Despite intense studies into silicon anode materials, the large volume expansion of silicon remains a significant problem that reduces battery performance and shortens battery life. In this paper, a procedure to increase the cycle life of the silicon anode in full-cell configuration using a simple pre-lithiation method is proposed. By precisely controlling the thickness of the pre-deposited lithium through evaporation, the volume change of the silicon-containing anodes can be effectively reduced during discharge. A coin-cell fabricated with a high-capacity cathode and the pre-lithiated silicon–graphite anode shows improvements in cycling performance, as well as a higher discharge capacity. Electrochemical and microscopic analysis confirm that pre-lithiation successfully suppresses the volumetric changes. Thus, this work provides an effective method for the preparation of long-cycle-life Li-ion batteries containing silicon-based anodes. Display omitted •The mechanism for improving cycle life through pre-lithiation was proposed and proved.•A pre-lithiation method is proposed by lithium evaporation on a Si-Gr anode.•Precisely controlled pre-lithiated cells prevent complete shrinkage of the silicon.•Enhanced cycle life and a high areal capacity were achieved at a high current densities.