime juice in the marinade for a vibrant, tangy taste. For a bolder lime flavor, you could also include the zest!
Marinate, Air Fry, and Serve: How to Make Cilantro Lime Chicken
This marinated chicken recipe requires a bit of planning, but it’s super easy to prepare and always turns out great!
Prepare the Marinade
- Add the cilantro (stems and leaves), garlic cloves, seasonings, oil, and lime juice to a high-speed blender.
- Pulse until the ingredients are well combined and a smooth sauce forms.
Marinate the Chicken
- Place the chicken tenders in a large bowl or a sealable bag.
- Pour the marinade on top, ensuring the tenders are completely coated.
- Transfer the chicken to the fridge to marinate.
Air Fry
- Preheat the air fryer.
- Arrange the marinated chicken tenders in a single layer in
the air fryer basket. - Air fry until the lime chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Allow the chicken to rest for at least five minutes before serving.
Note: Depending on how much chicken you’re cooking and how big the pieces are, you may need to work in batches.
Serving Suggestions
This cilantro lime chicken is super tasty on its own, but you can never go wrong with extra sauce! Try dipping your chicken tenders in Ranch, zhoug sauce, feta cucumber sauce, or toum.
Then, enjoy them as part of a complete meal with sides like:
- Vermicelli Rice, Persian Rice, Cilantro Lime Rice, Chicken and Broccoli Rice, or Cauliflower Rice
- Tabbouleh Salad
- Parmesan Potatoes
- Oven Roasted Parmesan Brussels Sprouts
- Za’atar Foccacia
Leftovers and Storage
We love to add this
- To Store: Once cooled, transfer leftover chicken to an airtight container, and keep it in the fridge for up to four days.
- To Freeze: Stored in a freezer-safe container or sealable bag, this chicken can be frozen for up to two months.
- To Reheat: Allow your frozen chicken to thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, warm it in
the air fryer , microwave, or in a skillet over medium heat. You could also just heat it cold if preferred!
Common Questions About This Air Fryer Lime Chicken Recipe
The acidity in lime juice helps tenderize the meat while adding a bright citrus flavor.
For this recipe, we add lime juice before cooking to help tenderize the meat. However, the flavor can break down at a high heat. So, if you want to really amplify the lime taste, feel free to add an extra squeeze just before serving!
Most recipes call for a marinating time of six to twenty-four hours. However, according to the USDA, after two days, the marinade can cause too much breakdown, creating mushy meat.
We marinate this lime chicken for ten to fifteen minutes, but you can leave it in the fridge overnight.
Sure! Just keep in mind that thighs don’t absorb the marinade quite as well and will require a different cooking time.
Yes! Just follow the instructions for our oven-baked cilantro lime chicken recipe.
Absolutely! Marinate the chicken as normal. Then, heat your grill to a medium-high temperature, and cook the chicken on greased grill grates until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
More Flavor-Loaded Chicken Recipes
On the hunt for more recipes that take chicken to the next level? Take a look at more of our mouthwatering chicken-based meals!
- Peri Peri Chicken Drumsticks
- Greek Lemon Chicken
- The Best Baked Chicken Tandoori
- Chicken Tikka Masala
Air Fryer Lime Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken tenders
- 1 cup cilantro
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Greek seasoning
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 medium limes juiced
Instructions
Prepare the Marinade:
- In a blender, combine the cilantro (stems and leaves), peeled garlic cloves, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, Greek seasoning, olive oil, and the juice of 3 limes.1 cup cilantro, 5 garlic cloves, 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon Greek seasoning, 1/2 cup olive oil, 3 medium limes
- Blend until you have a smooth and well-mixed marinade.
Marinate the Chicken:
- Place the chicken tenders in a large bowl or a resealable plastic bag.2 pounds chicken tenders
- Pour the marinade over the chicken tenders, ensuring they are fully coated.
- Marinate in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes, allowing the flavors to infuse into the chicken.
Preheat and Air Fry:
- Preheat your air fryer to 380°F (193°C).
Air Frying:
- Place the marinated chicken tenders in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook in batches as needed, if the air fryer is not large enough to accommodate all the tenders at once.
- Air fry the chicken tenders at 380°F (193°C) for about 18-22 minutes, or until they are cooked through and have a crispy exterior. The cooking time may vary based on the size of the chicken tenders and the specific air fryer used.
Serve:
- Once the chicken tenders are cooked to perfection, remove them from the air fryer and let them rest for a couple of minutes.
- Serve the cilantro lime chicken tenders with side dishes or dipping sauces of choice.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days or in the freezer for up to two months.
Would you like to save this? 🔖
We’ll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made a large quantity of this chicken recipe and served it to extended family with rice and sautéed red and orange peppers. Was delicious! Chicken was very tasty and was not dried out at all.(Did it in the air fryer). Several pieces left over were stored in the fridge and tasted great the next day. Will make this one again.
Thank you so much, Liz! We’re happy it was a hit. Thank you for trying it out and taking the time to leave a review!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
This looks delicious and a perfect dish to bring to a Christmas Party. what kind of dipping sauce would you recommend to serve these chicken tenders with?
Tzatziki or Ranch would be great!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
I’m not a fan of Cilantro. What could you recommend instead?
You could try parsley instead. Just keep in mind that the flavor will be slightly different!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
How do you cook from frozen? Love the recipe!
TIA!!
We don’t recommend cooking from frozen as it’s likely to dry out the chicken!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
What’s your favorite greek seasoning? There are so many!
We love this one!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
Can the chicken be marinated all day?
Yes, but we don’t recommend letting it marinate longer than a day as the lime juice can cause the chicken to break down and become mushy.
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
Another big hit from your recipe collection in my home…thank you! I just made a big batch of this on the weekend and sent some back with my college kid for some easy-meal starters. This marinade comes together in minutes…so easy and delicious!