I’m always on the lookout for quick and easy recipes for chicken breast, so I was mighty happy when a reader left this comment on my post for grilled Mustard Lime Chicken:
Fantastic chicken! Our son was just diagnosed with Celiac Disease about one month ago, and I have to tell you that your recipes have been such a help. We all loved the chicken, and I ended up baking it at 350 until it was cooked (25-30 minutes) since it rained the day I made it and couldn’t use the grill- flavor was still excellent! Thank you!
–Ana
This recipe for chicken breast is full of flavorful lime and cilantro, and when you bake it (rather than grilling) the flavors have a chance to entirely infuse the dish. Thanks for this excellent suggestion Ana!
I don’t know if your children will like this easy chicken dish; I can tell you that mine gobble it up every time I make it. If you’re looking for healthy recipes for dinner, look no further, this chicken is it.
- 1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast
- ½ cup fresh lime juice
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- Combine lime juice, cilantro, mustard, olive oil, chili, salt and pepper in a food processor
- Pulse until ingredients are well combined
- Rinse chicken breasts, pat dry and place in a 7 x 11 inch baking dish
- Pour marinade over chicken, cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 6 hours
- Bake at 350° for 22 minutes uncovered, or until an instant read thermometer reads 165°
- Serve with extra sauce spooned over top
Healthy chicken recipes are a dinnertime staple in our house. Some of my other favorites include:
On another note, spring is here. It is 70 degrees today in Boulder and my garden is exploding with color (and flavor). The rhubarb plants are coming up, bulbs are blooming and the lettuce and kale in my cold frame are going wild.
I’m thinking of making a Paleo strawberry rhubarb crisp for Easter this year. Are you getting in the spring mood? If so, what do you like to cook when it gets warmer outside?
MARITZA RAMOS says
Thank you so much for ALL the great recipes! I didn’t know what to eat anymore, since I now seem to be sensitive to gluten. I also suffer from acid re-flux, so eating can be painful. I was so happy when I found your web-site, thank you ! Thank you for your easy recipes!
Elana says
You’re welcome Maritza!
Karla Bennett says
Hello,
Would you provide the nutritional information for the Baked Mustard Lime Chicken recipe, please?
Thanks!
Elana says
Hi Karla, for more information on nutrition please go here:
https://elanaspantry.com/nutrition-information/
Elana
Josh Christofferson says
This is easily my favorite chicken breast recipe. I was really surprised that the lime and mustard worked together so well. I substituted the cilantro for 1 tsp basil and 1 tsp parsley since I didn’t have any cilantro. Still came out great.
Elana says
So glad you liked it Josh!
Cathy says
I made this tonight. It was a big hit with the family!
Jennifer says
What a fantastic recipe – thank you! I reduced the lime juice to about 3/4 of the recommended amount and added about 10 drops of liquid stevia. I didn’t have chile powder, so I used mostly smoked paprika, with a bit of chipotle. I marinated chicken tenders and then fried them in a pan. Served with cauliflower rice. The flavor of the chicken was really, really good. This will definitely be a recipe that I’ll make again.
Elana says
So glad you enjoyed this recipe Jennifer :-)
Felicia says
Omg i love this recipe i followed recipe except i only juiced 3 limes and baked for 20 min uncovered and then another 25 min covered i layed chicken on a bed of spinache and served with a side of mashed sweet potato … i used McCormick chili powder 1tbsp not spicy at all but i love spicy food so thats my opinion and taste buds … I highly recommend this easy and super delish meal for anytime of the year i will be incorporating this in my menu at home … THANK YOU Gracias for posting this recipe.
De parte de Felicia Jose
Elana says
Felicia, so glad you like it and thanks for your lovely comment!
Kim says
Like some others, I found the marinade to be much too tart as the recipe is written. I read the reviews and liked the suggestion of adding some honey to balance out the lime juice. That was a perfect addition! I also baked the chicken much longer than 20 minutes – closer to 40. Making these two slight adjustments made for a really tasty dish which I will make in the future. My husband and I both really liked the balance of the sweet and sour with the honey, mustard, and lime combination. I served this on a bed of riced cauliflower.
Donna says
I can’t wait to try this recipe, we love mustard and I’ve tried it with steak along time ago and I twas awesome
Zach says
It was good but I ate twice that there is no way it serves four
Jenny says
Amazing recipe! I thought you’d like to know that I made this exactly as written, except that I put each chicken breast in a separate foil dish, divided the sauce equally amongst them, and added some frozen cauliflower to each dish. Then I froze them, uncooked. Voila! Whole30 individual freezer meals. I just bake it in my toaster oven straight from the freezer until the chicken is fully cooked. My kids smelled it cooking and want to try it, so I’ll make enough for the whole family next time. Thank you!
Natasha Crasto says
Tried this recipe for the first time. Absolutely delicious. Has got some strong flavours of mustard and lime so recommend eating with plain rice and stir fry vegetables. Excellent combination. I enjoyed my lunch today :) Thank you.
Karis says
So I’m curious what brand you now recommend for any of your recipes that have Dijon Mustard in them. We cannot have yeast, so any mustard with vinegar in it is a big no-no. The one you had recommended previously had apple cider vinegar in it, so that would have worked, but apparently they are out of business. Any other suggestions?
Claire says
Just stumbled upon this and wanted to let you know that Whole Foods 365 brand’s Dijon is made with ACV!
Mary says
This was really sour. Cut the dijon and lime down and it would taste better.
aejae212 says
This recipe was out of sight. So, so, so good. Served it with black beans and toasted tortillas with a little queso fresco on the side to mitigate the tartness of the lime. After the chicken finished cooking, I removed it from the pan, and reduced the remaining sauce over the stove for 5 minutes. Sliced the chicken and poured the sauce over it…HEAVEN…
Aimee says
We did not like this at all. The lime was too much and although I only put one teaspoon of chili powder, it was still super hot. The sauce was just toooo strong for us.
Meghan says
Do you think this would taste drastically different with yellow mustard vs. Dijon? I have all the ingredients except the Dijon mustard. Thanks!
Jennifer says
after 18 minutes the chicken is still raw. just an FYI. More like 25 minutes to bake.
Tavy says
I made this for dinner last night…. FABULOUS! I’m going to try the marinade on a pork loin next.
Paru says
This is such a fantastic recipe! I added a tsp of garlic and a tbsp of sweet chilli sauce to the marinade.
It looked just like the picture…I was thrilled and so were my hubby and son!
Thank you for sharing!
Caroline Kaiser says
This is an easy dinner, which is a blessing for anyone with health challenges, but the cooking time seems way off to me. After 20 minutes at 350 degrees, the chicken was definitely undercooked (I used a pound of skinless boneless thighs, not breasts, as this was what I had on hand). I raised the temperature to 375 after the first 20 minutes and let it cook an additional 20 minutes, and by then it was done. I like the overall flavour but felt a bit overwhelmed by the lime–I will probably go with 1/4 cup next time.
Wendy Wright says
Firstly… I LOVE your website and your facebook posts!
I tried this recipe (Baked Mustard Lime Chicken) for the first time tonight. I used chicken thighs… and could only marinate for 10 minutes…WOW! Incredible taste! Can’t wait to try it again. My husband (who does not enjoy the taste of cilantro) raved about it! Thanks for sharing.
Grace Chao says
This chicken dish was delicious. My two daughters (10 & 13) and husband raved about it; the girls are picky eaters. When I told them about your website, they asked me to print out more recipes & to post a thank you. So, thank you so much.
Candice says
Hello,
My family and I don’t eat cilantro. What can I use to substitute the cilantro?
Racheal @ Running with Racheal says
Made this last night for dinner – so good! I love that I can make it before I got to work, and when I get home, dinner is practically ready!
Husband and toddler approved. Followed recipe exactly and served with brown rice and asparagus.
Thanks for a great recipe!
Ashley says
Just tried the sauce on salmon. I was afraid the mustard would be overpowering but that wasn’t the case. Really enjoyed it!
Natalie says
I tried this recipe tonight, but after twenty minutes the chicken was still completely raw. Any suggestions on what the problem is?
Racheal @ Running with Racheal says
This happened to me too, I had to up to temp to 400 and bake for twice as long. It still came out great!
Pastor Chuck Smith says
Thanks Elana for the great recipe. I was a real hit with the family. The only change I made was since my wife and daughter are not crazy about spicy food, I left out the Chili powder. They both agreed that it would probably be okay to try it with the Chili powder next time. Thanks again.
Oge | healthy food delivery says
Thank you Elena! I am always on the lookout for healthy quick meals that are both kid and adult friendly. And this recipe is perfect for that.
Laura says
This chicken was so good!!! I used smoked paprika for the chili powder and it gave it a smoky flavor that was delicious. I also grilled my chicken on the BBQ since my apt was 90 degrees today and I didn’t want to turn on the oven. I marinated my chicken for 30 minutes and next time I will marinate it overnight. :)
Thank you for the super yummy recipe!!
Jen Mason says
Ok Elana, you rock! I just discover your website and tried this chicken dish. It was so tasty, juicy and easy to make. My 7 yr old told me if I entered a chicken cooking competition I would win! LOL Needless to say I will be making this dish again and again. I served it with your recipe for mashed cauliflower which was also a big hit! Thanks again!
Pro Gait Analysis says
Very excited to try your recipe Elana! It looks beautiful!
Sara says
Yum! I’ve made this twice this month. Today with whole chicken pieces.
Kelly D. says
OMW – YUM! I made this tonight and it was AWESOME! My husband LOVED it and asked that I make sure to keep this recipe on hand. My 4 year old liked it too. No leftovers at this house! I didn’t have enough lime juice for the 1/2 cup so I used what I did have and added lemon juice. I only used 1 Tsp of chili powder which I could still taste without it being hot. I just mixed it all with a spoon instead of dirtying my food processor. Served with broccoli and cauliflower. Thanks for the great recipe!
Christie says
This recipe was AMAZING!!
kelly says
For those who have tried this recipe, I’m wondering if it is spicy? I have a sensitive stomach and always shy away from recipes with Chile powder. Would leaving that ingredient out make the chicken too bland? Any thoughts appreciated :)
Shannon says
We tried this tonight. It was pretty good. We would definetly make this again with no changes to the recipe. I would love to see more paleo or low carb recipes. Thanks fo all the other healthy and taste options on your blog too.
Susan grout says
Fabulous website and recipes! Literally saved my life! Had severe candida infection. Changed my diet and am a new person! God bless!
a says
Some limes have a lot stronger flavour than others, this may have been the case with yours :-)
heather says
for me, this was just way too tart. way too much lime, in my opinion. i ended up having to dump half a bottle of honey into the marinade to balance the flavors and it ended up tasting pretty okay after that!
amy says
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!!!!!! My kids chowed down. Wonderful flavor.
Blakeley says
My whole family loved this chicken last night. My 3 year old usually avoids meat and she devoured it. I will be putting this into a regular rotation for dinner. Thanks!
Jess says
INCREDIBLE!!!
I made this with lemon instead, and added more cilantro. It was soooooo tasty! I think the leftovers (cooked extra on purpose) will be even better after the flavors mingle a little and really bond with the chicken. Thank you!
shannon tanner says
This was delicious – I made it last night and got rave reviews. Thanks for the great recipe.
Susan says
When I first made the marinade and tasted it..wow was it strong! Is that normal? Does the bitterness flavor die down a bit once it bakes ?
Tara says
I wanted to let the folks with a citrus allergy know about some substitutes we use in our home – tamarind or sourkraut! For this recipe I blended up some sourkraut and it’s liquid and it came out really great! We also omitted the chili pepper as my son is very sensitive to nightshades. Thanks for your wonderful recipes and blog Elena!
Carla @ Gluten Free Recipe Box says
This is a must cook! The sauce looks a bit creamy, therefore, I kept searching the ingredients list for a starch, flour, or thickener of some sort, and found none. I’m allergic to citrus, but perhaps I can use a bit of vinegar and a sweetener of some sort. Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful recipe, Elena!
Mookaitflame says
This is a favorite of mine and tonight I marinated salmon. It was just delicious. Because the lime juice “cooks” the fish I only marinated it for under an hour.
Add the lime juice a little at a time to the rest of the ingredients and taste as you go. I loved it, but my fish had a strong citrus flavour.
daniela says
i love everything about your recipes. This dish was amazing and I can’t wait to make it again. I just wish the recipes would say how many caloris per serving it has.
Lisa @ Snappy Gourmet says
Looks like an easy and delicious meal! Yum!
Abigail Brown says
I used this also with pork and loved it
Tonya says
I was disappointed with this dish. The flavors seemed unbalanced…way too much lime in my opinion. I even pulled the recipe up after we finished eating to see if perhaps i had accidentally misread it and added too much lime juice.
Lindsey says
I made this for dinner last night, and it was fantastic! The chicken was so moist, and the recipe couldn’t have been easier to follow. Thank you! And thank you for such a wonderful site!
Sinead says
I can’t find Cilantro in my local stores (in Ireland). Wondering would you recommend any other alternative?
Thanks :)
Amy says
Cilantro is coriander dear
Glenda says
My husband is allergic to Cilantro. What. Can I use Instead
Mookaitflame says
You could try mint.
Sam Dyer says
That looks absolutely delish – this is going on my “cook soon” list. I love Chicken … a real plate licker! :)
Laura C says
Elana- I just watched an amazing video on gluten that blows away all the old misconceptions that gluten is just in wheat, rye and barley. Totally supports a grain free diet for gluten sensitive people. I have been GF for years and found out a ton of information I did not know. Here is the link since I think you and your loyal (and intelligent) readers will find this fascinating. (I have no connection to the site – just loved it.)
http://www.orthomolecularproducts.com/MediaCenter.aspx?cid=1fbbe134-62d2-49c0-af16-833740afe25e
AnnieBee says
I made this tonight and it was super yummy.
I used my immersion blender, rather than a food processor.
This made it quick and made the clean-up quick!
Thanks for sharing your delicious recipes!
Kathleen says
Tried this Saturday night and it’s fabulous!
I’ve been making meals for my elderly in-laws. Last night I gave them the marinade in one bag and chicken in another with directions to combine in a glass baking dish plus your marinating/baking instructions. They were able to enjoy that yummy citrusy smell as it baked.
Chrissy says
A Paleo strawberry rhubarb crisp sounds incredible! I love rhubarb pie! Once I get some cilantro, I’m def making this chicken.
Lisa Stafford says
I made this for my family for lunch today after letting it marinade in the fridge for several hours. The chicken was so moist and the flavors so intense. My family ate it and I really loved it. Thank you. It turns out well using chicken on the bone with skin!
Ana says
This is marinating in my fridge as I type. And I want to say thank you so much for helping me eat healthier. I made your Gluten free candy bars and took them as a dessert to a friends going away party and they were a hit. I made my first paleo thanksgiving this year and have been trying to eat Paleo and healthier. I am more aware because of you and your website. THANK YOU ELANA xoxo!
Wendy Bussell says
Oh my goodness! This is such a great idea. That is the way to impart flavor in my book.
As it warms up here in North Texas I find myself not wanting to cook at all. Or if I do, I try to get it fixed up in the morning hours then we eat a cold or warmed up supper. Which is good on many counts as the bulk of the dishes are already done as well. But as for what we eat in a pinch…salads, breads, cheeses. Maybe eggs and bacon. Almost anything that can get fixed without turning on the oven. Just found Realfoodforager.com and will be making their scd friendly matzo. Yay! They will go great with salads.
Anastasia@healthymamainfo.com says
Sounds good, but since I and my family are vegetarians I’ll have to substitute chicken with tofu. Hopefully it’ll taste great also.
Kalyn says
Really sounds great to me!
Laura Dwight says
Just a word of caution on the chili powder. Our version of this dish was inedibly hot due to the hotness of our chili powder, but we could tell the recipe had the potential to be delicious. If your chili powder is particularly hot, use 1 tsp, not a tablespoon!
Tracy says
what kind of chili powder did you use? I have McCormick. Just curious, don’t want a flop:) Tracy
Mara says
This looks really good. Thank you for posting it. We are having a cookout tomorrow so I will be throwing these on the grill. Yum!
Debbie says
What kind of chili powder do you use? This looks great! Why don’t you use sorghum flour? (Very new to this, have been SCD and just wanted to try something other than almond flour).
Lisa Stafford says
Elana used to be SCD in the beginning and got well. She likes almond flour because it is lower on the glycemic index than other gluten free flours and is starch free and Paleo.
We were on SCD for 6 months and found Elana during that time. I love her recipes. When they call for Agave, Honey may be easily substituted.
Pamela Peterson says
I just bought all these ingredients for a crockpot dish. but this sounds much better. Just found your blog and signed up to follow it because I am intrested in the paleo diet. Also I have some gluten free recipes you might be intrested like Coconut Mocha Blackbean Brownies at inkspiring19.com.
HomeCookedHealthy says
This recipe sounds fantastic! Love the ease of making the chicken plus the punch of mustard and lime together will be great. What a good idea. This would be SO good shredded and placed on my simple taco salad instead of beef – YUM!
Also working on Easter dishes. Like the idea of the crisp too – these are always a winner at my house. I’m working on an organic, gluten-free & sugar-free carrot cake (or cupcakes). These have been a big hit and can’t wait to share them. Angela
Dawna says
Wow! I never thought about doing this on the grill!
I make almost the same recipe with smaller marinade proportions (with the addition of a few shakes of spicy “Mrs. Dash) as a chicken breast & asparagus stir fry at least once a week as a quick & easy lunch!
Cut fresh thinner asparagus stalks into one inch chunks, toss into a small non-stick skillet with 1/3 to 1/2 cup of water. “Rapid simmer” until water is almost gone & asparagus approaches bright green, usually about 4 minutes. Add to pan the sliced raw chicken breast, stirring until almost done. Skip the food processor (one less thing to wash), and add the rest of the ingredients into the pan. Stir until chicken has finished cooking. Sauce will be heated through & bubbly.
Adding 1/3 to 1/2 cup of fresh diced tomatoes at the same time as the sauce ingredients takes it to another delicious level. The tomatoes soften just enough to release their juice, but retain their form. I’ve also found, depending on the Dijon mustard (I’m a Maille fan) I can skip the salt.
Can’t wait to try this on the grill this weekend.
Priyanka says
Wow thats looks so yummy. Thats a great flavour of combination.
SherriS. says
This sounds delish! I will definitely give this a try on the grill since it seems like Spring wants to stay (80’s in Va today).
Jainnie says
I saw this in my email today and made it for our dinner tonight! It was fantastic! I didn’t have chicken breasts, so I used thighs. I also didn’t have cilantro…but that’s okay because I’m not the biggest fan. I used Penzey’s Chili 9000 powder. What a superb recipe! I’ll definitely be making this again! Thanks!
Jill Mant~a SaucyCook says
I am not gluten free but I am flavor on and this dish sounds like it delivers big time in the flava department! Guess what we’re grilling tonight!!! Thanks!
Amy@FashioningHearts says
I’ve been gluten/dairy/soy free for almost a year now and recently added in sugar/free. I have gotten several favorite recipes from your blog. Your almond butter brownies were my first discovery and a lifesaver in those first few months of adjusting.
Tonight, my family was eating meatloaf (with bread and milk in the ingredients), fresh homemade bread, and noodles. These are the nights when I remember just before dinner that I can’t eat any of it. I stuck the meatloaf into the oven and sat down to find that you had a new post.
I was too lazy to get out my blender and measure, but I mixed some lemon juice (didn’t have lime), dijon mustard and seasonings, poked holes in my chicken, poured it over top and baked it. It was delicious. Thanks for sharing your lovely recipes!
Amy
Heather says
I know what you mean…I love spring! My favorite things right now to cook for spring have been roasted asparagus, and as part of my sweet tooth, my new favorite has been raspberry lemon bars…I think citrus anything speaks “spring” :)
arun says
i have tried this one but i used tamarind and lemon both but it was delicious too
Julia says
I am excited to try this soon. It looks just amazing in the photo. Your recipes and cookbook have been a staple in my kitchen for years now, but only recently did I discover that gluten causes a few unfortunate symptoms for me. I am now entirely gluten-free. Your everyday dinner recipes are quite helpful! Now I can breathe easy, and sleep well at night, all while still eating healthy balanced meals. Thanks Elana!