Cilantro Lime Chicken Drumsticks

These Cilantro Lime Chicken Drumsticks are so delicious! The combination of fresh cilantro, zesty lime, and warm spices infuses the chicken with incredible flavor.

This versatile chicken marinade is perfect for summer grilling or a quick and easy weeknight Instant Pot dinner. It’s one of my favorite recipes because it uses simple ingredients that I usually have on hand.

This crowd-pleasing dish is sure to be a hit with adults and kids alike. It’s a great recipe for burrito bowls, chicken tacos, or even lettuce wraps!

Where’s the recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life, we are creating and writing recipes that anyone can make. Whether you’re new to the kitchen or have been cooking for years, we want you to be successful when making this cilantro lime chicken recipe.

If you’re looking for detailed instructions with cooking tips and healthy eating plan information, read the post below before you start to cook.

If you are familiar with cooking and really just need the ingredient amounts and quick instructions, scroll right down to the easy to print, easy recipe for these Cilantro Lime Chicken Drumsticks.

Ingredients in Cilantro Lime Chicken Drumsticks

• Olive oil: You can also use avocado oil, if that’s what you have on hand.
• Chicken drumsticks: The directions are written for chicken drumsticks, but you can use this cilantro lime marinade on boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts. It’s a wonderful recipe that’s also great for grilled chicken, or chicken in the air fryer or baking pan.
• Garlic: Fresh minced garlic is key to really getting that burst of flavor.
• Crushed red peppers: This adds a nice level of heat to the cilantro lime chicken marinade. Adjust this to your personal preference.
• Cayenne pepper: Cayenne also adds some heat to this cilantro lime marinade. You can use chili powder in place of the cayenne if that is all that you have in your pantry.
• Lime juice: Fresh lime juice give these cilantro lime chicken drumsticks really great flavor.
• Cilantro: Fresh chopped cilantro leaves give the chicken marinate a bright and clean taste.
• Chicken broth: The chicken broth is needed so that the Instant Pot will create enough steam to build pressure. You can use any type of broth, I’d just be sure to use a low sodium variety.

Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Chicken Drumsticks

1. Add the olive oil to the Instant Pot and press the Sauté button. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken drumsticks. Sprinkle the minced garlic, crushed red peppers, and cayenne pepper seasoning over the drumsticks. Use tongs to move the drumsticks around so they don’t stick to the pot, and brown for 2 minutes on each side.
2. Add the lime juice, chopped cilantro, and chicken stock to the Instant Pot. Lock the lid into place and turn the pressure valve to Sealing.
3. Turn the cook mode on high pressure for 9 minutes.
4. When the cook time is finished, let the pressure release naturally. This is called NPR, natural release, or natural pressure release, which just means that you’re not going to touch the Sealing/Venting Valve when the cook time is done. After about 10 minutes, if your valve hasn’t dropped, go ahead and move the valve to Venting because you can consider the pressure released at that time.
5. Transfer the cilantro lime chicken drumsticks to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and then broil until golden brown (about 3-5 minutes). Sprinkle with more fresh cilantro and serve warm with fresh slices of lime.

How to make this cilantro lime chicken recipe in the oven

If you want to make these cilantro lime chicken drumsticks in the oven, go ahead and skip the chicken broth. That is used to make the Instant Pot come to pressure and isn’t needed for this cooking method.

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place your chicken drumsticks in a zipper bag with the garlic, crushed red peppers, cayenne pepper, lime juice, and finely fresh cilantro. You might need to split the recipe between two bags.
2. Shake the bags to allow the Cilantro Lime marinade to coat all of the drumsticks.
3. Lightly oil a 9×13 pan. Place the drumsticks in a single layer on your pan and add any extra seasonings that are left in the bag to the top of the chicken. You might need a larger pan, depending on how many drumsticks you’re cooking.
4. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn the drumsticks carefully with tongs. Bake for 30 minutes more until internal temperature is 165 when read with a meat thermometer.
5. Serve warm and topped with finely chopped cilantro and a side of lime wedges.

Recipe Tips

• If you don’t love spice, go ahead and leave out the cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes.
• This easy chicken recipe is perfect for meal prep! I feel like the flavors are even better the 2nd day.
• I love adding fresh lime zest with the cilantro after these come out of the oven.
• You can use different chicken for this recipe. We have been loving boneless skinless chicken thighs (honestly, even the bone-in thighs are delicious!), boneless skinless chicken breasts, or even chicken wings.
• To prep this recipe ahead of time, mix the garlic, crushed red peppers, cayenne pepper, lime juice, and cilantro in a zip-top bag and then marinate chicken in it in the fridge for up to 48 hours.
• When cooking chicken, you should always use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature before removing from the heat source. Cooked chicken should be 165º.
• Serve this cilantro lime chicken recipe with black beans, brown rice, white rice or jasmine rice.

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix / Ultimate Portion Fix

Each serving of 2 drumsticks counts as 1 red container and 1 teaspoon.

Weight Watchers

Two drumsticks is 7 2025 Plan Points | 6 Blue Points | 6 Green Points | 6 Purple Points | 7 2023 Plan Points

These points were calculated using the WW website using exact ingredients, not nutritional information. Weight Watchers has said that this is the most accurate way to calculate points for their diet.

More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes

• Chicken Gyro Bowl with Homemade Tzatziki
• Healthy Dill Pickle Chicken Salad
• Healthy Crack Chicken Recipe | Instant Pot Crack Chicken
• Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Caprese Chicken Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
• Weight Watchers Orange Chicken

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Cilantro Lime Chicken Drumsticks

Created by: Becca Ludlum

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Approximate Serving Size: 2 drumsticks

Servings 3

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These Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Chicken Drumsticks are the perfect Instant Pot Dinner recipe!

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Equipment

• Instant Pot 6 qt
• Olive Oil Spray
• Sealing Rings

Ingredients 

• ▢ 1 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 6 chicken drumsticks
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic fresh, minced
• ▢ 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• ▢ 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• ▢ lime juice juice from 1 lime
• ▢ 2 tbsp cilantro chopped
• ▢ ½ cup chicken broth Low Sodium

Instructions

Instant Pot Instructions

• Add the olive oil to the Instant Pot and press Saute. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken drumsticks. Sprinkle the minced garlic, crushed red peppers, and cayenne pepper seasoning over the drumsticks. Brown for 2 minutes on each side. 1 tbsp olive oil, 6 chicken drumsticks, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tsp crushed red pepper, 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• Add the lime juice, cilantro, and chicken stock to the Instant Pot. Lock the lid into place and turn the pressure valve to Sealing. lime juice, 2 tbsp cilantro, 1/2 cup chicken broth
• Cook on high pressure for 9 minutes.
• When the cook time is finished, let release the pressure naturally.
• Transfer the drumsticks to a baking sheet and broil until golden brown (about 3-5 minutes). Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve while warm.

Oven Instructions

• If making these chicken drumsticks in the oven, skip the chicken broth.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken in a zipper bag with garlic, crushed red peppers, cayenne pepper, lime juice, and cilantro. You might need to split the recipe between two bags. 6 chicken drumsticks, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tsp crushed red pepper, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tbsp olive oil, lime juice, 2 tbsp cilantro
• Shake the bags to allow the Cilantro Lime marinade to coat all of the drumsticks.
• Lightly oil a 9×13 pan. Place drumsticks in a single layer on your pan and add any extra seasonings that are left in the bag to the top of the chicken. You might need a larger pan, depending on how many drumsticks you're cooking.
• Bake for 30 minutes, then turn drumsticks carefully with tongs. Bake for 30 minutes more until internal temperature is 165 when read with a meat thermometer.

Video

Notes

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix/Ultimate Portion Fix

Each serving of 2 drumsticks counts as 1 red container and 1 teaspoon.

Weight Watchers

Two drumsticks is 7 2025 Plan Points | 6 Blue Points | 6 Green Points | 6 Purple Points | 7 2023 Plan Points

These points were calculated using the WW website using exact ingredients, not nutritional information. Weight Watchers has said that this is the most accurate way to calculate points for their diet.

Nutrition

Serving: 2drumsticks | Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 139mg | Sodium: 167mg | Potassium: 469mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1418IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg

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