Name: Crispy Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs (Whole30, Paleo, Keto, GF)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 6 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs; 1/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped; Juice of 1 lime (or 1/4 cup lime juice); 3 tablespoons avocado oil; 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; Cilantro and lime slices to garnish

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These crispy Whole30 cilantro lime chicken thighs are so delicious, and so easy to make. The skin gets perfectly crispy using this simple cooking method. They’re awesome for meal prepping, or for an easy weeknight dinner. Not only are these Whole30 chicken thighs, but they’re Paleo, gluten free and low carb too!

The cilantro lime flavor of these Whole30 chicken thighs is my favorite thing about them, aside from how juicy they turn out! Chicken thighs are one of my favorite cuts of chicken because they can get crispy on the outside but still come out juicy and tender. I think it’s also worth mentioning how totally simple these are to make. There’s no fancy here, only a handful of fresh ingredients that come together to make these Mexican-inspired chicken thighs full of flavor.

Ingredients for Crispy Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs

All you’ll really need are a few simple fresh ingredients and a small amount of your pantry spices. For the fresh items, you’ll need bone-in and skin-on thighs, chopped cilantro, the juice of one lime, plus any you want for lime wedges for serving.

The shelf stable and spices needed for your Whole30 cilantro lime chicken thighs include avocado oil, minced garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. That’s it, really! All of these pantry items are easily found at regular grocery stores, or online from places like Amazon or for a discount from Thrive Market.

Chicken Thighs Cooking Instructions

There are really only 5 easy, very easy, cooking steps for these crispy cilantro lime thighs. First, go ahead and preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Then, in a large bowl you will combine all of the spices, the chopped cilantro, lime juice, minced garlic and 1 tablespoon of the avocado oil.

Mix together the ingredients in the bowl so they’re well combined, and then add in your chicken thighs. Use your hands to rub the mixture into the chicken thighs, coating the skin, and under the skin really well. Then add the remaining 2 tablespoons of avocado oil to an oven proof skillet and heat it up on medium-high heat.

Give the skillet and oil a few minutes to heat, and then place your chicken thighs into your skillet skin side down. Let these cook for about 5 minutes, undisturbed, so you get a nice golden-brown sear on the skin. Then flip the thighs over, and let them cook for an additional 5 minutes.

The last step is to transfer the skillet into your preheated oven and let the cilantro lime chicken thighs bake for 15 minutes, or until they’re fully cooked. While they’re in the oven, you can use the 15 minutes to gather your sides or garnishes you’re going to serve the Whole30 chicken thighs with!

Then remove the skillet from oven, give the thighs a squeeze of lime juice if you’d like, and garnish with toppings.

Have extra limes? Make this lime juice limeade recipe!

Does Chicken Thigh Meat Stay Pink?

Chicken thighs are a type of dark meat cut. All that means is that they come from a muscle that uses more oxygen, and therefore has a higher iron count, giving it a darker appearance than, say, chicken breast meat. They also have a higher fat content.

Due to these two things, dark meat can still appear pink or light brown, even when fully cooked. To ensure that your thighs are done, you can use a meat thermometer and only remove from the oven once the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees F. If you’ve never cooked with thighs before, this can be odd to see, but I assure you it is completely normal and okay.

Other Great Chicken Thigh Recipes: Mayo Marinated Grilled Chicken Thighs, Sesame Chicken Chopped Salad, Sticky Asian Chicken Thighs, Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs

Oven-Proof Skillets

As mentioned in the cooking instructions section, your Whole30 cilantro lime chicken thighs get transferred into the oven to finish cooking. This means that for this recipe, you will want to make sure you are using a skillet that is oven safe. If you don’t you’ll need to transfer the seared chicken into a baking dish and who needs the extra dishes?

I prefer cooking with a cast iron skillet, but enameled skillets are great, too. There are many types of oven safe skillets, and even dutch ovens can be used here as they can be used both on the stovetop and in the oven. This is a higher end cast iron, but the cheaper options work really great and just as well.

Serving and Storing Instructions

Cilantro lime will forever be one of my favorite flavor combinations, and this dish is awesome served over cilantro cauliflower rice, or with some simple veggies. Roasted broccoli, potatoes, green beans, or sautéed bell peppers are great sides as well. I’ve used the leftovers many times to chop up and put into chicken taco salads!

To store the leftover Whole30 chicken thighs or use for meal prep, first remove them from the hot skillet and let them cool completely. Then store them in containers with airtight lids, pairing with any sides for meal prep. If you want to crisp the skin up again if you’re eating them as leftovers, you can place them skin side down on a skillet for about 3 minutes. Then flip them over, let the other side reheat and you’re good to go. Or, heat in the air fryer on 375, skin side up, for 5 minutes.

Other Mexican-Inspired Whole30 recipes:

Crispy Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs (Whole30, Paleo, Keto, GF)

These Whole30 crispy cilantro lime chicken thighs are so delicious, and so easy to make. The skin gets perfectly crispy using this simple cooking method. They’re awesome for meal prepping, or for an easy weeknight dinner. Not only are these Whole30 chicken thighs, but they’re Paleo, gluten free and low carb too!

Author: Bailey
Prep Time: 5
Cook Time: 25
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
Category: Chicken
Method: Oven
Cuisine: Mexican
Diet: Gluten Free

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Ingredients

6 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs
1/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime (or 1/4 cup lime juice)
3 tablespoons avocado oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Cilantro and lime slices to garnish

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine all spices, minced garlic, chopped cilantro, lime juice and 1 tablespoon avocado oil. Mix well and add in chicken thighs
Using hands, rub mixture into the chicken thighs
Heat 2 tablespoons avocado oil on medium-high heat in a large cast-iron or oven safe skillet
Once oil is hot, place chicken thighs into the skillet skin side down for 5 minutes. Flip chicken and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes.
Transfer the chicken into the oven to finish cooking for an additional 15 minutes, or until fully cooked
Remove from oven, garnish with additional cilantro and limes (or juice of limes) and serve!

Notes

Chicken thighs, due to their dark meat, can still appear pink or brown even when fully cooked. To ensure your thighs are done, remove from oven once the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees F.

This cilantro lime Whole30 chicken thighs post may contain some links that are affiliate links, though products are ones I use personally and recommend. When you purchase anything using my links, it costs you absolutely nothing extra, but it does give wholekitchensink.com a little financial support which helps to keep this blog running. Thank you for your continued support, both with your dollars and your interest.

Originally published July 2018. Updated January 2021.