Quick Look at How to Make Cilantro Lime Marinade
- Ready In: 5 minutes!
- Yields: enough to marinate 1-2 pounds of meat
- Main Ingredients: cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, and kosher salt.
- Equipment: small food processor
- Dietary Info: Whole30, Paleo, Dairy-Free, and Gluten-Free
- Protein Options: chicken (love cilantro lime chicken thighs), steak, or shrimp
- Cooking Methods: use for ANY cooking method – grilling, oven, stove top, air fryer, etc.
Share and summarize this recipe:
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Marinade
- Fresh Flavors! Cilantro + lime juice = yes, please
- Only 4 real, simple ingredients!
- Versatile – bring the best flavor to chicken, shrimp, or steak.
- Meal Prep Friendly → marinate the meat for 30 minutes to 2 hours (but no more to avoid changes in texture).
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Lime Juice – highly recommend freshly squeezed lime juice, but lime juice concentrate would work too. I have tested and used both!
- Olive Oil – substitute with avocado oil, if desired.
- Kosher Salt – if you want to use table salt, cut the amount in half otherwise it will be too salty.
How To Make A Cilantro Lime Marinade
Step 1 – Put cilantro, oil, lime juice and salt in a food processor or blender.
Step 2 – Blend until fully combined. Scrape down the sides, if needed.
How Long to Marinate?
Here is a quick guide:
- 15-30 minutes: minimum to add quick flavor
- 1-2 hours: ideal for maximum flavor
- Over 2 hours: not recommended because the acidity of the lime juice will affect the texture.
Step 3 – Pour mixture over your meat of choice.
Step 4 – Let it marinate for 30 minutes – 2 hours (not longer).
How To Use Cilantro Lime Marinade
This light & refreshing marinade can be used on our all-time favorite proteins, like perfectly grilled steaks, easy grilled chicken breasts, grilled chicken thighs, or grilled shrimp skewers. Love the little bit of char flavor that comes with those, but feel free to cook them on the stove top, in the oven, slow cooker, or air fryer. My favorite is cilantro lime chicken thighs on the grill! Turn them into cilantro lime chicken tacos or a cilantro lime chicken rice bowl for an epic dinner.
Cilantro Lime Marinade FAQs
Yes, I prefer freshly squeezed but have tested it with bottle lime juice and it works great!
I would not recommend it. I’ve never tried it, but there is nothing better than fresh cilantro.
Personally, I have not tried this. The flavor would be significantly different with parsley.
Depends how long it will be marinating. If you are only marinating it for 30 minutes, room temperature would be fine. If it is sitting for longer than that it should be covered and moved to the fridge.
This is called a quick marinade because you only want to let your meat sit for a maximum of 2 hours, at most! The lime juice will start to “cook” or denature the meat after that. Here is a great Guide to Marinating Meats! We suggest only letting it marinate for 30 minutes.
It is NOT a good idea to freeze your meat in this marinade because the lime juice will begin to breakdown the meat fibers.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup lime juice, freshly squeezed (approx. 2 limes)
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, sub avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Combine: In a small food processor, add 1 cup fresh cilantro, ⅓ cup lime juice, ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Blend until smooth.
- Marinate: Pour the marinade over your meat of choice and allow to marinate for 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours, but not longer).
- Cook: Remove from marinade and cook meat as desired. Discard the marinade.
Notes
- Additional Lime Juice: Feel free to add additional lime juice, if you want the lime flavor to be more intense.
- How long to marinate? It is not recommended to allow meat to marinate in a cilantro-lime marinade for more than 2 hours, as the acid from the lime juice will change the texture of the meat.
Bridget says
Love this quick and easy marinade – perfect for summer!!