Cilantro Lime Chicken with Strawberry Salsa – a light and refreshing strawberry and jalapeno salsa with cilantro lime marinated grilled chicken, perfect for summer! Ready in only 25 minutes!!
I love this dish for so many reasons. It’s so fresh and bright, with tender marinated chicken and a salsa that will make you feel as if you’re on a sunny patio, no matter the season. I made it the other night after a lovely evening walking around in the sun and it was the perfect finisher to a beautiful day.
I personally think that this dish is best served alongside one of my Mojitos. Or two. Or three. So let’s toss everything together and make some magic happen.
Ingredients In Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken With Strawberry Salsa
Chicken
- Chicken – I used boneless and skinless breast for this recipe, but chicken thighs will work just as well.
- Olive oil – This will be used in our tenderizing marinade.
- Honey – A bit of honey will lend this dish some sweetness to help balance the tartness of the salsa.
- Cilantro – One of the key flavors of the dish! Cilantro is just one of those herbs that some people can’t stand, if that’s the case with you I recommend substituting with fresh parsley.
- Lime juice & zest – I recommend only using fresh lime juice, it really is worth the extra effort. Adding zest to the marinade will really concentrate that lime flavor.
- Salt & pepper – To taste.
- Club soda – This ingredient is totally optional but I always make sure to include it to help tenderize the meat.
Strawberry salsa
- Fruits & veggies – Tomato, strawberry, jalapeno pepper (seeds removed), and green onion all chopped are the base of this salsa.
- Cilantro – Even more cilantro! This will really layer our flavors throughout the dish.
- Lime juice – I love lots of lime juice in my salsas, fresh only!
- Salt & pepper – To taste.
How To Make Cilantro Lime Chicken And Strawberry Salsa
For detailed measurements and instructions, scroll to my printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Prepare the marinade: Add all of the ingredients listed under chicken in the section above (except the chicken itself) to a blender and blend till smooth.
- Prepare the chicken: Place each chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound gently with a meat mallet so as not to break the meat. I pound mine out till it’s 1/2 inch thick. Place chicken in a large bowl and cover with the marinade. Stir to incorporate and leave to sit for 20 minutes.
- Combine the salsa: Chop all the salsa ingredients (except the lime) finely and toss together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate till ready to serve to allow all those flavors to get acquainted.
- Finish the cilantro lime grilled chicken: Grill the chicken on both sides, about 3 – 4 minutes each and spoon salsa over top once done. That’s it! This dish doesn’t even need a side dish with all that salsa.
Tips For Making The Best Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Club soda is a must if you have it, the physical tenderizing from the mallet combined with the chemical tenderizing from the club soda will make this chicken so soft.
- I allow my chicken to marinate while the grill heats up, at least 20 minutes in total.
- If you like something spicier, a diced habanero with the seeds removed will make this dish sizzle
- This salsa is so good that it can be used on all sorts of things. If I’m in the food for it sometimes I’ll even warm up some tortillas and make little tacos from this recipe.
- If you’re using chicken thighs in place of breasts, be extra gentle while physically tenderizing to make sure it doesn’t become too thin.
Storing The Strawberry Salsa
This salsa will keep fresh in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week. It freezes really well too, lasting up to 1 year in the freezer! The chicken can be stored like usual for up to 3 – 4 days
Can I Bake This Cilantro Lime Chicken?
Absolutely! Just follow my instructions for baked chicken breasts and that’s all you need to do!
Try These Delicious Chicken Recipes:
- Firecracker Chicken
- Buttermilk Fried Chicken
- Orange Chicken
- Honey Mustard Chicken
- Chicken Parmesan
- Mongolian Chicken
- Coq Au Vin
- Tandoori Chicken
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Cilantro Lime Chicken with Strawberry Salsa
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 25 mins
Serves: 4
Cilantro Lime Chicken with Strawberry Salsa – a light and refreshing strawberry and jalapeno salsa with cilantro lime marinated grilled chicken, perfect for summer! Ready in only 25 minutes!!
Ingredients
For Cilantro Lime Chicken
- 1 1/2 pound chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper or to taste
- 1/4 cup club soda (optional) helps to tenderize the meat)
For Strawberry Salsa
- 1 cup tomatoes chopped small
- 1 cup strawberries chopped small
- 1 jalapeno pepper chopped
- 5 green onions chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper or to taste
US Customary – Metric
Instructions
- In a blender add the cilantro lime chicken ingredients; olive oil, honey, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, salt and pepper. Also add club soda if using it. Blend for about 30 seconds until smooth.
- Place each chicken breast between plastic wrap and gently pound using a meat mallet until chicken is about 1/2 inch in thickness. Place chicken in a large bowl and pour cilantro lime marinade over chicken. Marinate for about 20 minutes, while grill heats up and you make the strawberry salsa.
- To make strawberry salsa, toss all the salsa ingredients together in a bowl and cover and refrigerate until chicken is ready to serve. Grill the chicken on both sides. about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- To serve spoon salsa over grilled chicken.
Recipe Notes
This salsa will keep fresh in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week. It freezes really well too, lasting up to 1 year in the freezer! The chicken can be stored like usual for up to 3 – 4 days
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
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Nutrition Information:
Calories: 301kcal (15%)Carbohydrates: 11g (4%)Protein: 37g (74%)Fat: 11g (17%)Saturated Fat: 1g (6%)Cholesterol: 108mg (36%)Sodium: 500mg (22%)Potassium: 814mg (23%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 7g (8%)Vitamin A: 685IU (14%)Vitamin C: 40.3mg (49%)Calcium: 29mg (3%)Iron: 1.1mg (6%)
Originally shared April, 2015.
Can I use mild green chilis instead of jalapeno? We dont like alot of spice. We dont like raw tomato chuncks. What about doing a kiwi substitue for the salsainstwad of tomato to add bulk?
Sure, why not, use ingredients you and your family like.
This was one of the first recipes I made after getting married and 7 years later, my husband still asks for it regularly! I’ve made it in four different houses in four different states. Safe to say, it’s a family favorite! Summery and light and perfect in every way!
I’ve made this so many times, my family love’s it!
That’s wonderful! So happy you all enjoy it so much!
Can I substitute sparkling water in place of club soda?
Definitely!
Hi Jo. I really love your recipes. Thank you for sharing. As I am in Australia and we sometimes call things by a different name, (eg cilantro is coriander here down-under) can you tell me what is a ‘club soda’. Is that a lemon favoured soda or just plain soda water? Thank you.
Just plain soda water!
Thank you team.
This was so good! It’s filling but refreshing. Perfect spring or summer meal! The whole family loved it and I definitely piled on the delicious salsa. Thank you!
Made this tonight and OMG sooooo delicious!!
Will definitely make this again soon!!
I’ve tried this a few times now. So quick and easy but amazing flavours! Love it!
Perfect for a summer dinner. Quick, easy. Served with chunks of cantaloupe on the side. Salsa was more savory than sweet. Strawberries were not real sweet.
So glad you liked this!
Made this last night (well, my husband did) – it was DELICIOUS! Didn’t put cilantro in it at all (and didn’t add anything else); still great.
Definitely will make again and again. It reminded me of a watermelon and red onion salad recipe I’ve lost (and miss). Had it with a side rice.
Glad you liked it, Sandra!
This recipe has become a family favorite! And when I make it on a whim without having fresh strawberries on hand, a blended salsa with frozen berries is nice too.
Love hearing this!
I really like this recipe! As I am vegetarian, I do it with tofu instead of chicken, but I do the rest exactly the same way! It’s going to be good tonight with my garden strawberries.
Grilled this during rain and thunderstorm- perfect meal for a hot, wet summer day.
I used red chili flakes instead of jalape̱o and also club soda Рaccompanied with new asparagus and corn on the cob. What a fantastic recipe- will definitely make again!