for serving:cooked rice, additional lime wedges, cilantro
Instructions
SLOW COOKER DIRECTIONS:
Place chopped onion on bottom of slow cooker. In a small bowl combine garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper. Rub seasonings all over chicken breasts and place chicken on top of chopped onion.
Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 cup cilantro and red pepper flakes. Pour in 1/2 cup chicken broth, lime juice, and lime zest. Cover and cook chicken on LOW for 3 hours.
Remove lid and ladle out about 1/4 cup hot liquid into a small bowl. Whisk cornstarch into the small amount of liquid and stir back into the slow cooker. Cook for 30 additional minutes, until chicken temperature reaches 160ºF.
Remove the lid to add cubed cream cheese and remaining chopped cilantro. Stir until smooth and creamy. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Serve creamy sauce over chicken with rice, additional cilantro, and lime wedges.
INSTANT POT DIRECTIONS:
In a small bowl combine garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper. Rub seasonings all over chicken breasts and set aside.
Turn instant pot onto SAUTE and heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Brown 2 chicken breasts in heated oil 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden (but not cooked through). Set aside and repeat with remaining 2 chicken breasts, adding remaining oil. Remove browned chicken and set aside.
Add onion to instant pot and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of chicken broth to the pot, scraping up browned bits with silicone spoon. Add in 1/4 cup cilantro, lime juice, lime zest, and red pepper flakes.
Place chicken back in pressure cooker. Close lid and seal valve. Cook on HIGH pressure for 5 minutes. Quick release pressure and transfer chicken to a clean plate. Cover with foil to keep warm.
Remove lid and ladle out about 1/4 cup hot liquid into a small bowl. Whisk cornstarch into the small amount of liquid. Press SAUTE LOW and add cornstarch mixture back to pot, stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in remaining cilantro and cream cheese until smooth. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Serve creamy sauce over chicken with rice, additional cilantro, and lime wedges.
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Notes
Tips for Cooking Cilantro Lime Chicken Recipe
Zest lime first, then extract juice.
If you prefer no hint of spice, omit the red pepper flakes.
For golden brown chicken out of the crock pot, brown the chicken in a skillet over medium high heat first in a little olive oil.
To save time when preparing the instant pot version, browning the chicken can be skipped. However, the chicken will need to be cooked for 8 minutes.
Use leftover chicken for tacos or make a double batch and freeze half for tacos later.
Substituting light cream cheese for regular works great in this recipe.
If you prefer shredded chicken, cook the chicken on LOW for 6-7 hours in crock pot, or HIGH pressure for 10 minutes in the instant pot.