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Cilantro Lime Crispy Chicken

Cilantro lime crispy chicken with shatteringly golden, skin-on thighs cooked skin-side down in a cast iron skillet. Lime-cilantro marinade keeps the chicken juicy while the skin turns crisp and caramelized.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
marinating 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 5 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
Marinade
  • 0.3333333333 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1 tbsp lime zest
  • 0.5 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic, minced
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
  • 0.25 tsp cayenne
To serve
  • 1 fresh cilantro and lime wedges for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Make the cilantro lime marinade
  1. Combine fresh lime juice, lime zest, fresh cilantro, finely chopped, garlic, minced, olive oil, cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and cayenne in a bowl. Stir until the mixture looks evenly combined and fragrant.
  2. Pat the bone-in skin-on chicken thighs dry before marinating. This helps the skin crisp up instead of steaming.
  3. Marinate the chicken in the cilantro lime mixture for at least 1 hour. Keep it chilled so the marinade stays food-safe.
Crisp the chicken in a cast iron skillet
  1. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. You should see faint heat shimmer when the pan is ready.
  2. Place the chicken skin-side down in the skillet and cook undisturbed for 8-10 minutes. The skin should look shatteringly crispy and golden with caramelized edges.
  3. Flip the chicken and cook for 8-10 more minutes. It should reach 165F in the thickest part and the juices should run clear.
Rest and serve
  1. Rest the chicken for 5 minutes after cooking. The juices will settle so the crisp skin stays crisp instead of soggy.
  2. Serve with fresh cilantro and lime wedges for serving. Add extra wedges to brighten the lime flavor right before eating.

Notes

For maximum crispiness, keep the chicken skin as dry as possible before it hits the pan—pat dry again if it looks wet after marinating. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat in the oven or skillet to re-crisp the skin (microwaving softens it). Freezing is not recommended for the best texture, but you can freeze cooked chicken up to 2 months and reheat carefully. For a lower-sodium option, use reduced-salt seasoning in place of the listed salt while keeping the rest of the marinade the same.