Yard House Cilantro Lime Chicken Recipe
Make this Yard House Cilantro Lime Chicken Recipe at home with juicy, crispy chicken thighs, fresh cilantro, lime, garlic, and warm spices. Inspired by the bold, fresh flavors you’d expect from Yard House, this easy copycat-style cilantro lime chicken takes about 1 hour from start to finish and is simple enough for a weeknight dinner. You can serve it with cilantro lime rice, black beans, roasted corn, or warm tortillas for a complete meal.
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves chopped
- Zest of 2 limes
- Juice of 2 limes
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil for searing
- Lime slices for garnish
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Step 1 - Prepare the Cilantro and Limes: Wash the limes well before zesting them. Finely chop about 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro leaves and add them to a large mixing bowl. Zest both limes, then juice them. Add both the lime zest and fresh lime juice to the bowl.
- Step 2 - Make the Cilantro Lime Marinade: Add the minced garlic, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, cumin, chili powder, salt, black pepper, and honey to the bowl with the cilantro and lime. Whisk everything together until the honey and seasonings are well combined with the oil and lime juice.
- Step 3 - Coat the Chicken: Place the 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs in the bowl with the cilantro lime marinade. Use your hands or tongs to turn the chicken several times, making sure every piece is well coated with the marinade.
- Step 4 - Marinate the Chicken: Cover the chicken and refrigerate it for 30 minutes to 1 hour. This gives the cilantro, lime, garlic, cumin, and chili powder time to flavor the chicken.
- Step 5 - Preheat the Oven: When the chicken has finished marinating, preheat your oven to 425°F. Use an oven-safe skillet large enough to hold all the chicken thighs without overcrowding them.
- Step 6 - Heat the Skillet: Place the oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil or avocado oil and swirl the pan to coat the bottom evenly.
- Step 7 - Sear the Chicken Skin Side Down: Place the chicken thighs in the hot skillet with the skin side facing down. Cook for about 5 to 6 minutes, until the skin becomes deeply golden and crispy. The chicken should make a noticeable sizzle when it touches the hot pan.
- Step 8 - Sear the Other Side: Flip each chicken thigh and sear the bottom side for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. The chicken will not be fully cooked at this stage, so avoid removing it from the pan after searing.
- Step 9 - Finish the Chicken in the Oven: Transfer the entire oven-safe skillet to the preheated 425°F oven. Bake the chicken for about 15 to 18 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Make sure the skin is nicely golden before transferring the skillet to the oven, as it will not gain much additional color while baking.
- Step 10 - Rest and Garnish: Remove the skillet from the oven and let the chicken rest briefly before serving. Garnish with fresh lime slices and chopped cilantro for extra cilantro lime flavor.