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Tender and juicy seasoned and pan seared chicken thighs slow cook with a flavorful and light cilantro lime sauce. This meal is packed with flavor and absolutely delicious! 
Happy New year! Can you believe how fast 2015 came and went? Have you set some New Year’s Resolutions? I always love a new year and a fresh clean start to make goals for the upcoming year. This year a huge goal of mine is to be better organized and stick to a schedule. Sometimes balancing family life and working on the blog can be tricky. I know that if I can better organize the blog and behind the scenes it will make my family life a whole lot easier. Especially because I love spending all of my free time with my family!
Of course I want to continue with my healthy eating goals and weight loss journey. And I don’t know about you guys but I am totally ready for some SAVORY recipes! I have had just about enough treats from the holidays and I am so excited to get back on track with my better eating habits. So what better way to start than with this easy and full of flavor savory recipe today!
This Creamy Cilantro Lime Chicken is the bomb dot com. It requires just minimal ingredients but is light and packed with flavor. I decided to use boneless and skinless chicken thighs this time around. They were so juicy and tender by the time that they were finished cooking.
Pan searing the chicken with the spices is just one extra step and so worth it. It takes only a few minutes. It seals in the flavor and creates a crisp edge while the inside of the chicken is tender and juicy. You throw it in the slow cooker with just a few ingredients and let is slow cook to perfection!
I served the chicken over rice with the creamy cilantro lime sauce drizzled on top. You guys. The flavor is seriously incredible! It became an instant favorite with the first bite. Especially because I love cilantro! The chicken was amazing and everything about this simple and light dish was incredible!
I know you guys are going to love this one too!
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Slow Cooker Creamy Cilantro Lime Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs*
- 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 Tablespoons cilantro chopped
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water
Instructions
- Heat a skillet to medium high heat and add olive oil. In a shallow bowl combine chili powder, cumin, paprika, and pepper. Rub the seasoning into the chicken on each side. Pan sear in the hot oil until each side is brown. Transfer chicken to slow cooker.
- Add the chicken broth and lime juice and cook on low for 5-6 hours or high 3-4 hours. Right before the chicken is done, carefully remove the chicken and add heavy cream, cilantro, and cornstarch and water and mix well. Add the chicken back to the slow cooker and continue to cook until sauce starts to thicken about 15-20 minutes.
- Serve over rice, or quinoa and garnish with additional fresh cilantro.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Really tasty! I doctored it up a bit by adding a tablespoon of red curry paste and a teaspoon of salt after adding the cream and cornstarch. About 3 hrs into cooking time, added cubed sweet potato and carrot, as well as a finely minced jalapeño for some heat. Served over brown rice and I’m sure it’ll be just as tasty tomorrow!
Really good, made this tonight & I’m assuming the leftovers tomorrow will be even better. I used a combo of of boneless skinless chicken thighs & regular chicken thighs. I did decrease the amount of chicken broth to ~1.5c, added a little extra lime juice & doubled the cornstarch/water mix. I held off on adding cilantro until serving. I felt this was definitely lime-y enough. Even with doubling the cornstarch/water combo & decreasing the amount of broth, still felt the sauce could have been a bit thicker, but it definitely wasn’t watery and had such a great flavor. The chicken was super tender, fell off the bones. Served over brown rice with a side salad. Easy, not too much prep work. Will definitely add to our rotation!
I converted this amazing recipe to the instant pot, and it was to die for!!!
Sautéed the thighs right in the pot, then added the broth and lime juice to remove the brown yummy bits! Added chicken back and manually cooked on high for 9 mins. Then did 10 min natural release.
Took chicken out and added cream and cilantro. I did double the cornstarch and water also. Added chicken back and sautéed on low for about 5-10 mins til thickened.
Served the chicken and sauce over brown jasmine rice…. DELICIOUS 😋
I was looking for something to do with pork tenderloin – and I am on whole30 round. I am going to try this with coconut cream and a compliant starch for thickening!
Hello, could I use pork instead of chicken and if so what cut?
Looks delicious!
Could this be made in an instant pot???
I have not made this into an instant pot recipe but that sounds like a great idea! Let me know how it worked for you!
Tasted good until I served it over quinoa. HORRID combination! Stick with rice.
This recipe is amazing! I serve it with herbed basmati rice, grilled butter tortillas and a dash of hot sauce! Thank you!! ❤️?