CILANTRO LIME CHICKEN – Bake or Grill
About 2 lbs chicken, more or less (I recommend dark meat WITH skin & bone, for more flavor ~ especially thighs and/or drumsticks, or full leg quarters)
About 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
About 1/4 cup lime juice (fresh or bottle)
2 tsp. garlic, chopped or minced………....1 tsp. cumin
1 TB extra-virgin olive oil…………………1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. Kosher salt…………………………..1/2 tsp. pepper
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Put all of the above ingredient into a big zip-top baggie and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or can be up to overnight). (TIP: I sometimes buy large bags of chicken parts and separate them into smaller bags to freeze ~ you can add this marinade to the smaller bags before you freeze them, so they’ll start marinating as they thaw out later)
To BAKE: Preheat oven to 375. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick baking spray. Put the marinated chicken pieces (flat side UP) on the baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes (this time is for thighs & quarter legs ~ drumsticks are LESS time). Then flip them over and bake for another 20-25 minutes until they’re fully cooked (brown & crisp on top).
To GRILL: Preheat grill on medium-high (450-500 degrees F) and rub with oiled paper towel. Put chicken on, close lid and grill about 8-10 minutes (turning once.) ~ depends how dark you like it! Discard marinade.
For both methods: Make sure you let chicken rest. Remove from heat and cover dish with tin foil. Let rest for 5 minutes. This helps juices to settle back into the meat and keep it juicy.