Zesty Lime Chicken and Rice

This one-skillet Zesty Lime Chicken and Rice makes an incredible fast and easy weeknight dinner. You’ll love the citrusy flavors with a hint of spice!

What You’ll Love About Zesty Lime Chicken and Rice:

Nothing makes a mom happier during the dinner hour than a quick meal to prepare that’s full flavored and easy to clean-up. Skillet meals are just that and the quintessential dinners any parent wants more of.

With the busy back-to-school season in full swing skillet meals are a life saver! Zesty Lime Chicken and Rice is a one-pan delicious dinner that can be prepared, cooked, and on the table in under 45-minutes.

This meal has a bright citrus flavor with just a touch of heat. Not too spicy so it’s definitely kid friendly. The chicken marinates for a short time with simple spices, lime juice, and garlic, then a quick sear in a hot skillet. In goes the rice ingredients and in 15-minutes dinner is served!

Like my Cajun Chicken Sausage Orzo Skillet or this fantastically easy One-Pan Cheeseburger Pasta Meal, these are the weeknight recipes made for busy households!

Simple Ingredients:

For the Chicken and Marinade-

• Chicken- I use boneless skinless chicken thighs for the best flavor.
• Olive oil- We use this both in the marinade and to sear the chicken.
• Lime- You’ll want to use the zest and juice of a whole lime.
• Honey- Adds a touch of sweetness but also helps caramelize the chicken in the pan.
• Seasonings- Chili powder, salt, and red pepper flakes.
• Garlic- I like to smash the garlic cloves to add the essence of garlic flavor.
• Cilantro- Adds freshness.

For the Rice-

• Butter- Adds a buttery flavor to the rice.
• Onion- Is the perfect foundation for flavor.
• Garlic- Just a touch of garlic, I only use 1 large clove.
• Basmati rice- Basmati rice has a nutty flavor plus it has great texture once it’s cooked.
• Seasonings- Sumac, salt and pepper.
• Chicken broth- Use a good quality stock or broth. I like Better Than Bouillon.
• Lime- I use the zest and juice after the cooking time to add a bright, fresh flavor.
• Cilantro- Optional but adds freshness.

Substitutions:

How To Make Zesty Lime Chicken and Rice:

See full instructions in recipe card below

Step One. Add chicken and marinade ingredients to a large Ziploc bag. Seal and work the chicken and marinade ingredients together until chicken is well coated. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30-minutes or up to 8-hours.

Step Two. When chicken is done marinating heat a large skillet with a fitted lid to medium high heat. Add olive oil and chicken pieces. Sear chicken on both sides until deep golden brown about 3-4 minutes per side. You don’t need to cook the chicken all the way through at this point. Transfer chicken to a plate.

Step Three. Turn the heat down to medium and melt the butter. Add onions and garlic and sauté until soft. Add rice and seasonings and toast rice for a couple minutes then add chicken stock. Nestle chicken back in with the rice and bring the liquid to a simmer.

Step Four. Place the lid on and allow the rice and chicken to cook undisturbed for 15-minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand 5-minutes. Top with more lime zest, juice, and fresh cilantro. Fluff rice with a fork and serve.

Recipe Tips:

Common Questions:

Other Recipes You Might Enjoy:

• Fiesta Chicken with Zucchini Street Corn
• Skillet Salsa Verde Chicken and Rice
• One-Skillet Chicken and Rice
• Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Rice

Zesty Lime Chicken and Rice

This one-skillet Zesty Lime Chicken and Rice makes an incredible fast and easy weeknight dinner. You'll love the citrusy flavors with a hint of spice!

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Resting time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 493kcal

Equipment

• 1 large skillet with fitted lid

Ingredients

For the Chicken and Marinade:

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, fat trimmed
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 large lime, zested and juiced
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed or minced

For the Rice:

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced fine
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup white basmati rice
• 1 tsp sumac spice see notes for substitutions
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 small lime, zested and juiced
• handful of cilantro, chopped

Instructions

• Add the chicken and marinade ingredients (setting aside 1 tbsp of olive oil) to a large Ziploc bag. Seal and use your hands to combine the marinade with the chicken until well coated. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30-minutes or up to 8-hours.
• Heat a large skillet with fitted lid to medium high heat. Add the reserved 1 tbsp olive oil and place chicken in hot skillet. Sear on both sides until deep golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. You don't need to cook the chicken all the way through at this point. You'll want to see some dark blackened spots on the chicken.
• When chicken is browned transfer to a plate and set aside.
• Turn the heat down to medium and add butter to the skillet to melt. Once butter is melted add onions and garlic. Sauté veggies until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in rice and seasonings and toast the rice for 2-3 minutes stirring often.
• Once the rice is lightly golden in spots add chicken stock. Stir the liquid and rice together then nestle the chicken in with the broth and rice. Make to sure to pour any excess juice from the plate the chicken was resting on.
• Turn up the heat to bring it to a medium boil, place the lid on, and turn the heat down to low so the liquid is simmering. Cook rice and chicken undisturbed for 15-minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to rest for 5-minutes. Add lime zest, juice from the lime, and cilantro to the top of the chicken and rice. Fluff rice with a fork and serve. At this point you can check to make sure you don't need anymore salt.

Notes

Tips:

 

• Make sure to use a large skillet with high sides and preferably non-stick so the rice comes off the pan nicely. I love this pan and it’s also oven safe up to 350℉.
• Chicken browns quickly in this recipe because we use honey. The sugars in the honey caramelize when they hit the heat so make sure to keep an eye on the chicken.
• Resist the temptation to lift the lid while the rice and chicken are cooking. This will ensure the rice is nice and fluffy. Trust the process!

 

Substitutions:

 

• Chicken- If you prefer white meat you can swap out the thighs for boneless skinless chicken breasts.
• Lime- You can also use lemons if you don’t have limes for that zesty citrus flavor.
• Honey- Brown sugar is a good substitute for honey in this recipe.
• Seasonings- Add other Mexican seasonings you might enjoy like cumin and smoked paprika. A good replacement for sumac would be lemon pepper or another citrusy flavored seasoning.
• Garlic- Add more garlic if you want it extra garlicky.
• Rice- Any long grain white rice will work for this recipe. Minute rice is not recommended and I haven’t tested brown rice.
• Cilantro- If you don’t like cilantro use flat leaf parsley instead.

 

Common Questions:

 

Can I freeze zesty lime chicken and rice?

Yes! Cook and cool chicken and rice completely. I like to transfer to a disposable pan and cover with two layers of foil. Freeze for up to 2-months. When ready to bake, thaw, then preheat oven to 350℉. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until warmed through.

What goes well with zesty lime chicken and rice?

Serve with a simple green salad or my Zesty Corn Salad.

 

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be understood as an estimate rather than a guarantee. The Menu Maid makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 493kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 171mg | Sodium: 1498mg | Potassium: 545mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 355IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 2mg

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