Easy Chicken Marinade with Lime and Cilantro

A good marinade can completely transform boring meat into a delicious dinner that the family really enjoys! We have a handful of marinades in our regular rotation, including this Balsamic Chicken Marinade (favorite of all marinades), this Lemon Chicken Marinade, and this Chili Lime Chicken Marinade.

Cilantro lime is a classic flavor combination that can't be forgotten, whether for a weeknight dinner, meal prep, or more.

Ingredients for cilantro lime chicken marinade

This is a very basic marinade, but I want to share a few ingredient tips that can really help you maximize the flavor.

• Olive oil: I suggest extra virgin olive oil for the most flavor, but light olive oil or avocado oil can be substituted.
• Cilantro: It will shrink down a lot once you chop it, so I suggest chopping first, then measuring to ensure you have enough. It doesn't need to be exact, but it should be a generous portion since it is one of the main flavor profiles.
• Lime juice and lime zest: If I can convince you of one thing today, it's that using fresh citrus (not bottled) will transform your cooking! Grab some fresh limes, you won't regret it. I start with a microplane for zesting, then a metal juicer.
• Honey: You can use whatever honey you find at your local grocery store. My little hack when measuring something sticky is to lightly spray the spoon with oil first, then measure.
• Garlic: I usually have pre-minced garlic on hand, but if you use fresh I recommend this garlic press. It's great!
• Onion powder: You can substitute with dehydrated minced onions if needed, but I find I like the texture of the onion powder best.
• Cumin: You want to use ground cumin, not whole seeds.
• Kosher salt and pepper: I don't recommend using table salt because the flavor and level of saltiness isn't quite the same. I have used both kosher and pink salt with success.
• Chicken: You can use chicken breasts, chicken tenders or boneless skinless chicken thighs. For the best flavor and texture, cut the breasts in half horizontally before marinating.

How to make chicken marinade with lime and cilantro

I always like to grab all my ingredients out before starting for quick measuring. This one goes fast!

How long to marinate chicken

Some say that chicken should not marinate in citrus juice for more than an hour or two, or it will make the texture unpleasant. While that can certainly happen with some recipes, I don't find it to be the case here since we use a small amount of juice and rely on zest for big lime flavor.

If you have the time, it's best to make the marinade the night before or the morning you plan to cook so the chicken gets 8+ hours to soak up all the flavor. I don't recommend letting it marinate longer than 24 hours.

Freezer instructions

This is a great freezer meal! Make the marinade as directed, add the chicken, and pop it in the freezer in a tightly sealed zipper bag. I like to freeze mine laying flat on a small cookie sheet so that it stacks easily.

When you're ready to cook, thaw it overnight in the fridge or on the counter at room temperature (usually takes several hours), then cook as directed. You can also freeze the marinade on its own and just pour it over thawed chicken the morning you plan to grill.