Cilantro Lime Chicken Skillet

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Emily Clifton for Honest Cooking
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Ingredients

6-8 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on (about 1 1/2 - 2 pounds)
1tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1/2teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 1/2tablespoons flour
1cup dry white wine
1 1/2tablespoons honey
3tablespoons fresh lime juice
2teaspoons lime zest, finely grated
2cups chicken broth
4 scallions, sliced, white and green parts separated
4-5tablespoons cilantro, stems removed, chopped, plus more for garnish (about one large bunch total)
1 lime, sliced for garnish

Instructions

TIPS:

-Don’t wash your chicken! Just use a clean cutting board, dry it well on paper towels, and cook it to the proper temperature 165F.

-Take the chicken out of the refrigerator about 20 minutes before you plan to cook it. It will cook more evenly (this is true for any meat).

-A cast iron pan is perfect for this recipe because it browns beautifully and can go in the oven. Just make sure it’s well seasoned.

-I think chicken cooked on the bone has more flavor, but you could substitute skinless, boneless breasts or thighs. If using breasts, be careful not to overcook them, or they’ll be dry.

-For a gluten free version, just leave out the flour. The sauce won’t be quite as thick, but the flavor will be identical.

THE STEP-BY-STEP:

  1. Preheat your oven to 375F.
  2. Pat the chicken thighs dry, and season each thigh on both sides with cumin, salt and pepper.
  3. Pre-heat a heavy-bottomed skillet or dutch oven on medium-high for a minute or so and then add the oil. Add the thighs, skin-side down and cook until deeply browned (5-7 minutes). Don’t crowd the pan, work in batches if necessary. Turn and brown other side (3-5 minutes). Remove thighs to a plate and set them aside,
  4. Lower the heat and if there’s a lot of oil, remove most of it, leaving about a tablespoon and a half. Add flour, garlic and sliced white scallion bottoms. Stir well to coat the flour in oil and cook for 2-3 minutes. Whisk in the wine and let it simmer for 3 minutes while scraping up any brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the broth, honey, lime juice, lime zest and half the cilantro and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken, skin-side up and place it, uncovered, into the oven. Cook for 35-40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through (165º F / 74º C on an instant read thermometer). Garnish with sliced limes, the remaining cilantro and green scallion tops.
  5. Serve with rice, potatoes or lots of crusty bread for sopping up the sauce.

Cilantro-Lime Chicken

Emily Clifton

This recipe from Nerds with Knives for Honest Cooking was reprinted with permission. It originally appeared as Cilantro-Lime Chicken.