The secret to successfully sticking to a low carb diet such as the 17 Day Diet, is all about keeping your flavor game strong!

Constantly eating the same chicken seasoned with salt and pepper can be drag, so it’s time to switch it up with new flavors with this Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken recipe.

With the warmer weather means more Summer BBG grilling recipes are to be had, so this recipe is perfect.  Even when the weather isn’t so warm, you can still grill your chicken, even if it’s with your indoor grill.

I was browsing Instagram recently and happened to find this lovely recipe – it’s a great combination of lime, cilantro and the spiciness of jalapeño. I made a few minor edits to the recipe to make it easier to make.

Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken Ingredients

If you’ve followed my blog for some time, you’ll know that I love a simple recipe with few ingredients. It’s all about the combination that makes a huge impact on flavor. Here are a few of the key ingredients.

Lime Juice

The lime juice in this recipe brings out the freshness, plus it’s great paired with cilantro. A great marinade needs an acidic element and lime juice is perfect!

It’s sometimes difficult to get enough lime juice out of a lime – I usually roll the lime several times on the counter to loosen it up. 

While I’ve never tried this technique, I hear putting a lime in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds will do the trick as well.

If you don’t want to chance it with fresh limes, you can use the bottled variety instead.

If you do use fresh limes, consider using the zest as well to give it an extra zing!

Garlic

Garlic is another ingredient in this recipe that is a must-have! Garlic, when cooked or grilled, is a perfect addition with a hint of sweetness.

I love using garlic in almost all of my cooking. This recipe calls for one clove, but honestly, I love using more!

If you’re like me, use already minced garlic from a jar if you want to save a bit of time.

Jalapeños 

Jalapeños are optional in this recipe, but they also have a wonderful flavor. 

If you like a bit of heat to your dish, keep a few of the seeds in your marinade. If you’re not a fan, leave them out! 

Jalapeños have been known to be great for weight loss – there are compounds found in jalapeños and other types of peppers to help boost metabolism.

Cilantro

I saved the best ingredient for last – cilantro!

Cilantro is a detoxifying herb as it helps get rid of heavy metals in the body. 

This herb is one of those special ones – you either love it or hate it. There seems to be no in between on this!

I’m totally in love with cilantro. It’s a shame that my partner cannot eat it! If it gets near him, his gag reflex kicks in. OK, that’s TMI (I have the same issue with raw onions…ewww!).

So with him not able to eat cilantro, we don’t have it in our house much, if at all. I usually have to visit my parents in Arizona in order to enjoy it! LOL

Is Cilantro Approved for the 17 Day Diet?

A quick note about cilantro and the 17 Day Diet.

You’ll notice this awesome herb is not on the 17 Day Diet Cycle 1 food list. It’s actually listed under Cycle 3.

I’m not sure why this is the case, but like I mention earlier, cilantro is a great detoxifying herb and adds such freshness to any dish.

If you’re making this dish for Cycle 1, I’d go ahead and use cilantro.

Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken Kebabs

You don’t have to grill the entire chicken breast, especially if you’re feeding a crowd and want your chicken to go further without having to make more food.

Prior to marinating the chicken, cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces and then add to your marinade ingredients.

You can go a step further and add vegetables to your kebabs. Additions such as whole or sliced mushrooms, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes or small canned potatoes will feed a huge crowd. 

Your cook time will likely be less since your pieces are smaller.

Different Ways to Serve Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken

I get it – sometimes seeing another piece of chicken on the dinner table is enough to make you or your family gag! Even if you’ve used different seasoning.

If you want to switch it up and serve this chicken with something other than your favorite veggies, here are a few different ideas on how to serve this recipe:

• Shred the chicken and serve in Cauliflower Tortillas
• Shred the chicken and serve as a salad topper – consider using my fruit salsa recipe
• Shred the chicken and serve in lettuce wraps
• Shred the chicken and serve it on top of my Cauliflower Nachos

My Favorite Low Carb Mexican Recipes

If you’re a Mexican food lover like me and enjoy this Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken recipe, you might want to try these other recipes:

• Chicken with Mexican Dry Rub and Fruit Salsa
• Chicken Fajitas
• One Skillet Chicken Taco Casserole
• Green Chili Chicken Enchilada with Cauliflower
• Mexican Beef Taco Lettuce Wraps
• Chicken Enchilada Soup (Slow Cooker)
• Cauliflower Nachos
• Turkey Cilantro Enchilada Soup
• Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken
• Cauliflower Tortillas
• Slow Cooker Mexican Cilantro Chicken 
• Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas
• Christine’s Mexican Turkey Chili
• Mexican Lime Chicken

Other Low Carb Recipes for the Grill

If you enjoy this recipe, consider trying out these others that are perfect for grilling weather:

• Grilled Lemon Sriracha Shrimp
• Tahini Chicken Skewers
• Chimichurri Steak Kabobs
• Greek Souvlaki With Yogurt Sauce
• Grilled Pesto Chicken and Tomato Kebabs
• Chicken Caesar Kebabs
• Bang Bang Chicken Kebabs
• Chicken or Beef Skewers (Peruvian Anticuchos)

Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken Recipe

Regardless if you grill the chicken breasts or convert this recipe to kebabs, it’s going to be a family favorite. I made a few minor edits to the original recipe. If you decide to make this dish, I’d love for you to come back and give it a review in the recipe card below.

If you’re on social media, tag me at @17ddblog and show me your creation! Enjoy!

You can view my original post on Instagram and follow the original recipe creator on Instagram.