Cilantro Lime Marinade

Cilantro lime marinade with cilantro, lime juice, & olive oil is the perfect way to brighten up dinner! Use it on chicken, steak, or seafood!

This cilantro lime marinade recipe is so simple but will add so much great flavor to your next dinner. Try it on any kind of meat, or even use it as a dressing! My personal favorites are smoked chicken thighs or broiled flank steak. 

Cilantro Lime Marinade

Why you’ll love this recipe!

📌 Easy to adjust to your family’s tastes. 

📌 Only a few simple ingredients. 

📌 Bright, fresh, and full of flavor!

Ingredients

• Cilantro – Fresh cilantro leaves, trimmed. 
• Garlic – Fresh garlic cloves will give the best flavor, but you can use jarred garlic in a pinch. 
• Lime juice – Fresh squeezed is best, but you can use bottled pure lime juice if you don’t have any limes. 
• Oil – My strong preference for this recipe is a fragrant olive oil. 
• Dried seasonings – Salt, pepper, sugar.

Step-by-step directions

⭐ First, combine cilantro, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, sugar, and water in a blender and pulse until well combined. 

⭐ Then, taste and adjust as desired. 

⭐ Next, marinate your favorite meats in the refrigerator. 

⭐ Finally, cook marinated meat as desired. Discard and leftover marinade that came in contact with raw meat. 

Scroll down to the printable recipe card toward the bottom of this article for ingredient measurements and detailed cooking instructions. 

Preparation

Can you make the marinade ahead of time?

Yes, you can make the marinade several days in advance and keep it in the refrigerator or even longer if you want to freeze it. 

What kind of oil in cilantro lime marinade?

We like olive oil, the bolder the better! If you prefer something more mild, any vegetable oil will work. 

Storage and leftovers

How long does cilantro lime marinade last?

This will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a week or longer if frozen. 

Can you freeze the marinade?

Yes, store in a freezer-safe air tight container, making sure to leave enough head room for expansion. It will keep indefinitely so long as it is continuously frozen. 

Tips, tricks, and frequently asked questions

How long to marinate chicken?

For chicken, you’ll want to marinate it at a minimum for one hour. That said, you can marinate for as little as 30 minutes and as long as 24 hours. I find the sweet spot is between 4 – 6 hours.

Any longer than 24 hours and the meat can break down too much and become mushy. 

How long to marinate steak?

For steak, you’ll want to marinate it at least three hours. That said, you can marinate for as little as 30 minutes and as long as 24 hours. I find the sweet spot for steak is between 6 – 8 hours. 

Any longer than 24 hours and the meat can break down too much and become mushy. 

How long to marinate fish or shrimp?

Fish and shrimp will be a much shorter marinating time, typically 30 – 60 minutes. Longer than an hour and your the meat will begin to break down. 

Variations

🔥 Make it spicy by adding fresh or pickled jalapenos to the marinade. 

🥗 Use leftover marinade as a dressing or sauce by whisking it with sour cream or cream cheese. (Only use the remaining marinade that has NOT been in contact with raw meat).

🌮 Add it to your grilled, roasted, slow cooked, or even instant pot meals. 

More delicious marinade recipes

• Flank steak marinade
• Soy ginger salmon marinade
• Old Bay shrimp marinade

Other awesome recipes with cilantro

• Cilantro garlic sauce
• Mexican corn salad
• Cilantro lime chicken
• Vietnamese summer rolls
• Chicken tostadas
• Chimichurri steak

Tools we love

• Long tongs – A good set of tongs is a must. One for raw meat and one for cooked!
• Meat thermometer – This one can stay in the meat while it cooks, never have over done or under done dinner again!

How to Make Cilantro Lime Marinade