Creamy Cilantro Lime Chicken Skillet

How often do we all turn to the boneless skinless chicken breast as a last-minute fix when a busy weeknight has gotten away from us? Maybe too often. How often are we cooking it up with nothing more than a few shakes of seasoning? Definitely too often. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With a recipe like our Cilantro Lime Chicken Skillet you can have your chicken dinner on the table just as fast, but with an irresistibly zesty and creamy sauce to spoon over it.

Even when you need a quick dinner, there’s no reason it can’t be one that’s full of flavor. Case in point – all you have to do here is season a few chicken breasts with salt and pepper and sear them until they’re cooked through.

On previous nights, you might have stopped there, but if you take a few brief extra minutes to build this quick pan sauce you’ll really be leveling up. You just toss in some onion and garlic and let them get soft and fragrant…

… before you stir in some chicken broth, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, and red pepper flake. As it bubbles, it loosens any savory bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, and we all know that’s the key to making a stupendous sauce.

A touch of heavy cream finishes it off and you have a sauce that’s zesty and bright (with the tiniest kick) but also oh-so velvety. Spoon that over your chicken and it’ll taste way beyond basic.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Skillet

25 minutes to prepare serves 4

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • Juice and zest of 1 lime
  • 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flake
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation

  1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper and brown chicken until cooked through, 7-8 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and keep warm.
  2. Add onions to skillet and cook until starting to soften, 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
  3. Stir in chicken broth, lime juice and zest, cilantro, red pepper flake, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and let cook until liquid is reduced, about 8 minutes.
  4. Stir in cream, remove from heat and return chicken to pan. Garnish with additional cilantro and serve. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Gimme Delicious.

Whizzco for LPE