Cilantro Lime Steak
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Cilantro Lime Steak marinated in lime juice, garlic, & cilantro is flavorful & easy. Use your grill, or oven to make this tasty dinner!
This cilantro lime steak recipe is great on its own or assembled into tostadas or flour taquitos. Make it on the grill when the weather’s nice, or in your kitchen on a rainy day!
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Cilantro Lime Steak
Cilantro Lime Steak
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Cilantro Lime Steak 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.
- Steak – We used skirt steak in the pictured recipe, but any cut of steak will work.
How do you make cilantro lime steak? (step-by-step)
⭐ First, combine cilantro, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, sugar, and water in a blender and pulse until well combined.
⭐ Then, add steak to a gallon bag or other container and pour about half of the marinade over, making sure it is well coated.
⭐ Next, allow steak to marinate for desired time (but not longer than overnight).
⭐ Finally, cook over a high heat grill basting frequently with remaining marinade, or in the oven until cooked to desired doneness. Allow to rest before slicing against the grain.
Grilled Cilantro Lime Steak
To cook it on the grill, you’ll want to marinate the meat for at least 1 hour, but as long as overnight.
Place your marinated steak on a pre-heated high heat grill, basting and turning frequently (about every 5-7 minutes) until steak is cooked to your desired doneness. If cooking more well than medium-rare, lower grill to medium heat after about 10 minutes to avoid over-charring.
Allow steak to rest at least 5 minutes before slicing against the grain.
Oven Broiled Cilantro Lime Steak
Place marinated steak on a sheet pan on the highest rack in your oven. Set to high/broil and set timer for 4 minutes (watch closely as every oven is a little different!).
Turn steak (basting if desired), and broil for an additional 4 minutes. Check internal temperature. If more done than medium-rare is desired, move steak to a lower rack and continue cooking (turning/basting every few minutes) until desired internal temperature is reached.
Always stay near the oven and watch closely when broiling. Allow steak to rest at least 5 minutes before slicing against the grain.
Preparation
How long do you marinate the steak?
If grilling, I like to marinate at least three hours. That said, you can marinate for as little as 30 minutes and as long as 24 hours. Any longer than 24 hours and the meat can break down too much and become mushy.
Should I baste my steak?
If grilling you’ll definitely want to baste frequently. I baste each time I turn it, so about every 5 minutes. Make sure to pack on all that flavor!
Can I use the cilantro leaf stems?
Since we’re blending this recipe, it’s fine to use the stems as well as the leaves.
How do I know when my steak is done?
- A rare steak will have a cool red center and measure about 125F on the meat thermometer.
- A medium cooked steak will have a warm pink center and measure about 145F on the meat thermometer.
- A medium-well steak will have a slightly pink center and measure about 150F on the meat thermometer.
- A well done steak will have a little to no pink and will measure about 160F on the meat thermometer.
Storage and leftovers
How long does cilantro lime steak last?
You can keep the leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3 – 4 days. We like to use ours in tacos or quesadillas!
Can you freeze cilantro lime steak?
To freeze before cooking
You can freeze the steak in the marinade because freezing essentially halts the marinating process. Make sure to cook it within about 18 hours of thawing as it will begin breaking down the proteins again as it thaws. Thaw and cook within 3 – 6 months.
To freeze after cooking
Allow steak to cool completely, then store in a freezer safe container. Pour juices or remaining (unused) marinade over meat if desired to slow freezer burn. Thaw and cook within 3 – 6 months.
Tips, tricks, and frequently asked questions
🔥 Make it spicy by adding fresh or pickled jalapenos to the marinade.
🥗 Use the remaining (unused) marinade as a dressing or sauce by whisking it with sour cream or cream cheese.
🌮 Slice or shred leftovers for burrito bowls or baked tacos!
What to eat with cilantro lime steak (serving suggestions)
Enjoy your steaks with a side of fresh pico de gallo, air fryer avocado fries, and some cinnamon fried apples for dessert. Or add them to your steak tostadas!
More delicious steak recipes
- Steak salad with cranberries & goat cheese
- How to broil flank steak
- Best flank steak marinade
- Steak sliders with merlot sauce
- Chimichurri steak recipe
- Restaurant style pan seared steak
- See all our steak recipes!
Other awesome grilling recipes
- Smoked chicken thighs
- Grilled pork chops
- Smoked chicken legs
- Teriyaki chicken kabobs
- Grilled flank steak
- Grilled ribeye steak
- Honey sriracha chicken
- See all our grilling recipes!
Other tasty recipes with cilantro
- Cilantro garlic sauce
- Cilantro lime chicken
- Mexican corn salad
- Vietnamese summer rolls
- Chicken tostadas
- Chimichurri steak
- See all our recipes using cilantro!
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!
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How to Make Cilantro Lime Steak
Cilantro Lime Steak
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves loosely packed about 1 bunch
- 4 cloves garlic fresh peeled
- ⅔ cup lime juice the juice of about 5 limes
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 cup water
- 5-7 pounds steak we used flank steak
Instructions
- Combine cilantro, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, sugar, and water in a blender and pulse until well combined. (Makes about 3 cups total).
- Add steak to a gallon bag or other container and pour about half of the marinade over, making sure it is well coated. Reserve remaining marinade for later.
- Allow meat to marinate for desired time (but not longer than overnight).
GRILLED
- Place your marinated steak on a pre-heated high heat grill, basting and turning frequently (about every 5-7 minutes) until steak is cooked to your desired doneness.
- If cooking more well than medium-rare, lower grill to medium heat after about 10 minutes to avoid over-charring.
- Allow steak to rest at least 5 minutes before slicing against the grain.
OVEN BROILED
- Place marinated steak on a sheet pan on the highest rack in your oven. Set to high/broil and set timer for 4 minutes (watch closely as every oven is a little different!).
- Turn steak (basting if desired), and broil for an additional 4 minutes. Check internal temperature.
- If more done than medium-rare is desired, move steak to a lower rack and continue cooking (turning/basting every few minutes) until desired internal temperature is reached. Always stay near the oven and watch closely when broiling.
- Allow steak to rest at least 5 minutes before slicing against the grain.
Notes
- A rare steak will have a cool red center and measure about 125F on the meat thermometer.
- A medium cooked steak will have a warm pink center and measure about 145F on the meat thermometer.
- A medium-well steak will have a slightly pink center and measure about 150F on the meat thermometer.
- A well done steak will have a little to no pink and will measure about 160F on the meat thermometer.
Nutrition
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Cilantro Lime Steak
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Can I sub parsley for the cilantro? Really can’t stand the taste…
Hi Suzie, I would not substitute parsley in this recipe, we have another steak marinade that may be better suited to what you’re looking for though: https://www.mamalovesfood.com/flank-steak-marinade/ 🙂
Oooh, anything with cilantro has my attention! The meat looks so juicy!
Wow! This has so much flavor!! And turned out SO perfect! LOVE the marinade! This is absolutely perfect for fajitas! Goes perfectly with my margarita ! 😉 YUM!!!
I’m drooling over these pics!! I could eat this steak anytime!! It’s so tender & juicy & full of flavor!
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