Easy Lime Chicken 30 Minute Meal Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner!

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Can you hear me calling,” Winner, winner chicken dinner”? Yes! Winner winner, Lime Chicken. Finally, I tried, adapted another chicken recipe. When we find a chicken recipe we love we add the to our easy chicken recipes for meal planning ideas.

Lime Chicken

What I love about this dinner idea is that it’s a 30-minute meal  Which means it’s perfect for any night of the week for your meal plans.

Chicken Lime fast, and fresh

I found the original recipe in Rachel Ray’s magazine, 16 Fast and Fresh Ideas. The short, and sweet of this the recipe is; Did she forgot to add what spices she used? Or maybe it was just her scallions, parsley and cilantro she called spices? Either way, I got you covered with my rendition of this chicken recipe that caught my eye.

I made this one evening, after picking up Sammie from her track practice. You know those late dinners. I’ll have to update the recipe photos later but I snapped a few photos to show you how easy this recipe is. 

For today’s Easy Lime Chicken Recipe you probably have some of these ingredients on hand in your pantry or fridge. Be sure to prep all your veggies at once to save time. Then follow the steps to make this chicken dinner below. 

How to make Lime Chicken

Ingredients you’ll need for Lime Chicken with rice

1. Chicken thighs – skinless, and boneless  (which normally aren’t my go chicken cut but, it made this taste amazing! Tender, pull apart, yum in every bite.) 
2. Olive oil
3. 1-2 Limes
4. Cilantro 1/4 cup -1/2 cup
5. Half a jalapeno seeded, and chopped
6. 1-small can vegetable stock or (add this to your pantry for recipes like this, a jar of vegetable stock )
7. Spices – garlic powder, pepper, salt
8. 1 Package Rice Pilaf, (set seasonings aside they won’t be used for this recipe) + 1 tsp. turmeric 
9.  Vegetables of your choice for sides. We used avocado, and cucumber.

For the sake of time, I used garlic powder vs. mincing fresh garlic. You probably can use chicken breasts but, it won’t be quite as flavorful as using thighs. Jalapenos are not always hot when seeded. (Handle carefully. Use gloves. Be sure to wash your hands with soap and water when handling them! The oils can burn your skin regardless! Trust me, it happened to me one year when canning.) 

Substitutions that can be made for the chicken lime recipe

• If you don’t have vegetable stock, swap out for chicken stock.
• If you prefer Mexican rice then you can use that instead of the pilaf but, it was really good, mildly flavored. If you want to get out of your usual boxed rice rut. 
• If you don’t want to use fresh jalapeno, you can use a tiny amount of paprika (mild) cayenne or cumin (a bit spicier). 
• Substitute cilantro with thinly sliced green onion. 

1. Prep your veggies all at once, using a chef knife, and cutting board.
2. Make your rice according to package. You’ll melt your butter, add rice, stir in turmeric, then add your water, cover, and heat until cooked on low. 
3. Cook the chicken with lime according to the directions below. You’ll need an oven-safe skillet, or you could possibly transfer braised chicken into an oven-safe casserole dish. 

Instructions for making Lime Chicken 

Step 1

Prep your veggies all at once prior to starting the rice. Then continue to follow the steps below.

• This is the skillet I use, it’s an oven-safe skillet, with lid and hands down my favorite stainless steel skillet. I use it for dishes like this, macaroni, and cheese, pasta sauce, and more. Or use something like this cast iron casserole dish with lid. 

Step 2

• While the rice is cooking.
• Get out a separate skillet with a lid.
• Preheat the skillet with a bit of olive oil.
• Add your chicken, then sprinkle with garlic powder, pepper, and a pinch of salt to each piece of chicken. ( I don’t measure, just lightly evenly coat the chicken)
• Cook about 4 minutes each side. 

Step 3

• Add half a lime to the top of the chicken by squeezing out the juice over the thighs. 
• Next add your chopped, seeded jalapeno, and 1/4 cup of cilantro. 

Step 4

• Then add a can of vegetable stock and cover your ovenproof skillet. 
• Cook chicken with covered lid in the oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. 

When plating, Set the cooked chicken next to or over your rice. Then pour some of the pan juices right over the chicken. Serve with fresh veggies or even canned corn or frozen vegetables if you in a pinch. 

To make things easy for dinner I prepped sliced thin cucumbers, avocado with lime, and extra cilantro to garnish the dish, all at the same time. Start to finish it’s a 30-minute meal. Tada! 

Everyone in our house loved this dinner, so I’ll call this a win! We hope you enjoy it as much. 

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