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Cilantro Lime Chicken with Strawberry Salsa

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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!!

finished Cilantro Lime Chicken with Strawberry Salsa on a white plate

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.

Chicken breast marinating in a white bowl

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.

Process shots of strawberry salsa being made

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.

Close up of strawberry salsa with green onion on top

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!

Finished cilantro lime chicken and strawberry salsa on a white plate with limes and strawberries

Try These Delicious Chicken Recipes:

Cilantro Lime Chicken with Strawberry Salsa

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!!
5 from 8 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: 30 minute meals, 30 minutes, chicken recipes, cilantro lime chicken
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 301kcal
Author: Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

For Cilantro Lime Chicken

  • 1 1/2 lb chicken breasts boneless and skinless
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
  • 1 tsp lime zest
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1/2 tsp 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 tbsp lime juice
  • 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1/2 tsp pepper or to taste
US Customary - Metric
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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.

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.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 301kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 500mg | Potassium: 814mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 13.7% | Vitamin C: 48.9% | Calcium: 2.9% | Iron: 6.1%
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Originally shared April, 2015.
Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken with Strawberry Salsa - a light and refreshing strawberry and jalapeno salsa with cilantro lime marinated grilled chicken, perfect for summer!

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Comments

  1. Sandra D says

    May 17, 2019 at 7:44 am

    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.

    Reply

  2. Alison says

    September 1, 2018 at 5:41 pm

    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.

    Reply

  3. Sarah-Eve says

    July 2, 2018 at 7:05 am

    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.

    Reply

  4. Janice Robinson says

    June 18, 2018 at 5:06 pm

    Grilled this during rain and thunderstorm- perfect meal for a hot, wet summer day.
    I used red chili flakes instead of jalapeño and also club soda – accompanied with new asparagus and corn on the cob. What a fantastic recipe- will definitely make again!

    Reply

  5. Denise says

    May 17, 2018 at 10:22 am

    This sounds so delicious but my family doesn’t like cilantro! Do you think I could substitute a few herbs instead? Maybe parsley/basil/oregano in the marinade?

    Reply

  6. Paul says

    May 5, 2018 at 8:06 pm

    Jo, this recipe screams “Summer”. The marinade kept the grilled chicken so juicy. The sweetness of the strawberries and tartness of the tomatoes and lime made for an interesting combination. I paired this with a garlic, lime cilantro rice dish and it was perfect. Thanks.

    Reply

  7. Holly says

    May 23, 2017 at 9:11 am

    Can I do the marinade before hand? I have a camping weekend coming up and I don’t want to take a blender….or just add the soda when I’m there and blend everything else, before we leave?

    Reply

  8. Tonya says

    April 25, 2017 at 2:12 pm

    Great recipe!! But for the salsa,I substituted jalapeno with red pepper flakes, and tomatoes with mango. Definitely gonna make this for summer.

    Reply

  9. Jane says

    April 20, 2017 at 9:47 am

    I don’t eat jalapenos. I like a little heat but not pieces of it. Is there such a thing as a mild jalapeno? Somehow leaving it out seems like it would affect the taste. Could I use mild green Chile’s from the can?

    Reply

    • Joanna Cismaru says

      April 20, 2017 at 10:54 am

      I’ve heard that the jalapenos without many striations that they are milder in taste so maybe look for those when you buy them. I haven’t tried the green chilis from a can, I know they are milder in flavor, it might work for the salsa. You could give it a try, I have used them in many recipes, just not in a salsa.

      Reply

    • Joanna Cismaru says

      March 21, 2017 at 10:32 am

      Sure, bell pepper would be fine, but you won’t get that heat, that’s the whole purpose of the jalapeno, so if you don’t want this spicy I would just skip the pepper completely.

      Reply

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