Do yourself a favor and make this recipe. Cilantro Lime Yogurt Chicken is just the sort of dish we all need in our lives. The prep is something you can likely bang out in about 10 minutes in advance and toss on a grill come dinnertime. Add a crunchy salad or other side and you’ve got a terrific tasty meal.
Here’s why I’m such a fun:
It’s “weeknight supper” easy
The marinade gets whirled in a food processor and left to do its business on the chicken, either for a few hours or overnight.
It’s healthful
The recipe combines lean, mean, protein-rich chicken breasts along with good-for-you yogurt, olive oil, garlic, herbs, and spices. Cooking it on the grill means it’s on the lighter side, which is particularly appealing during the warm weather season.
It’s plainly delicious
Marinating in yogurt makes for some kind of tender chicken punctuated with a trace of garlic, lime, and cilantro. Lip smacker.
The recipe comes by way of Cheryl Sternman Rule’s cookbook, Yogurt Culture, which I talked about last week (along with a tutorial on making yogurt).
Cilantro Lime Yogurt Grilled Chicken Is Endlessly Flexible
The recipe is a pleasingly versatile one. Here are a few starter ideas to make it your own:
- Swap in fresh basil for cilantro if that better suits your fancy.
- Use fresh lemons in place of limes
- Try marinating this with kefir instead of yogurt.
- Skip the garlic
- Cook it under a broiler if you have a grill (or feel like firing yours up).
If you like Cilantro Lime Yogurt Grilled Chicken, check out:
Wild Blueberry Balsamic Sheet Pan Chicken
Cilantro Lime Yogurt Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
- ½ cup (loosely packed) fresh cilantro leaves with tender stems attached
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons ground coriander
- 1/2 small lime, plus (optional) lime wedges for serving
- 1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, patted dry and sliced into cutlets (see Note)
- Olive oil spray (optional)
Instructions
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In a food processor, combine the cilantro, yogurt, oil, coriander, juice of the 1/2 lime, garlic, salt, and pepper and puree until smooth, stopping the machine a few times to scrape down the sides.
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Place the chicken in a gallon-size zip-top bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken, squeeze out any excess air, and seal the bag. Refrigerate flat for 6 hours (a bit longer is fine), flipping and massaging the bag a few times if you think of it. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 20 minutes before grilling.
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Preheat the grill for medium-high direct heat (400 to 450°F). Scrape the grates clean.
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Transfer the cutlets to a baking sheet, letting the marinade drip away. (Discard the marinade, but do not pat the cutlets dry.) Coat both sides of the cutlets with olive oil spray, if desired. Grill, turning once, until deeply marked and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes total.
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Let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Slice into strips and serve with lime wedges, if desired.
Recipe Notes
Note: To make the cutlets, press your palm on top of each, and carefully slide a knife parallel to the cutting board, dividing each breast into two thinner cutlets.
Excerpted from Yogurt Culture, © 2015 by Cheryl Sternman Rule. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.