Cilantro Chicken
Updated May 29, 2025
This Lebanese style Cilantro Chicken is made with a garlic and lemon marinade - great for quick dinners, and freezer and meal prep friendly!
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My Mother-in-Law’s CIlantro Chicken
You might have heard of cilantro lime chicken, but this cilantro chicken recipe is made with lemons instead because that’s how my mother-in-law taught me how to make it! Plus the lemon is more common with Lebanese recipes and pairs so well with cilantro and garlic! It’s a great marinade for chicken breast that pairs so well with many other sides like Sauteed Spinach, Parmesan Potatoes, Lemon Rice or Greek Salad.
My mother-in-law buys a bunch of fresh cilantro and meal-prep a massive batch of chicken cutlets in one go. After washing, drying, and chopping the cilantro, she marinates 16 servings of chicken at once and freezes them for busy days. The individually wrapped cutlets thaw quickly, making a quick and delicious dinner. And if you like the idea of meal prepping marinated chicken, here are some of my favorite chicken marinade recipes!
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Cilantro Chicken Ingredients
- Chicken: I use boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. You could also try it with boneless chicken thighs, but you may need to cook them a little longer.
- Cilantro: Make sure to dry it well well and then you can actually keep some of the thinner stems when you cho pit. You can also swap it for 1 tablespoon of dried cilantro but I prefer fresh!
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic and mince it really small.
- Lemon: Use it for the marinade, but you can also add a fresh squeeze right before serving the pan-fried cilantro chicken.
- Seasonings: Black pepper, crushed red pepper, salt
- Olive oil: Use any oil you like for the marinade. It will also help coat the chicken when you sear it in the pan.
How to Make Cilantro Chicken
Cilantro Chicken
Ingredients
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro plus more for garnish
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil divided
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 pounds chicken cutlets
Instructions
- Place the cilantro, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper in a large bowl and stir to combine.
- Add the chicken and toss to combine. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
- When ready to cook, heat a large non-stick skillet on medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 4 minutes, undisturbed. Flip and cook until the chicken is cooked through, 4-5 more minutes.
- Serve with more fresh cilantro, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
If you try this Skillet Cilantro Chicken recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure to use thin chicken cutlets. If needed, you can tenderize the chicken with a mallet to make sure they are all thin and even in thickness. This will help them cook quickly without burning the cilantro.
- Don’t worry if the cilantro browns. Herbs can be so sensitive to heat, so usually, I add them at the end of cooking proteins. However, the fresh cilantro in this skillet chicken recipe is what gives it so much flavor. A little browning is totally normal as long as the cilantro doesn’t turn black.
- Mince the garlic finely. To get the most flavor out of your garlic, mince or finely chop it before adding it to the marinade. You can also use a garlic press for a quick and easy way to crush the garlic.
- Prep the marinade ingredients. To save time on meal prep, you can chop the cilantro, garlic, and lemon juice in advance and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. This way, you can quickly whip up the marinade when you’re ready to cook. You can also freeze fresh garlic and freeze fresh herbs whenever you need them!
Serving Ideas
- Lebanese Spicy Cilantro Potatoes
- Fluffy Bulgur
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Sautéed Mushrooms with Garlic
- Lebanese Fattoush Salad
- Red Cabbage Slaw
- Lebanese Cabbage Salad
FAQS
Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When ready to eat, reheat in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through.
To freeze the chicken, you have the option to do it before or after cooking. If you choose to freeze before cooking, simply put the chicken and marinade in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to four months. When you’re ready to cook, allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge before cooking as usual.
No, it is not necessary to pierce the chicken before marinating. The marinade will penetrate the chicken without additional holes, which could actually cause the chicken to dry out.
Comments
Reading the recipe I was concerned it might be too sour but it was not- it was well balanced and delicious
Your mom is a genius- we all enjoyed this and i’m so happy to have put some aside and frozen before cooking to pull out for a week midweek meal.
Aw, thank you so much, Lizzy! I will be sure to tell her you said that she will be so happy!