Easy skillet cilantro lime chicken is creamy, full-flavored and made just 20 minutes! 

Easy One Skillet Creamy Cilantro Lime ChickenDinner just doesn’t get any easier! One skillet (or one pan) dinners are my absolute favorite to make. They require minimal prep and clean-up so you don’t end you stressing about dirty pots and pans later!

This creamy cilantro lime chicken is extremely easy to make and has become a weekly part of our dinner routine. The chicken is tender and flavorful and the creamy sauce is just out of this world. The chicken can be served with a  side of veggies, rice, or even pasta.

For the creamy texture, heavy cream or half and half works great but if you’re on a diet, we like to use sour-cream or greek yogurt instead. You end up with the same flavor and texture and skip out on some of the added calories.Easy One Skillet Creamy Cilantro Lime Chicken

4.64 from 112 votes

Easy One Skillet Creamy Cilantro Lime Chicken

By: Layla
Prep5 minutes
Cook20 minutes
Total25 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients 

  • 4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 Tablespoon oil of choice
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
  • 1 cup chicken broth, water can also be used
  • Juice of 1 lime, or 2 tablespoons
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half, or sour-cream or greek yogurt

Instructions 

  • In a large heavy-duty skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper then add the chicken and cook for 7-8 minutes, turning once or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet and cover with foil on a separate plate, set aside.

  • Add onions to the same skillet (without washing it) and cook onion for 1 minute. Add garlic and cook for just 30 seconds. Add chicken broth, lime juice, cilantro, red peppers flaked, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a gentle boil for 8-10 minutes or until liquid is reduced by 1/4 cup.
  • Whisk in cream during the last minute. Turn off heat and return chicken to the sauce. Garnish with more cilantro. Serve with aside of steamed veggies or rice. Enjoy!
like this recipe? Rate & Comment below!

nutritional facts  per serving with heavy cream:Easy One Skillet Creamy Cilantro Lime Chicken Nuritional Factsnutritional Facts per serving with greek yogurtEasy One Skillet Creamy Cilantro Lime Chicken Nutritional FactsPIN RECIPEEasy One Skillet Creamy Cilantro Lime Chicken



You May Also Like

Leave a Reply to Suzanne burke Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




The maximum upload file size: 512 MB. You can upload: image, audio, video, document, spreadsheet, interactive, text, archive, code, other. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop file here

147 Comments

  1. My sister made it today and it was soooooo good.

  2. I’m trying to pin this recipe but it won’t allow it

  3. Easy and Delicious! Added some mushrooms and a little green pepper, diced. Husband had two helpings!

    1. Yum, mushrooms and bell pepper sound like a great addition!

    2. This recipe is AMAZING! My picky kids love it, heck the whole family loves it! It’s so easy to make!!! I love the one pan, all the ingredients come together SO WELL. I use sour cream, yummy! Thank you !!!

  4. I THOUGHT THIS WAS VERY GOOD. I REVOLVED THE WHOLE MEAL AROUND SOME EXTRA CILANTRO I HAD AND SERVED IT WITH BROWN RICE AND BROCOLLI. I USED FAT FREE HALF AND HALF BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT I HAD IN THE FRIDGE. I WOULD MAKE IT AGAIN.

  5. I wouldn’t recommend the yogurt. It tastes good, but isn’t exactly creamy. But such a good recipe.

    1. Oops – and we put it on a bed of zoodles. Amazing.

  6. This was the best meal i’ve ever had! i made this on sunday and i definitely will be making this tonight because it was too good. i almost did not want to share! also, i will be making this weekly with a side of brussel sprouts!!! thank you so much! i also recommend adding the brussel sprouts to the same pan, it all tastes so good together!!

  7. This was INSANE! i absolutely love cilantro and this dish Was perfect. I would 100% make this again! I was literally licking my plate and the pan!

  8. Loved it!!i substituted the heavy cream with SOUR cream.. and used sea salt… i also used water instead of the chicken broth.. and it was still delicious

  9. Back again….so I added some cornstarch/water mixture to thicken it up. Using the sour cream (I doubled the broth and sour cream), and it is scrumptious! However, I had brain fade and forgot to add the lime! I did put some shredded parmesan on it. To die for!

  10. I am making this right now! While the chicken is cooking, I added in the last bits of some frozen veggies: stir fry mix (onions, bell peppers), chopped spinach, and some peas. I’m going to do the broth and sour cream. Smells so good! Hopefully it’ll taste good, too! Will serve with steamed rice.

  11. Love this recipe. I’ve done it with shrimp as well and it’s bomb!

    1. Made this but used coconut milk for the cream part for a more Thai flavor and served over coconut lime/cilantro brown rice. Yum!

  12. This is one of my all time favorite recipes. So easy and flavorful. I like to serve it over brown rice or quinoa to soak up the amazing sauce (I usually double the sauce because I love it so much)! Thank you!!!

  13. Absolutely love this recipe major hit with the hubby. The kids ,not so much,too much cilantro (they say).

  14. It is easy and very tasty. I made it with greek yogurt because I think it’s healthier. My boyfriend loved it and said that there is no reason for us to go to restaurants… well, i’m the one cooking…

  15. I make this at least once a week! My kids love it!

    1. Thanks for the 5 stars! So happy you and your family enjoyed the dish! <3

    1. I have made this both the way the original recipe called for, and also substituting low FODMAP ingredients so that my boyfriend could eat it. This recipe came out beautifully both ways. The substitutions I’ve made are to use garlic oil and chives instead of garlic and onions. I add a tablespoon of garlic oil and two tablespoons of dried chives along with the rest of the sauce ingredients, and I cannot tell any difference in flavor. We also use lactose free half and half to finish the sauce. Thank you so much for this recipe! It’s become a staple in our home.

  16. NoVice cook here. Made this recipe using greek yogurt and learned something new.

    My sauce curdled just at the End and I thought i’d ruined this dish. Turns out, Dairy sauces have specific needs pertaining to fat content, acidity and heat. Lesson learned! I was able to salvage the sauce by reducing the heat to low and Whisking in an egg yolk, but i do believe that altered the taste of what this should have been.

    Perhaps you could add some more specific directions for substitutions?

    I will be trying again using the Original ingredients 🙂

  17. Delicious, followed the receipe, and used half and half.Poached the chicken in the sauce at the very end because it was n ot quite done. The whole family enjoyed it with savory rice and sauteed fresh corn. We had half a bottle of Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Calcaire sitting in the fridge, and it was a lovely match. Will definitely make it again.

  18. I followed the recipe substituting cream for 1% milk and didnt add cilantro and it still came out amazingly. Ive made it many times now and it remains a favorite!

  19. We love this Recipe! Its become a regular in the dinner rotation. We always double the sauce and put the whole thing in the oven to thicken more at the end. That way we can just brown the chicken in the pan initially. When we take it out of the oven we add a bit more lime. Delicious!

  20. Thanks for this! I enjoyed it and would make a couple of suggestions for the recipe:
    -Indicate in the ingredients that some cilantro should be reserved for garnish (we had used all that we had in the sauce)
    -my sauce too thin/runny, and i think it might be better to reduce by more than 1/4 cup – reduce at least by half
    -Also I think I will try this again, but I will partially stew the chicken in the sauce as it reduces, rather than completely cooking it in the pan fry. the chicken was a bit dry and lacking in flavor.

    will definitely make again with the modifications above. It’s a really tasty flavor combination.

  21. Add a half stick of Cream cheese and butter to the heavy whipping cream !!!

  22. Love this recipe! I often use shrimp instead of chicken… I find it way tastier. The chicken itself doesn’t have much flavor besides be covered in a delicious sauce. Is there any suggestions to infuse more flavor into the chicken. Thighs? Perhaps a marinade with similar flavors?

  23. Made this dish last nigHt and it was sooo good! I served it over rice wIth southweStern Corn. I will be using this recipe agAin!

  24. MY FIANCE loveD IT, CAN’T DO ALL CAPS BECAUSE i’M STUCK IN ALL CAPS, BUT YOU GET THE DRIFT. ONE OF THE BEST, EASIEST RECIPES EVER. IF ONLY I COULD MASTER BROWNING MEAT, i WOULD BE THE BEST COPYCAT CHEF EVER. SMILE

    1. i forgot to mention that the cream was very watery – i had to add cornstarch, but mixed it with some of the pan sauce in a small bowl and added back into the pan – just do a little at a time, otherwise it will be too thick,,,but still sooooo yummy

  25. Rave reviews. MY FIANCE loveD IT, CAN’T DO ALL CAPS BECAUSE i’M STUCK IN ALL CAPS, BUT YOU GET THE DRIFT. ONE OF THE BEST, EASIEST RECIPES EVER. IF ONLY I COULD MASTER BROWNING MEAT, i WOULD BE THE BEST COPYCAT CHEF EVER. SMILE

  26. I absolutely love this dish! I prefer the chicken thighs over the breasts but with either one it is delicious! I have shared this with many friends who have tried it and also thought it was amazing.