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Zesty, fresh Cilantro Lime Chicken Bowls are a stand up easy meal. Can be ready in 30 minutes. Make them low carb if desired! Loaded with corn, black beans, cotija cheese, sour-cream, sautéed bell peppers, and marinated chicken, they are a huge crowd pleaser
Why Make Cilantro Lime Chicken Bowls
- I love “bowls” you can pile the toppings on high and they are always great for customization.
- This meal is great for picky eaters, add or omit whatever you may need to feed your family and ensure everyone enjoys.
- It’s easy to make. All you need is a few simple ingredients to marinate your chicken in and then simply bake or grill the chicken.
- Cilantro Lime Chicken Bowls are gluten free and can easily be made dairy free as well. The chicken and toppings keeps well so it makes a wonderful meal prep. You will love the zesty, tangy lime flavor in the chicken marinade. The cotija cheese with sour cream adds a creaminess. Also try my Black Bean Crispy Tacos, Southwest Chicken Bowls or Ground Beef Tacos.
Ingredient Notes
All other ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card towards the bottom of this post.
Chicken Breasts. This is the protein of choice for the recipe, chicken thighs will also work in place of the breasts.
Lime. fresh lime is needed for the recipe. It’s used to marinate the chicken and to flavor the bowls when assembling.
Olive Oil. Use a neutral flavored olive oil for this recipe. It is used to marinate the chicken and to roast up the bell peppers.
Seasonings. The marinade for the chicken calls for lots of Mexican inspired seasonings with smokiness and great flavor. Salt, pepper, paprika, cumin and cayenne.
All other ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card towards the bottom of this post.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Chicken. Use chicken breasts or chicken thighs (boneless and skinless) both will work wonderfully.
- Veggies. Use veggies you love! You can omit anything or add in zucchini or red onion with the bell pepper. Note* some veggies will gie off more liquid with baking in the oven! Keep an eye on the baking sheet to be sure it doesn’t overflow!
- Make is Dairy Free. Use dairy free sour green or plain yogurt.
Steps To Make This Recipe
Step One. Mix the marinade ingredients together, set aside (photo 1). Cube the chicken into small 1 inch sizes pieces. Add the chicken pieces and the marinade to a large ziplock bag, seal it. Massage the bag well with hands to ensure the chicken is fully covered in marinade (photo 3).
Step Two. Let the chicken sit in the fridge for 20 – 45 minutes to marinate. *up to 24 hours max if needed. When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 375º. Slice the bell peppers and any other veggies you are roasting. Add them to half of the large baking sheet. Drizzle them lightly with oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Step Three. Next, add the marinated chicken to the other half of the baking dish. Be sure the chicken pieces are not overlapping and have room to full cook (photo 4).
Step Four. Bake in the oven for about 14-16 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and reaches an internal temp of 165º.
Let’s Assemble Cilantro Lime Chicken Bowls
Step Five. Once the chicken is cooked through, take it out of the oven. There will be liquid in the pan, this juice is delicious and should be drizzled/spooned over the bowls for extra flavor. It’s from the chicken and the veggies.
Step Six. Assemble bowls. If making with rice/grains or lettuce, place this on the bottom and build the bowls with toppings. Next, add a generous dollop of sour cream and cotija or any cheese of choice. Squeeze a lime wedge over it, additionally, you can add more cilantro for garnish and enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can freeze these for up to 2 months.
Recipe Tips
- Always let the chicken rest. This gives the chicken thighs time to redistribute the juices and remain moist. If you slice too early, all the juices will run out of the chicken.
- Chicken thighs will be more forgiving for this recipe if needed.
- Get more juice out of your limes by rolling them on your counters before juicing, to loosen the juices.
- The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165°F
- Use the excess juice from cooking over the bowls for extra flavor!
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Meal prep this meal easily and store in airtight containers for up to 4 days. If you are serving over lettuce, I would add that as you eat it throughout the week.
No, they are very mild in spice. You can add more spice with fresh jalapeño or cayenne. These bowls are zesty, salty and citrusy.
Other Chicken Bowls TO Try
Dinner
Creamy Chicken Orzo
Dinner
Blackened Chicken Bowls
Dinner
Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
Salads
Chicken Tikka Salad
Cilantro Lime Chicken Bowls
Equipment
- sheet pan
- sharp knives
Ingredients
Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade
- 1-1.5 lb chicken breasts, cubed
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice and 1 tsp of zest, about two limes
- 2 Tbsp honey
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1½ tsp garlic powder
- 1½ tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- 2 small bell peppers, sliced , seeds and white flesh dicarded
Toppings
- 1 jalapeño, sliced
- ½ cup tomatoes, sliced
- ½ cup corn kernels
- ½ cup canned black beans , rinsed and drained
- cooked rice or riced cauliflower
- sour cream
- cotija or shredded cheddar
- cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Mix the marinade ingredients together, set aside. Cube the chicken into small 1 inch sizes pieces. Add the chicken pieces and the marinade to a large ziplock bag, seal it. Massage the bag well with hands to ensure the chicken is fully covered in marinade.
- Let the chicken sit in the fridge for 20 -45 minutes to marinate. *up to 24 hours max* When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 375º. Slice the bell peppers and any other veggies you are roasting. Add them to half of the large baking sheet. Drizzle them lightly with oil (about 1/2 tsp) and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Add the marinated chicken to the other half of the baking dish. Be sure the chicken pieces are not overlapping and have room to fully cook.
- Bake in the oven for about 14-16 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and reaches an internal temp of 165º. (There will be liquid in the pan as it cooks so be sure to keep an eye on it)
- Once the chicken is cooked through, take it out of the oven. There will be liquid in the pan, this juice is delicious and should be be drizzled or spooned over the bowls for extra flavor.
- Assemble bowls! If making with rice/grains or lettuce, place this on the bottom and build the bowls with toppings. Add a generous dollop of sour cream and cotija or any cheese of choice. Squeeze a lime wedge over it, add more cilantro garnish and enjoy!
Notes
- Always let the chicken rest. This gives the chicken thighs time to redistribute the juices and remain moist. If you slice too early, all the juices will run out of the chicken.
- Chicken thighs will be more forgiving for this recipe if needed.
- Get more juice out of your limes by rolling them on your counters before juicing, to loosen the juices.
- The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165°F
- Use the excess juices from cooking spooned over the bowls for extra flavor!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Wonderful meal I served for friends last night and everyone wanted the recipe, it was a hit!
Yay! Really happy you all enjoyed it, thanks for the feedback. Happy cooking!