Cilantro Lemon Chicken – Appetizer or Sides
Morsels of chicken coated with a cilantro lime marinade make a perfect appetizer, side, or serve with some buttered noodles for the main course. This cilantro lemon chicken is as quick as any stir-fry dish with no added fuss and takes less than 20 minutes to make. The cilantro paste is packed with flavors of lime, ginger, garlic, and soy.
Best Cilantro Lemon Chicken, Chicken recipe, Lemon cilantro chicken, 20-minute chicken recipe
This has been an awfully busy week with cake orders and sick kids. It’s time for the kids to go back to school so… they are not in a good mood. We had a lot of fun this summer but of course, it’s never enough.
Do you love cilantro? It’s a thing about cilantro you either love it or hate it.!! Right? There’s no middle. I love cilantro. In fact, I’m not much of a parsley person so I will often substitute cilantro for any dish that calls for parsley.
Now, this dish has lots of cilantro if you make it – you gotta make sure you offer it to people who love cilantro. The lemon garlic and ginger do help enhance the flavor but in general, you must love cilantro to enjoy this dish.
Best Cilantro Lemon Chicken, Chicken recipe, Lemon cilantro chicken, 20-minute chicken recipe
About this recipe – Cilantro Lemon Chicken
I will be honest and tell you that I have served this for lunch, dinner as an appetizer, a side dish and even made wraps with this!! Sooo good!
- As an appetizer, I served them on small toast with a drop of ketchup,
- goes well as a side dish alongside most other meals.
- I make a bowl of noodles and add the noodles to the chicken. The sauce just coats the noodles so beautifully you don’t need anything else.
- Wraps are the easiest. My kids love these so left over usually go in wraps with a mix of salad. Perfect for the kid’s lunch boxes.
Moral of the story?? MAKE EXTRAS!! When I am traveling for my cake classes I usually have a handful of recipes that my kids love to eat and that save well in the freezer. This is one of them. I cook just like this. Ziv has used them a few times so he knows how versatile this dish is.
If you love cilantro – you must also see my Quick and easy cilantro meatballs recipe, cilantro fish cakes as well as my Grilled lamb chops with cilantro mint sauce
Best Cilantro Lemon Chicken, Chicken recipe, Lemon cilantro chicken, 20-minute chicken recipe
So let’s talk ingredients and substitutes (Save/Pin)
- Chicken – By now you know I love chicken thighs so that’s usually what I use. But you are free to use chicken breast. Just know that chicken breast cooks much faster than chicken thighs.
- Cilantro – I’d love to say use parsley but I have never tried it. Cilantro works perfectly. The quantity can be reduced to make it less intense.
- Soy sauce – does add a nice color and diffuses the strong flavors. You can hardly taste it so don’t omit it.
- Lemon – it’s really mild with just 2 tbsp so don’t omit. You can add more but I suggest to taste first. I do love lemon but I don’t like when it takes over the rest of the flavors.
Best Cilantro Lemon Chicken, Chicken recipe, Lemon cilantro chicken, 20-minute chicken recipe
Recipe – Cilantro Lemon Chicken in less than 15 minutes (Save/Pin)
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Best Cilantro Lemon Chicken, Chicken recipe, Lemon cilantro chicken, 20 minute chicken recipe
Ingredients
- Chicken breast or thighs – 500 grams (1 lbs) cut to bite size pieces
- Cooking oil – 2 tbsp
- Garlic – 2 large clove
- Ginger – 1-inch piece
- Corn flour / starch – 2 tbsp
- Onion – 1 cup roughly chopped
- Soy sauce – 2 tbsp
- Cilantro sprigs – 10 (1 cup chopped)
- Lemon juice – 2 tbsp
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Prepare Chicken
- Clean and cut chicken into bite-size pieces
- Season with salt and pepper
- Set aside
Prepare Cilantro paste
- Clean and roughly chop the onion, ginger, garlic, and cilantro
- Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend to a smooth paste.
- Add two tablespoons water if necessary to get started.
Cook Chicken
- Heat a large wok or wide pan with 2 tbsp cooking oil
- Add the cornflour/cornstarch to the chicken – toss well
- Add chicken to the hot oil. Stir and Saute for two minutes until seared on all sides
- Add the cilantro paste and soy sauce – mix well.
- Season with salt and pepper. (not too much as the soy sauce has salt)
- Continue to cook on medium heat until the chicken is cooked about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Lastly, add the lemon juice.
- Taste and adjust seasoning
- Serve.
Don’t forget to save this recipe on Pinterest for later.
You can find a collection of my tutorials and recipes here on Pinterest.
Best Cilantro Lemon Chicken, Chicken recipe, Lemon cilantro chicken, 20-minute chicken recipe
Cilantro Lemon Chicken in less than 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 500 grams Chicken breast or thighs cut to bite size pieces
- 2 tbsp Cooking oil
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 inch Ginger
- 2 tbsp Corn flour / starch
- 1 cup Onion roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp Soy sauce
- 10 sprigs Cilantro chopped
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
Instructions
Prepare Chicken
- Clean cut chicken into bite-size pieces
- Season with salt and pepper
- Set aside.
Prepare Cilantro paste
- Clean and roughly chop the onion, ginger, garlic, and cilantro
- Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend to a smooth paste.
- A two tablespoons water if necessary to get started.
Cook Chicken
- Heat a large wok or open faces pan with 2 tbsp cooking oil
- Add the cornflour/cornstarch to the chicken - toll well
- Add chicken to the hot oil. Stir and Saute for two minutes until seared on all sides
- Add the cilantro paste and soy sauce - mix well.
- Season with salt and pepper. (not cornflour/cornstarch much as the soy sauce has salt)
- Continue to cook on medium heat until the chicken is cooked.
- Lastly, add the lemon juice.
- Taste and adjust seasoning
- Serve.
Nutrition Information
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Oh I love easy family meals like this. This is perfect for busy weekdays. I love the addition of soy sauce and ginger. My family will love this. Can’t wait to try it!
Me to Natalie. I know what you mean. I love simple and easy – Thanks
This would go perfect on top of my favorite chopped salad. I usually use rotisserie chicken on it, but this looks like a better alternative to plain old rotisserie. I am also a major cilantro lover, so this flavor combo is right up my alley.
Absolutely!! Would make a great appetizer or salad or main course too!
Quick recipes like this are so perfect for busy weeknights. Hard to beat one that’s done in less than 15 minutes!
True – quick and easy. Thanks Ashley
I am vetarian/pescetarian but my husband and stepson like their meat a couple days a week. If we substitute parsley for cilantro, not a welcomed addition in our household ?, it will be a great weeknight meal for them. Thanks!
Thanks Nicoletta. I love cilantro more than parsley but I know a lot who can’t stand cilantro so parsley would work just as well
This recipe is so close to another chicken recipe of mine.My kids would love this too.Would be perfect with rice and kokum curry for me 🙂
Absolutely. I love Kokum curry too! Haven’t had it in years.
I always love a recipe that can be ready in 15 minutes and anything with cilantro is a winner in my book!
Yup.. me too. 15 minutes and cooking is done.
What a great, easy weeknight recipe!
Thanks Julie
It’s always a winning recipe when it’s done under 15min! I love the combination of cilantro and lime, I’ll give it a try soon!
Thank you Marie-Pierre – It sure is great to have quick meals right?
I LOVE cilantro and lemon, so this sounds perfect!
Thank you Leslie
You’ve very welcome! These are all ingredients that I usually have on hand, so it should be easy for me to whip this up for dinner sometime soon. Looking forward to it!
So happy to hear that Leslie. Let me know if you enjoyed it Thanks
This chicken looks so great! Love all the bright and vibrant flavors – perfect for dinner!
Thank you Jenni
This looks yummy! I should start using thighs instead of breasts. I know the thigh is more tender and juicy.
I definitely love using thigh meat for my chicken recipes
Well you can never have too many “quick and easy” meal options for busy weeknights. The flavour profile sounds good, although I might switch up the cilantro for maybe dill. Either way, perfect to feed the family.
Thank you Gloria. I know what you mean – this can make weeknights easy for sure
I tried this recipe along with the Chicken Pilaf today. My husband and me loved it. The cilantro was a big strong for my kids but they still enjoyed it.. Mine took longer than mentioned in the oven. But it was a wonderful meal.
Thanks, Think I will be trying more from your blog.
Annie Wilkinson
Thank you so much