This cilantro lime chicken marinade is packed with savory flavors that combine to make the best tacos, salads, enchiladas, and more! It is delicious on chicken breasts, thighs, wings, you name it! Simply mix and marinate the chicken, then serve either grilled, oven-baked, or pan-fried for a quick and flavorful Mexican dinner!
Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade Recipe
It's wonderful when the whole family agrees on certain meals, and everyone in my household is absolutely obsessed with all things Mexican food! That's why I always keep this cilantro lime chicken marinade in my back pocket.
It's easy, made with simple ingredients, and adds plenty of flavor. The marinated cilantro lime chicken makes burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, taco salads, chimichangas, and basically everything that much better!
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Check out all of my flavorful chicken marinades in one place! The marinades are absolutely perfect for grilled, pan-fried, or oven-baked chicken breasts, thighs, wings, skewers, and more!
🥘 Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade Ingredients
This marinade is made by combining just a few simple ingredients. Fresh cilantro and fresh lime juice are ideal for achieving the very best flavor!
- Olive Oil - 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. I suggest sticking with the olive oil unless you know which cooking method you will use. *Opt for your favorite cooking oil if you are sure that the smoke point of your oil will work for your desired cooking method.
- Lime Juice - 4 tablespoons of lime juice. Zest your limes and pull out the pulp after squeezing. Add zest, pulp, and lime juice to the marinade for a wonderfully intense lime flavor!
- Cilantro - ½ cup of cilantro. Use fresh chopped cilantro for the best results. If you need to use dried cilantro, remember that herb conversion is generally 1 teaspoon of dried herbs for each tablespoon of fresh herbs. *8 tablespoons in ½ cup of fresh cilantro = 8 teaspoons OR 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons of dried cilantro.
- Cumin - 1 teaspoon of ground cumin. This is one of my all-time favorite spices to use in almost anything Mexican-ish. It's always in my homemade taco seasoning and is a base flavor in this marinade as well.
- Cayenne Pepper - ⅛ teaspoon of cayenne pepper for a little 'zing'! If you like spicier foods, you can double the amount.
- Salt & Pepper - ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Start with this base amount and adjust your salt and pepper seasoning to taste when cooking the chicken.
- Garlic (optional) - 1 tablespoon of minced garlic is optional but adds to this chicken marinade's savory deliciousness! You could also use 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade
This tangy, savory marinade comes together quickly and makes a marinade that's perfect for cooking up the same day, within a few days, or freezing for later! Get out measuring utensils, a small mixing bowl, and a whisk to get started.
This makes enough marinade to season 1 pound of chicken.
- Whisk. Whisk together 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 4 tablespoons of lime juice ( plus lime zest and pulp for extra flavor ) in a small bowl.
- Mix. Add ½ cup of chopped fresh cilantro, seasoning (including 1 teaspoon cumin, ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, and ½ teaspoon each salt & pepper), plus the optional 1 tablespoon of garlic. Mix until well combined.
- Add chicken. Transfer the marinade into a plastic storage bag, add the chicken, and squeeze out any excess air while sealing the bag.
- Coat the chicken. Massage your marinade into the chicken to evenly coat the chicken pieces.
- Marinate. Refrigerate or freeze the bagged marinating chicken.
I love using the cilantro-lime marinated chicken to make chicken quesadillas or sour cream chicken enchiladas! It also makes for some tasty shredded chicken tacos. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Marinate your chicken for at least 20 minutes before cooking. The longer you let the chicken marinate, the more flavorful it will be!
- I would usually recommend at least 4 hours for marinating. 24 hours is best, and you can marinate the chicken for up to 2 days refrigerated. This is the maximum time I would marinate chicken with any citrus-based marinade.
- Freeze chicken in the marinade for extra flavor. I recommend a maximum of three months. Allow the frozen marinated chicken to thaw in the fridge overnight, and the marinade will seep into the meat while it's thawing.
🥡 Storing
If you are making this marinade in advance, you can keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week (without the chicken in it). You can also keep it frozen in a freezer bag for up to 1 year!
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❓ Recipe FAQs
I don't recommend using bottled lime juice when making marinades unless it's the only option. Fresh lime juice has less time to oxidize and doesn't contain the preservatives found in mass-produced bottles of lime juice, giving it a much brighter and more intense flavor.
You can freeze chicken marinade on its own for long-term storage or freeze it in the marinade for more flavor! The marinade will last for 1 year without chicken in it. If you add the chicken to the marinade and then freeze it, you should cook it within 3 months.
I think 24 hours is the ideal amount of time to marinate chicken (not including frozen chicken in the marinade, which can last for months). Even as little as 20 minutes in the marinade will give your chicken some flavor, though I suggest shooting for at least 4 hours if you are going to marinade and cook the chicken the same day.
🐔 Chicken Recipes To Try
- Instant Pot Shredded Chicken - Shred your cilantro lime marinated chicken to make sandwiches, tacos, soups, and more!
- Baked Chicken Quarters - Add some Mexican flavor to these chicken leg quarters for an easy chicken dinner!
- Green Chile Chicken Stew - This savory chicken stew has plenty of flavor, but could have even more if you use marinated chicken!
- Chicken Tortilla Soup - With this cilantro lime marinade your tortilla soup will have never tasted better!
- Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs - Double down on the cilantro lime flavor with these juicy chicken thighs!
- Chicken Enchiladas - These easy chicken enchiladas are the perfect recipe for trying out your new marinade.
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📖 Recipe Card
Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- ½ cup cilantro (fresh, chopped)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic (optional - minced garlic, or use 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- In a small bowl whisk to combine the lime juice, and olive oil.
- Add the chopped cilantro, ground cumin, cayenne powder, salt, and pepper (plus the optional garlic, if desired). Mix well.
- Transfer the marinade and chicken to your plastic storage or freezer bag. Squeeze out all of the excess air while sealing.
- Massage the marinade into the chicken meat through the bag.
- Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours prior to use, or 2 days maximum with a citrus-based marinade.
Notes
- This makes enough marinade to season 1 pound of chicken.
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- Marinate your chicken for at least 20 minutes before cooking. The longer you let the chicken marinate, the more flavorful it will be!
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- I would usually recommend at least 4 hours for marinating. 24 hours is best, and you can marinate the chicken for up to 2 days refrigerated. This is the maximum time I would marinate chicken with any citrus-based marinade.
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- Freeze chicken in the marinade for extra flavor. I recommend a maximum of three months. Allow the frozen marinated chicken to thaw in the fridge overnight, and the marinade will seep into the meat while it's thawing.
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