This chicken is best cooked in an a cast iron skillet. Don’t worry, its a total myth that you can’t cook acidic food (lime, lemon, tomato, etc) in a cast iron skillet. If your skillet is well-seasoned, you should have no problems. But if you are weary about cooking lime juice in your skillet, this recipe easily converts to a sheet pan recipe with no extra steps.
MEAL PREP: Using a meat tenderizer, pound the chicken until thin and uniform in thickness. In a plastic bag, combine the lime juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, 1/4 cup of cilantro, and black pepper. Add the chicken and marinade in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
Ingredients:
- 4 chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped and divided into 1/4 cup portions
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- Olive oil cooking spray
- Black pepper to taste
- Cumin to taste
- 1 oz tequila, optional
- Minute Jasmin Rice cups
Directions:
- Using a meat tenderizer, pound the chicken until thin and uniform in thickness.
- In a plastic bag, combine the lime juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, 1/4 cup of cilantro, and black pepper. Add the chicken and marinade in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Heat a cast iron skillet to medium heat. Coat with olive oil spray.
- Add the chicken and cook on each side until brown. For the last few minutes of cooking, drizzle the tequila over the chicken for a little extra flavor (optional). The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165F.
- Serve alongside 1/2 cup of jasmine rice for women (1 cup for men) and a side salad.
Sheet Pan Variation: Bake on a sheet pan at 400F for 20-25 minutes or until internal temperature reached 165F.
