Fresh ingredients, unbelievable flavor, and an easy blender process - this truly is The Ultimate Mexican Marinade for Chicken (or Skirt Steak)! The final result makes for top notch tacos, burritos, Mexican bowls, nachos, and more.
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I’m letting you in on a treasured family recipe today…. The Ultimate Mexican Marinade for Chicken (or Skirt Steak). Mexican food is highly favored in both our immediate and extended family. When we first made this marinade recipe from a small Mexican food website, we knew we’d found a winner for years to come (it’s been 10 years since we first made it!). Unfortunately, that website no longer exists, but fortunately we printed it out before that site was gone.
There are many Mexican marinades for chicken out there, but we always come back to this one. Besides the fact that it is super simple to make (and only requires a blender), it always results in the most vibrant, delicious flavor… it wows us every time! Plus, it is equally good on chicken or skirt steak, depending on what you have on hand.
🌶 Ingredients
Oil: Vegetable oil or canola oil. Olive oil can be too flavorful for this recipe.
Red wine vinegar: Or you can substitute with white vinegar.
Lime juice: Fresh squeezed is a must (none of that pre-juiced concentrate).
Orange juice: 👆Fresh squeezed is always better here. The citrus juice adds flavor but also tenderizes the meat.
Garlic: Minced or roughly chopped.
Cilantro: Remove most of the stems before using.
Onion: A yellow onion lends great flavor without being too sweet.
Red bell pepper: Choose a firm, well-colored pepper for the best flavor.
Jalapeños: Leave the seeds in for flavor. If you want it a bit spicier, use two jalapeños instead of one.
Cumin: Ground cumin, not cumin seeds.
Chili powder: Just regular chili powder (smoked chili powder is not the best here).
Mexican oregano: Mexican oregano is from a different plant than typical oregano and lends a different flavor to the marinade.
Ground cloves: A little goes a long way to add another dimension of flavor.
Salt: Kosher salt, as always.
Pepper: Simple ground pepper.
🔪 How to make Mexican marinade for chicken
I cannot say enough how easy this marinade is…. but I think this picture says it all! Give all the large vegetables a quick, rough chop. Then throw all the ingredients in a blender (affiliate) and blend until mostly smooth (it will still have some texture to it, so don’t worry about it being perfectly smooth).
If you don't have a blender you can use a food processor. Just be sure not to overfill it.
And that’s it! This recipe makes about 3 ½ cups of marinade, which can safely marinate 5-6 pounds of meat. I prefer to marinade the meat in a large resealable plastic bag. For big flavor with excellent results, marinate the meat for 8 hours or overnight before grilling.
👨👩👧👦 For a crowd
Marinades are the best for serving crowds ... just double or triple the recipe depending on how much meat you need. My only word of warning is to make sure a double or triple recipe will fit in your blender. If not, just make 2-3 batches separately.
🌮 What to serve with grilled Mexican chicken
First and foremost, this easy mexican chicken marinade recipe makes super flavorful tacos. I prefer to serve these tacos “street style” with diced onions, chopped cilantro, and fresh lime on top. This meat is also excellent in burritos, Mexican bowls, and loaded nachos (think cheese, black beans, salsa, sliced jalapeños, sour cream … so good!).
For more sides to serve with:
🙋 Questions & Answers
Of course, chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs, but skirt steak is also excellent in this marinade.
It will last up to 1 week in the fridge. Store in a jar or airtight container to keep it fresh as long as possible.
Yes! My favorite way to use the marinade is to pour it over the chicken or skirt steak in a zip-top bag and freeze it. It’s a great recipe for meal prep!
The best way to cook chicken for tacos is to use an outdoor grill. It is great on either a charcoal grill or a gas grill. For juicy chicken and nice grill marks start with a hot grill between medium heat and high heat, leaving some of the surface area without any heat for indirect cooking. Start by placing the pieces chicken on the hot side of the grill. Cook for 4-5 minutes a side. Then move to the indirect side of the grill. Allow it to finish cooking until a meat thermometer registers the internal temperature at 165º.
Follow the same procedure for cooking skirt steak. Remove when meat is done to your likeness
📖 Other Mexican Recipes
- Perfectly Seasoned Black Beans - A fantastic way to use dried beans! Make them in the Instant Pot or slow cooker for a hands-off side dish.
- Cilantro Lime Rice - A simple but dynamic flavor combo that is worth every last bite!
- Chicken Tortilla Soup - The most requested soup in our family, hands-down. Flavorful, healthy, and soul-comforting.
- Honey Lime Shredded Chicken - Another chicken recipe with outstanding flavor.
- Chicken Fajitas - After marinating, it can all be done in under 20 minutes!
👨🏼🍳 Tips & Tricks
- Use the freshest ingredients possible for the best flavor. Freshly juiced limes and oranges, especially, make a big impact on the end result.
- Although you can marinate the meat for only 8 hours, it becomes significantly more flavorful when you marinate it overnight. Shoot for overnight if possible.
📋 Recipe
The Ultimate Mexican Marinade For Chicken (or Skirt Steak)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup red wine vinegar or substitute white vinegar
- ⅓ cup lime juice freshly squeezed
- ⅓ cup orange juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoon garlic minced
- ½ head of cilantro roughly chopped
- 1 medium onion yellow
- ½ red bell pepper chopped in large chunks
- 1-2 jalapenos use 2 if you prefer spicier food
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1½ tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon pepper
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until mostly smooth (marinade will still have texture, but should not have any large chunks).¼ cup vegetable oil, ½ cup red wine vinegar, ⅓ cup lime juice, ⅓ cup orange juice, 2 tablespoon garlic, ½ head of cilantro, 1 medium onion, ½ red bell pepper, 1-2 jalapenos, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, 1½ tablespoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon pepper
- Marinate chicken or skirt steak for 8 hours or overnight. Makes enough marinade for 5-6 lbs of meat. Grill and serve in tacos, burritos, bowls, or nachos.
- Freezer option: Pour marinade over meat and freeze in ziptop bag. Thaw meat overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for several hours the day of serving. Grill and serve.
- We love comments! Please come back and leave us one after you’ve tried this recipe.
Notes
- Use the freshest ingredients possible for the best flavor. Freshly juiced limes and oranges, especially, make a big impact on the end result.
- Although you can marinate the meat for only 8 hours, it becomes significantly more flavorful when you marinate it overnight. Shoot for overnight if possible.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
Marge says
Avocado oil instead of vegetable oil. Goes good with guacamole.
Kelsey says
Can I use this marinade for chicken in the crockpot?
Misty says
Hi Kelsey! We have never tried cooking it in the crockpot. It is a super flavorful marinade, but the recipe makes a lot to allow the chicken/steak to soak. We usually pour out the rest when we grill the meat.
Regan Lowe says
Would this also work for Flank Steak?
Danielle says
Yes, this would work for flank steak.
Tabitha says
Absolutely delicious flavor. Never using another marinade recipe again.
Misty says
So glad you liked it! That's how we feel too 😉
Ryan says
This is now my absolute go to marinade for flank steak. I used to use a soy sauce and honey marinade but never again. I simply can't emphasize how good this is. The only thing I find is that it needs slightly more salt. Thank you for this amazing recipe.
Misty says
We're so glad you love it! Thanks for leaving a review. 😀
Sandra says
Tried this for dinner recently and I was so impressed! I could just eat the chicken straight off the grill. Super flavorful and easy. I made the marinade a few days ahead and froze the chicken in it, then thawed and grilled. I’ll make this again for sure!
Misty says
Love that you froze it ahead, that's what I do as well! So happy you loved it!