Are you looking for a juicy, flavorful chicken recipe? Don’t look any further! This dish is ideal for feeding a crowd and is sure to become a family favorite. This Mexican-inspired Cilantro Lime Chicken marinates in no time, thanks to a rich-in-flavor marinade sauce. The cilantro and lime combination adds a bright and fresh flavor to the chicken, sure to impress.
This roasted chicken is full of flavor! It’s so delicious that you won’t have any leftovers, but if you do, it’s also great for meal prep. It takes only 5 minutes of prep time and about 90 minutes to cook, depending on the size of your chicken.
Crispy Cilantro Lime Roasted Chicken
We’ve all been guilty of buying store-bought, cooked chicken. Cooking a chicken can be intimidating, but once you see how easy it is to make your own, you’ll never buy a rotisserie chicken again (well, not literally haha😉). This chicken is roasted to a juicy, soft consistency and crispy skin. Why settle for a store-bought roasted chicken when you can make Cilantro Lime Roasted Chicken at home?
INGREDIENTS FOR CILANTRO-LIME ROASTED CHICKEN
Chicken: Use a 3-4 pound whole chicken.
Salt & black pepper: Sprinkle salt and pepper over the entire chicken. I like to use kosher salt. Be cautious if you use another type of salt; we don’t want a salty chicken. I also use Kinder’s Organic The Blend Seasoning (Salt, Pepper, and Garlic). I can’t get enough of this. It’s available on Amazon or Costco. Although optional, this adds a lot of flavors.
Paprika: I use Smoked Paprika; it adds a depth of flavor to the chicken.
Lime & Lime zest: These give the chicken a concentrated, tangy citrus flavor. I use four limes. First, I zest two of them and then squeeze all four limes.
Olive oil: Any cooking oil works fine. However, I highly recommend using olive oil.
Cilantro: I enjoy cilantro. In my kitchen, I use it frequently. Although cilantro is used in this recipe, try substituting it with parsley if you do not like it.
Garlic: I love garlic; thus, I consider it a taste component of this chicken dish or any other dish.
HOW TO MAKE CRISPY CILANTRO LIME ROASTED CHICKEN
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Tip: have the chicken at room temperature for more even cooking. At least 30 minutes before.
Rinse the chicken, then pat it dry well with paper towels, inside and out. Make sure to remove the package of organs inside the chicken cavity (if any) and either set them aside to roast alongside the chicken or discard them.
Sprinkle salt and pepper over the entire chicken and set aside.
Next, combine garlic, olive oil, fresh cilantro, paprika, salt, pepper, lime zest, and juice in a small bowl.
To roast this chicken, I use my oven-safe pot with a rack. Cooking the chicken on a wire rack allows air to circulate under the chicken, and the skin on the bottom will become a bit crispier than if you cooked it directly on the pan. If you don’t have this pot, I suggest adding onions, potatoes, or veggies as a base, as I did with my ROASTED CHICKEN WITH 40 CLOVES OF GARLIC.
Then, I season the entire chicken. Using your fingers, try to get under the chicken skin and coat the whole chicken with the mixture. Make sure to stuff some into the large chicken cavity.
Let’s get to roasting!
The next step is to place the chicken in the oven at 425°F (220°C) for about 60 to 90 minutes, or until it’s beautifully golden!
Tip: Check the inner thigh with a meat thermometer to ensure your chicken is cooked perfectly. The inner thigh is finished cooking when it registers 165°F.
Allow at least 30 minutes for the chicken to rest before serving. This roasted chicken goes well with this vegetable rice.
Or you can keep the Mexican flavors flowing by making this Cilantro lime rice.
Give this recipe a try, and then leave a comment below to let me know how it turned out. I hope that your family enjoys it as much as we do!
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Crispy Cilantro Lime Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 (4 lbs.) Chicken
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Kinder's Organic The Blend Seasoning Salt, Pepper, and Garlic This is optional but adds a lot of flavors.
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3-4 Limes the zest & juice
- ¼ cup cooking olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 5 cloves garlic minced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Have the chicken at room temperature for more even cooking. At least 30 minutes before
- Rinse the chicken, then pat it dry with paper towels, inside and out. Make sure to remove the package of organs inside the chicken cavity (if any) and either set them aside to roast alongside the chicken or discard them.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper over the entire chicken and set aside.
- Next, combine minced garlic, olive oil, fresh cilantro, paprika, salt, pepper, lime zest, and juice in a small bowl.
- Then, season the entire chicken. Using your fingers, try to get under the chicken skin and coat the whole chicken with the mixture. Make sure to stuff some into the large chicken cavity. Place the chicken into theroasting pan.
Let’s get to roasting!
- Roast the chicken in the oven at 425°F (220°C) for about 60 to 90 minutes, or until it’s beautifully golden!
- Check the inner thigh with a meat thermometer to ensure your chicken is cooked perfectly. The inner thigh is finished cooking when it registers 165°F
- Allow at least 30 minutes for the chicken to rest before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Tell me what you think about this recipe, and don’t forget to contact me if you have any questions. It’s always a pleasure to hear from YOU!
Until the next one…
