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This Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade is fresh, zesty, and the perfect way to add flavor. With a fresh bundle of cilantro and a few kitchen staples and a blender, you’ll have a bold marinade that works in minutes.
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Cilantro and lime, a match made in kitchen heaven! Seriously, when you’re in need of something bright, fresh, versatile, and simple–this is it.
Not only does it come together in minutes, but it’s perfect for meal prep (I’m a huge fan of prepping condiments).
Ingredients
Most of these ingredients are things we all have on hand pretty much all the time. I always have a fresh bundle of cilantro in the fridge and I recommend it. It's a super versatile herb!
- Cilantro – brings fresh, herby flavor that pairs especially well with lime and brightens up chicken.
- Olive oil – flavorful and keeps meat tender.
- Lime juice – adds acidity that tenderizes proteins and balances the richness of olive oil. It’s bright and delicious!
- Garlic – gives the marinade depth and of course because it’s garlic, it’s awesome.
- Honey – adds a touch of sweetness to balance the acidity and helps with caramelization when grilling or baking the chicken.
- Cumin –provides a warm, earthy flavor that rounds out the bright citrus and fresh herbs.
- Kosher salt – Essential for enhancing all the other flavors and ensuring the seasoning penetrates the meat.
Recipe infographic + Pin it for later
Save this graphic to Pinterest and connect with me over there, I'm pretty much always on Pinterest and I cannot get enough of it!
Expert tip
I use my Beast Blender for this marinade, and it makes all the difference. It blends cilantro, garlic, and lime into a silky, even consistency without leaving big chunks behind.
Plus, it’s compact, powerful, and easy to clean—definitely one of those kitchen essentials that earns a permanent spot on the counter.
Get my favorite Beast Blender right here!
Ways to serve this sauce
- This sauce works well not only as a chicken marinade, but also as a salad dressing, dipping sauce, or even add a few tablespoons of it to a little yogurt for a tzatziki-like dipping sauce with Greek-inspired flavors.
- It's also a fantastic marinade for chicken or fish in Mexican-inspired recipes. For example, if you're making a burrito bowl? This marinade is perfect for the chicken or fish that you're going to be putting into that bowl!
More recipes you'll love
Try these recipes - I think you'll love them! The Chicken Fajita Salad is fantastic and this sauce would be a great addition to that recipe (as a sauce or a marinade). Also the Blender Fire Roasted Salsa is my favorite salsa of all time, it's a must try!
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh cilantro or one large bundle
- ¾ cup olive oil extra virgin
- ¼ cup lime juice the juice from about 3 small limes
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Roughly chop the roughly chopped cilantro and add it to a blender or food processor.
- Next add the rest of the ingredients: olive oil, lime juice, garlic, honey, cumin, and kosher salt
- Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Add the marinade to your chicken and allow the flavors to develop no more than 2 hours.
Notes
Youtube Video
Here's a quick video of the recipe, but for more information an accurate measurements please see the written recipe card.
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