• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Savory Lotus

simple clean eats + healthy treats

  • About
  • Recipes
  • Healthy Living
  • Resources
  • Safe Skincare
    • BEAUTYCOUNTER
    • PRIMALLY PURE
  • MEAL PLANS

By Katja Heino 18 Comments
Savory Lotus may receive commissions from purchases made through links in this post.

Cilantro Lime Chicken (How to Cook a Whole Chicken on the BBQ)

Jump to Recipe

cilantolimechx

I’m a busy lady, but I like REAL food.  I like to feed my family a wholesome dinner every night.  It’s the only time of day that we all actually sit down with each other and connect.  Even if it is only for 15 minutes, it mean a lot to me.  That being said, I have to stay organized as far as meals go.  I find that if I have a rhythm and a plan, I have less stress around meal times.  That brings me to today’s recipe: Cilantro Lime Chicken.

Screen shot 2013-06-01 at 1.36.28 PM

I cook a whole chicken EVERY week. I will either roast it in the oven (during cool weather) or BBQ it on the grill.  I provides 2 solid meals for our family with a bit of leftover for snacking on or lunches.  The first night, we just eat the chicken with steamed veggies of some sort.  What’s left of the chicken gets turned into either chicken soup (with homemade bone broth) or chicken tacos.

Buying a whole chicken is much more economical than buying already cut up chicken at the store.  Plus, I’m a dark meat girl while my sweetie prefers the breast meat.  I also like to get organic, pasture-raised chickens from a local source, and they are sold as whole chickens.   Organic chickens allowed to graze in their natural environment make for a much healthier and delicious choice.   Finding a local farmer who practices organic and humane ways of raising poultry will help you to avoid harmful antibiotics, GMO feeds, or cruel slaughtering practices.

The first thing to learn in this recipe is how to cut a whole chicken in half.  By cutting the chicken in half, it will make it easier to marinade and will speed up the cooking process.  It is also easier to handle that trying to manage the entire chicken on the BBQ.  See this easy 1 minute tutorial on halving a whole chicken.  My favorite part is when she tells you to save the backbone for broth.  YES!!!

Now on to the recipe.  Your family is going to love this zesty, flavorful chicken…..

To Make Cilantro Lime Chicken:

Once you have your chicken cut in half, make your marinade, and place marinaded chicken in fridge for at least 6-8 hours.  I just do this the night before and am ready to go the next day when it’s time to cook.  The longer it marinades, the better it will be.

Screen shot 2013-06-01 at 1.34.54 PM

To BBQ the chicken, it takes me a little over 1 1/2 hours.  I flip the chicken a few times to ensure that it’s cooked properly and to prevent burning or charring.

Screen shot 2013-06-01 at 1.35.54 PM

Print
clock clock icon cutlery cutlery icon flag flag icon folder folder icon instagram instagram icon pinterest pinterest icon facebook facebook icon print print icon squares squares icon
Cilantro Lime Chicken

Cilantro Lime Chicken

★★★★★ 5 from 4 reviews
  • Author: Katja from the Savory Lotus
Print
Pin

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken, cut in half

FOR MARINADE:

  • 2 TBS ghee (like this) or butter, preferably grass-fed, melted
  • 1 TBS coconut oil (like this), melted
  • 3 TBS fresh lime juice
  • 2 TBS fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 fresh cup cilantro, roughly chopped
  • 4–5 garlic cloves, raw
  • 1 tsp celtic sea salt (I use this one)
  • 1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder (like this)

Instructions

  1. After cutting chicken in half. Make the marinade.
  2. To make marinade: Place all ingredients in a blender and process until well combined like salad dressing
  3. Place halved chicken in a large glass baking dish and pour marinade on top. Turn chicken over a few times to make sure completely coated.
  4. Cover with lid or parchment paper and place in fridge for at least 6-8 hours.

To BBQ chicken:

  1. Preheat BBQ on medium/high heat
  2. Once hot, place chicken halves onto grill skin side down (do not discard leftover marinade in bottom of pan. We will use it in a minute)
  3. Turn grill down to medium heat and allow to cook for 10 minutes with grill open
  4. Flip chicken over, pour leftover marinade over the skin side, close grill, and turn heat down to low (I set mine to almost the lowest setting but not quite.) Let cook for 30 minutes.
  5. Flip chicken again, close lid, and allow to cook for another 30 minutes (be sure grill is still pretty low.)
  6. Flip chicken halves on last time, close grill, and allow to cook for another 20-30 minutes until completely cooked. (if not sure, use meat thermometer to make sure it is at least 165’F)
  7. Transfer to serving plate, and ENJOY!!!

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @savorylotus on Instagram and hashtag it #savorylotus

Click HERE to PIN THIS!

Cilantro Lime Chicken - savorylotus.com

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Filed Under: Main Course, Whole30 Recipes

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Heather H. says

    June 7, 2013 at 6:57 pm

    How long do you roast the chicken in the oven for, if you you cook it that way?

    Reply
    • Katja says

      June 7, 2013 at 9:13 pm

      Heather,
      depends on the size of your chicken. In general, the whole chickens I use are between 3-4 LBS. I roast them at 350′ for around 1 hr and 45 minutes…. basting it every 20-30 minutes. Since this chicken is cut in half, it will probably take less time. Start with an hour and then check every 15-20 minutes. Meat should run clear when cut into. Safe chicken temp is around 165’F. Please let me know how it goes. I haven’t roasted this recipe in the oven yet.

      Reply
  2. jean norris says

    June 7, 2013 at 9:09 pm

    is there another method of cooking other then the bbq

    Reply
    • Katja says

      June 9, 2013 at 3:32 pm

      You could roast it in the oven. I haven’t done that yet with this recipe. I described how I would do it in the comment above. Please let me know if you try it. I use our BBQ to do this, especially in the summer months. Thanks for coming by.

      Reply
  3. Miz Helen says

    June 11, 2013 at 2:23 pm

    Hope you are having a great week and thank you so much for sharing your awesome recipe with Full Plate Thursday.
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  4. Melissa says

    June 14, 2013 at 12:53 pm

    Thanks sharing your recipe! This is the first time I grilled a whole chicken and it turned out FANTASTIC! My husband and I couldn’t stop saying how good it was.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Katja says

      June 15, 2013 at 3:35 am

      Easy, right?? Glad you guys enjoyed it.

      Reply
  5. Miz Helen says

    June 17, 2013 at 3:52 pm

    Congratulations!
    Your recipe is featured on Full Plate Thursday this week. Hope you have a fabulous week and enjoy your new Red Plate.
    Come Back Soon,
    Miz Helen

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  6. Sarah says

    April 25, 2014 at 3:32 pm

    Can’t wait to try this! I think I will roast in oven with this marinade. Sounds amazing!

    Reply
    • Katja says

      April 26, 2014 at 8:21 pm

      I make it in the oven sometimes as well. Enjoy!

      Reply
  7. Kim says

    May 29, 2014 at 6:45 am

    One question…for the cilantro, what do you mean by 1/4? A quarter cup?

    Reply
    • Katja says

      June 1, 2014 at 9:00 am

      YES! 1/4 CUP. I fixed it. Thanks!

      Reply
  8. anna groth says

    June 1, 2014 at 6:18 pm

    Just made this tonight! Absolutely delicious, the chicken was very moist, and the lime and kick of pepper made this recipe a real keeper. It was very simple and I learned how to cut a chicken in half too! Thank you for a great recipe, we will be making this a lot.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Katja says

      June 1, 2014 at 9:41 pm

      Yay! I am so glad that you liked it. I love this recipe. I think I need to make it this week. Love to you all!

      Reply
      • Melody says

        July 4, 2014 at 1:28 pm

        I’m going to try this but will cook in NuWave oven. I usually do all my chicken this way and doesn’t heat up the kitchen during summer. Looks delicious!

        Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hi I’m Katja!

And this is how we do healthy in our family. Just REAL food. Simple. Easy. Gluten free. More about Savory Lotus

Follow Me on Instagram

🍋 🍋 LEMON POPPY SEED DONUTS • when life gi 🍋 🍋 LEMON POPPY SEED DONUTS • when life gives you a bag of lemons, you make the best of it • even though we prioritize healthy eating, there’s room for treats like these • we call it balance 😉 • baking is one of my favorite things to do with my little one👩‍🍳 • we’ve had a year solid of being home, distance learning, + missing being out in the world • baking is one of those small pockets of JOY that brightens our daily life ☀️☀️

🍋 🍋 light and fluffy (gluten and grain free) donuts dipped them in a sweet lemony glaze • the bright lemon flavor kinda adds a bit of sunshine to the day 🍋☀️🍋

🍋 🍋 recipe link in bio (and i linked the donut pan that i use in the post): https://www.savorylotus.com/lemon-poppy-seed-donuts-gluten-free-and-grain-free/
sauerkraut • love it? hate it? • it’s one of sauerkraut • love it? hate it? • it’s one of the easier + most cost effective ways to support your gut • i make it every couple of months • its easy once you understand the basics of fermentation • i have a step by step tutorial if you’re ready to dive in ✨✨

link to tutorial in bio : https://www.savorylotus.com/easy-sauerkraut-recipe/

what you’ll need:
cabbage
salt
1/2 gallon wide mouth mason jar (or you can use 2 wide mouth quart sized jars)
air-tight fermentation lid
🥕🌿🍠 veggie game strong today • crucifer 🥕🌿🍠 veggie game strong today • cruciferous vegetable = superfoods • this + sweet potato rounds + a big cup of bone broth is what’s up for dinner 

collard green
green cabbage
purple cabbage 
carrot 
tons of fresh ginger 

👉 and, yes, not everyone tolerates cruciferous vegetables • i didn’t used too • i’ve done a lot of work on my gut + digestion • and i still prefer them cooked as they are easier to digest • eat slowly • give thanks (gratitude has a positive effect on the nervous system) • chew well (so your body can release all the enzymes needed to digest your food) ❤️• it’s so so important to eat in a relaxed environment so the body can rest + digest • eating while in “hurry” mode leads to indigestion and poor absorption
simple dinner • we eat wild salmon 🐟 once a w simple dinner • we eat wild salmon 🐟 once a week to get in those omega 3s • my favorite way to cook it is to sprinkle with salt + a bit of ghee on top + broil it for 8-9 minutes • so easy + today we added steamed green beans + a cauliflower + romanesco mash • plus tons of olive oil + ghee

to make cauliflower + romanesco mash, add florets from one head of each to a large pot • add in 1 cup of bone broth + sprinkle with a bit of salt • cover with lid • steam florets in broth until tender, adding more broth if bottom runs dry • once florets are very tender, add lots of ghee or butter + salt to taste • purée smooth with an immersion blender • add more broth to make it creamy smooth • so good 💛• don’t forget to add a ghee (or butter) pool when serving 

when we can’t get wild, local salmon, we order from @vitalchoice
Load More... Follow Me!

Follow Me on Pinterest

Don't Miss These!

  • One Bowl Banana Bread (gluten free + grain free)
  • dry heels, cracked heels, how to heal, DIY Easy Home Remedy for Dry Cracked Heels
  • Everyday Gluten Free Bread (dairy free + egg free)
  • Simple Coconut Flour Cake (gluten free, grain free, nut free, paleo) | savorylotus.com Simple Coconut Flour Cake (gluten and grain free, paleo)

Clean Swaps

Clean Swaps

My Cookbook!

My Cookbook!

Footer

Get More Recipes on Pinterest

Visit Savory Lotus' profile on Pinterest.

Get More Recipes on Facebook

The Savory Lotus on Facebook

Stay Connected

Copyright © 2021 Savory Lotus    ·    Affiliate Disclosure     Disclaimer     Privacy Policy     Terms of Service