This cilantro lime hen simmers in a creamy flavor-packed sauce and comes collectively in only one pan and in round 40 minutes from begin to end. This simple hen dinner recipe is a favourite in my residence—and plenty of readers’ properties too—all 12 months spherical!
I initially revealed this recipe in 2015 and have since added new photographs and extra useful success suggestions. And based mostly on reader suggestions, elevated the quantity of creamy sauce! 😉
Whereas I take pleasure in baking desserts essentially the most, dinner is an on a regular basis journey. And in case you’re like me, you’re continually trying to find fast and simple dinner recipes. Effectively, you’ve come to the suitable place! That is my one-pan creamy cilantro lime hen, a constant crowd favourite.
One reader, Marci, commented: “Thanks for this recipe. My household has been obsessed for months; we’ve it at the very least as soon as per week and I like to recommend it to everybody. ★★★★★“
One other reader, Rose, commented: “Omg what a taste bomb!!! This was completely scrumptious!! … Want I made a double batch, however will likely be making many times!! ★★★★★“
And one other reader, Allison, commented: “STAPLE DINNER in our home and a GREAT factor to serve to friends! Everybody LOVES this ★★★★★“
In the present day I’m going to indicate you that one skillet is all it takes to rework hen into one thing you and your loved ones will love. The method is rather a lot like my skillet apple cider hen and this creamy lemon thyme hen. Pan-sear the hen on the range, make a flavorful cilantro lime pan sauce, then bake the hen within the sauce to complete.
Right here’s Why You’ll Love This Cilantro Lime Hen
- Fast and simple 1-pan meal
- Further tender, juicy hen
- Creamy, buttery, zesty sauce tastes superb on rice and greens, too!
- Undeniably eye-catching, so that you’ll wish to make it many times
Seize These Elements
- Hen: I take advantage of boneless, skinless hen breasts. Pound them right down to even thickness. You would use boneless, skinless hen thighs as a substitute if desired.
- Salt & Pepper
- Olive Oil
- Hen Broth
- Contemporary Lime Juice
- Onion: Yellow, white, or purple—chef’s alternative!
- Cilantro
- Pink Pepper Flakes: Provides a bit of warmth, however be at liberty to scale back or enhance the quantity to your liking.
- Heavy Cream: Simply sufficient to make the sauce style creamy and wealthy. See beneath for a dairy-free various.
- Butter: Provides a lot scrumptious taste!
Begin the Hen, Then Make the Pan Sauce
The method is similar as my lemon thyme hen and creamy garlic hen and greens, so in case you’ve made both of these earlier than you understand how simple it’s!
Prepare dinner the hen in a big oven-proof skillet till either side are browned—the hen will prepare dinner once more within the oven so if the facilities aren’t cooked right through but, that’s tremendous. Take away the hen briefly and set it apart.
When you’re available in the market for a brand new skillet, I personal and love this one.
Now, utilizing the identical skillet, make the pan sauce. The juices left behind by the hen are key for taste, so don’t clear the skillet earlier than making the sauce!
Simmer the pan sauce till it has lowered and thickened.
Add the hen again to the skillet:
Bake within the oven till the hen is cooked by way of. Garnish the saucy hen with further cilantro (taste! taste!) and a squeeze of lime. Serve with rice and veggies, and smother them with the sauce, too!
Sure! Use full-fat canned coconut cream as a substitute of heavy cream and coconut oil as a substitute of butter for a dairy-free model with a scrumptious coconut-y twist.
No downside! After you prepare dinner the hen and sauce on the range, you possibly can switch each to a baking dish.
Sure, you should use hen thighs as a substitute in case you desire. No adjustments crucial!
Sure! The recipe beneath displays an almost-doubled portion of the sauce. Earlier than 2025, it made solely about half as a lot, however now there’s loads to generously coat the hen and spoon over any sides you’re serving.
What to Serve With Cilantro Lime Hen
We take pleasure in this hen with a facet of rice and a inexperienced vegetable like roasted broccoli (and the cilantro lime sauce poured over all the pieces, in fact!), however listed below are a number of extra options for tasty pairings:
Description
This cilantro lime hen simmers in a creamy flavor-packed sauce and comes collectively in only one pan!
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- If the hen breasts are uneven in thickness, pound them down in order that they’re all even. This fashion all of the breasts will prepare dinner by way of concurrently. Sprinkle either side with salt and pepper.
- In a big ovenproof skillet, warmth the oil over medium-high warmth. Add the hen and prepare dinner for six–7 minutes, turning as soon as. You need the hen good and browned on the skin. (It doesn’t need to be cooked right through but.) Switch hen to a plate and canopy with foil till step 5.
- Take away skillet from warmth and add the broth, lime juice, onion, cilantro, and purple pepper flakes. Return to warmth. Prepare dinner and stir to scrape up the browned bits from the underside of the skillet. Convey to a boil. Permit to boil, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes or till the liquid is lowered to 1/2 cup. Cut back warmth to medium-low, then add the cream and butter. Stir till butter has melted, then take away from warmth.
- Add the hen again to the skillet, turning as soon as to coat either side within the sauce. Switch the skillet to the preheated oven. Bake uncovered till the hen is totally cooked by way of, about 5–10 minutes (inside temperature needs to be at the very least 165°F (74°C)).
- Serve hen with sauce spooned on prime, and garnish with lime wedges and cilantro, if desired.
- Leftovers preserve properly within the fridge for a number of days. You possibly can reheat on the range over medium warmth, within the microwave, or within the oven.
Notes
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): Meat Tenderizer | Giant Oven-Proof Skillet (I personal and love this one) | Tongs | Citrus Juicer | Immediate-Learn Thermometer
- Pink Pepper Flakes: Regulate the quantity of purple pepper flakes to your liking. This quantity made the hen mildly spicy. The cream within the sauce mellows out the spice.
- Heavy Cream: You need to use complete milk or half-and-half as a substitute, however for the thickest, richest sauce I extremely advocate heavy cream. If utilizing complete milk, be sure that it’s at room temperature to assist stop curdling.
- Dairy-Free: Use coconut cream as a substitute of heavy cream and coconut oil as a substitute of butter.
Diet
- Serving Measurement: 1 hen breast + 1/4 of the sauce
- Energy: 396
- Sugar: 1.5 g
- Sodium: 254.4 mg
- Fats: 23.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 4.3 g
- Protein: 40.8 g
- Ldl cholesterol: 165.9 mg
