These simple but delicious Cilantro Lime Chicken Bowls come together quickly and easily. These bowls combine zesty cilantro-lime rice with cilantro-lime chicken, corn, pinto beans, red onions, and avocado, making them not only filling but tasty as well.
I love recipes like this chicken bowl. You can prepare components of this dish ahead of time and then throw them all together when you’re ready to enjoy. You can also mix and match the bowl ingredients if you’re not vibing with it. Sometimes by day 2 to 3 of a meal prep bowl, I just want something different so I swap out an ingredient or two in the bowl, and the cilantro lime chicken bowl feels like a whole new dish.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s easy to make. All you need is a few simple ingredients to marinate your chicken in and then simply cook or grill the chicken. The rice is hands off as you simply let that simmer.
- It’s flavourful. I love how much flavour this one bowl pack. However, if you’re not a fan of cilantro or lime, maybe this recipe isn’t for you.
- It’s easy to customize. Change the toppings as you please!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- cilantro lime chicken — this chicken is so easy to make by marinating chicken thighs in oil, lime, salt, garlic powder, sugar, and cilantro.
- cilantro lime rice — use this cilantro lime rice recipe or buy some at the store.
- toppings — for this bowl, I kept it simple with pinto beans, red onions, corn, and avocado. Plus a wedge of lime to squeeze on top!
How to Make Cilantro Lime Chicken Bowl
- In a large bowl or Ziploc bag, add the chicken thighs, olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, salt, garlic powder, sugar, and cilantro. Toss well to combine until all the thighs are coated. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
- On medium heat, heat up your skillet (preferably cast iron) with olive oil before adding in the chicken thighs, smooth side down and then cook for 5 minutes. Flip and continue to cook for 6 to 7 minutes, or until cooked through. Do not overcrowd the pan, cook in two batches if necessary. Be sure to add more oil for the second batch.
- When done, assemble the bowls by combining the cilantro lime chicken with the rice, pinto beans, red onions, corn, and avocado. Top off with a wedge of lime.
Other Toppings To Try
- Guacamole
- Sour cream
- Avocado corn salsa
- Black beans
- Salsa
- Tomatoes
- Romaine lettuce
- Pico de gallo
- Pineapple salsa
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Always let the chicken rests before slicing. 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 can be marinaded up to 8 hours in advance.
- 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 thighs should reach 165°F (74°C) .
My Recommendation
This is my go-to meat thermometer for making sure that the internal temperature of my meat is good to go. It’s also magnetic so I have it on my fridge door to save drawer space!
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Make Ahead Tips
- Meal prep: store the cooked chicken in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. If you are serving this as a salad, feel free to pack it all together. If you are serving this as a cilantro lime chicken and rice bowl, I recommend packing the rice (and the chicken if you’d like) separately. You’d want to heat up the rice before enjoying if you plan on adding toppings such as lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, etc as they will not reheat well alongside the rice. It’s easier to heat the rice up separately and then add it to your bowl afterwards. Add in the avocado the day of serving.
- Freezer: allow the air fryer meatballs to cool before transferring them into an airtight container before storing them in the freezer. They can last for up to 3 months.
- How to prep this for the freezer: place the marinade and chicken thighs in a large freezer friendly ziploc bag, to prep this meal ahead of time. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready, thaw overnight in the fridge before cooking.
Cilantro Lime Chicken Bowls
These simple but delicious Cilantro Lime Chicken Bowls come together quickly and easily. These bowls combine zesty cilantro-lime rice with cilantro-lime chicken, corn, pinto beans, red onions, and avocado, making them not only filling but tasty as well.
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Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 8 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 limes, juice + zest
- 1 tsp salt
- 1½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ bunch cilantro
For Everything Else
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cups cilantro lime rice
- 1 cup pinto beans
- ½ red onion, diced
- 1 cup corn
- 2 avocado
Instructions
- In a large bowl or Ziploc bag, add the chicken thighs, olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, salt, garlic powder, sugar, and cilantro. Toss well to combine until all the thighs are coated. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
- On medium heat, heat up your skillet (preferably cast iron) with olive oil before adding in the chicken thighs, smooth side down and then cook for 5 minutes. Flip and continue to cook for 6 to 7 minutes, or until cooked through. Do not overcrowd the pan, cook in two batches if necessary. Be sure to add more oil for the second batch.
- When done, assemble the bowls by combining the cilantro lime chicken with the rice, pinto beans, red onions, corn, and half (or one) avocado. Top off with a wedge of lime.
Tried this recipe?Did you make this recipe? I’m always so happy to hear about it! I’d love to see how it turned out. Tag me at @CarmysHungry on Instagram so I can see it! If you enjoyed the recipe, I’d really appreciate a comment with a 5 star rating! ♥
Nutrition Per Serving
Calories: 818kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 56g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 215mg | Sodium: 794mg | Potassium: 1436mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 336IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 4mg
More Recipes to Try
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