My creamy cilantro lime chicken recipe is a fresh, bright weeknight dinner idea that’s ready in 30 minutes! I quickly sear some chicken breasts, then simmer them in a luscious cream sauce made with lime juice and fresh cilantro. The result is a perfectly balanced one pan dish that’s rich, zesty, and full of flavor!
Chicken Breasts with Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce
My cilantro lime chicken breast recipe is all about layering flavor while using just a few simple ingredients. Much like my creamy garlic chicken, I just throw some chicken breasts in a pan with a delectable cream sauce and call it dinner! This is my favorite combo for easy meals that feel indulgent.
The real star here is the creamy cilantro lime sauce. It combines the tang of fresh lime with the herbal brightness of cilantro, and gently simmers into heavy cream to create a silky texture that clings to each piece of chicken. Yum!
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Avoid Curdled Sauce!
For the creamiest, most flavorful sauce, always bring your heavy cream to room temperature before adding it to the pan. Cold cream can seize or curdle when it hits the hot liquid. But room-temperature cream blends smoothly, giving your cilantro lime chicken sauce a silky texture every time.
Creamy Cilantro Lime Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 breasts*)
- 1½ teaspoon kosher salt (divided)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup finely chopped onion (about half an onion)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1½ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream (room temperature**)
- 2 teaspoons lime zest (from 1 lime***)
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice (from 2-3 limes)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (****)
Instructions
- Season both sides of the chicken with 1 teaspoon of salt.1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear for 4-5 minutes per side, until browned and just barely cooked through. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.1 tablespoon olive oil
- In the same skillet, add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes.½ cup finely chopped onion
- Add in the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.3 cloves garlic
- Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, heavy cream, lime juice, and lime zest and bring to a gentle simmer.1½ cup chicken broth, ½ cup heavy cream, 2 teaspoons lime zest, ¼ cup fresh lime juice, 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt
- Simmer for 5-8 minutes, or until reduced by half, then stir in the chopped cilantro.¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Return the chicken to the skillet and simmer until heated through.
- Garnish with additional cilantro and limes, if desired.
Notes
- If your chicken breasts are thick in the middle, gently pound them to an even thickness so they cook evenly and stay juicy. If needed, cut them in half lengthwise to make thinner cutlets.
- Let chicken sit at room temperature for 15–20 minutes before cooking to prevent overcooking
- Properly cooked chicken should register 165°F internally.
- Feel free to add a bit of chopped jalapeño with the onion for some heat!
- Keep the heat low once the cream is added so it doesn’t curdle or separate. A gentle simmer is all you need.
- Always zest your lime before cutting and juicing-it’s nearly impossible to zest after it’s been halved and juiced.
- I like to use a microplane to ensure my zest is super fine and doesn’t contain any bitter pith.
- For an even more intense lime flavor, you can stir in the lime juice and zest with the cilantro. I preferred a slightly more subdued lime flavor, so I had it cooked with the cream. You will still get great lime flavor, but it tends to be a richer lime flavor instead of bright and zingy.
- If you find the sauce isn’t thick enough, mix ½ tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water, stir it into the sauce, and simmer until thickened.
- This chicken is perfect over rice, mashed potatoes, or even with a warm baguette to make use of every drop of that creamy, tangy sauce.
- Crockpot: Sear the chicken in a skillet (but don’t cook through), and place it in the crockpot with the onions, garlic, broth, lime juice, and lime zest. Cook on LOW for 3-4 hours or HIGH for 1½-2 hours, until the chicken reaches 165°F. Stir in the cream and cilantro at the end, and optionally simmer for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Instant Pot: Using the “SAUTÉ” function, sauté the onions and garlic, then sear the chicken in the pot (don’t cook through). Add the chicken broth, lime juice, and lime zest. Pressure cook on “HIGH” for 6-8 minutes, then quick release. Stir in the cream and cilantro before serving.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
How to Make Cilantro Lime Chicken Step by Step
Prep: Gather the list of ingredients for this creamy one pan chicken recipe. Bring the cream and chicken to room temperature for about 30 minutes before beginning. Finely chop the onion, mince the garlic, zest and juice the limes, and chop the cilantro. Season both sides of 1½ pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. If your chicken breasts are uneven thicknesses, you can slice them in half and/or pound them thin so they cook at the same rate.
Sear the Chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and sear for 4-5 minutes per side, until browned and just barely cooked through. I recommend removing it from the pan around 160-162F–it will cook through to 165F in a later step. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.
Sauté the Onion: In the same skillet, add ½ cup of finely chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Then add in 3 minced cloves of garlic, and sauté for 30 seconds. If you like things spicy, feel free to add some diced jalapeño, too!
Make the Sauce: Pour in 1½ cups of chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. These add tons of flavor to the sauce! Stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, ½ cup of room-temperature heavy cream, 2 teaspoons of lime zest, and ¼ cup of fresh lime juice, and bring to a gentle simmer. It’s important that the cream is at room-temperature so it doesn’t curdle when it hits the hot pan. Add it off the heat for extra insurance!
Thicken the Sauce: Simmer the sauce for 5-8 minutes, or until reduced by half. Then stir in ¼ cup of chopped fresh cilantro.
Simmer: Return the chicken breast to the skillet, and simmer in the cilantro lime sauce until chicken is cooked through. If you find the sauce isn’t thick enough, mix ½ tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water, stir it into the sauce, and simmer until thickened.
Garnish and Serve: Garnish with additional fresh cilantro and sliced limes, if desired. I like to serve this creamy chicken over mashed potatoes or rice to soak up all that yummy sauce!
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover creamy cilantro chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat chicken gently in a skillet set over medium-low heat, or in the microwave in 30-second increments, until warmed through. Add a splash of chicken broth to loosen up the sauce.
I do not recommend freezing this dish because the sauce tends to separate and curdle once thawed.
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