Meet the dinner recipe that's become a member of our family. Garlic Lime Chicken Breasts are packed with flavor thanks to a simple spice rub and a sauce made from pan juices, fresh lime juice and a bit of broth. Serve with couscous, a green vegetable or mashed sweet potatoes.

Garlic Lime Chicken Recipe

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Meet the recipe that's like a fourth member of our family.

Recipes come and go like the wind, fall in and out of favor with you and your family but really reliable, delicious recipes, like the one I'm about to share with you for Garlic Lime Chicken, last forever.

This Garlic Lime Chicken should be called magic chicken because everyone who tries it loves it.

My husband calls it the best chicken he's ever eaten in his life. 

I always have to make extra so there are leftovers for him to take in his lunch.

I got the recipe over 16 years ago from a now defunct cooking column in the newspaper where I work.

When my son was a baby (17 years ago!) and I was balancing a career and life as a new mom, I relied on this recipe at least a couple times a month.

I knew this dish would going to turn out every time I made it and it was fast and easy.

How to Make Garlic Lime Chicken in a Skillet

This is a great recipe for new cooks.

• All you do is thaw out the chicken breasts, make a spice rub, which you'll sprinkle on each side of the chicken and cook them in a skillet with a bit of canola oil and butter.
• Once the chicken is done cooking, you'll remove the chicken from the skillet and put on a plate or platter to rest.
• Then you'll make a sauce with chicken broth, fresh lime juice and the spices and butter left in the skillet.
• Bring to a boil and cook for about five minutes until the sauce thickens.

We like a good amount of spice so I usually double the rub mixture.

If I'm cooking enough to have leftovers, I quadruple the rub.

You mix about five spices plus salt and pepper to make the rub.

If you don't have a fully stocked spice drawer/cabinet/pantry yet, see this post about purchasing spices.

I usually serve Garlic Lime Chicken with roasted sweet potatoes or sweet potato heaven or garlic mashed potatoes and a salad. Sweet potatoes are best though.

Tell me your favorite chicken recipe. Feel free to share a link.

Yield: 4

Garlic Lime Chicken

Print

Garlic Lime Chicken Breasts are packed with flavor thanks to a simple spice rub and a sauce made from pan juices, fresh lime juice and a bit of broth. Serve with couscous, a green vegetable or mashed sweet potatoes.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• Rub
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt or sea salt
• 1-½ teaspoons ground pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground paprika (smoked preferably)
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 Tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
• 4 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• ½ cup chicken broth

Instructions

1. Mix spices together in a small bowl. Sprinkle a bit of the mixture on each side of the chicken breast and rub in.
2. Heat butter and oil in a skillet over medium heat.
3. Saute chicken in a skillet over low to medium heat until golden brown about 5 to 7 minutes each side until juices run clear. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the chicken breasts.
4. Remove chicken once cooked and set aside in a bowl or a plate.
5. Add lime juice and chicken broth to the pan and turn heat up to high until the liquid starts boiling. Meanwhile scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cook the sauce until it's thicker and has reduced slightly.
6. Return chicken to the pan and cook two to three more minutes until chicken is thoroughly coated with sauce.
7. Serve.
8. Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This dish freezes well. Wrap well in a freezer-safe container for up to a month.

Recommended Products

This post and/or recipe may contain affiliate links, which means if you click through and make a purchase, I'll earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See Disclosure policy.

• 
  Zwilling J.A. Henckels 30070-103 4&quot Paring Knife
• 
  Spring Chef Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Metal Measuring Spoons for Dry or Liquid, Fits in Spice Jar, Set of 6
• 
  Cuisinart 622-36H Chef's Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 14-Inch Open Skillet with Helper Handle, Black

Nutrition Information

Yield 6 Serving Size 1 Servings
Amount Per Serving Calories 283Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 113mgSodium 714mgCarbohydrates 3gFiber 1gSugar 0gProtein 38g

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