Cilantro Lime Marinade

If you’re following me on Instagram/Facebook I’ve been doing a Recipe Challenge hosted by Wells Farms out of Madison, WI. This week she had a recipe for Cilantro Citrus Carnitas.

In her recipe, she suggested a bottled cilantro-lime marinade she found at the grocery store, but of course, I thought this was a perfect opportunity to make one from scratch! So, here it is!

This seriously takes 5 minutes and you get an amazing marinade that goes with pork, chicken, turkey, or your favorite vegan options.

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RECIPE DETAILS

Below are all the details and explanations for the Cilantro Lime Marinade. If you just want the Cilantro Lime Marinade recipe itself and missed the “jump to recipe” button at the top, keep scrolling.

GETTING STARTED

STEP ONE

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor, for less than one minute or until the texture is nice and almost smooth, like pesto. Be sure the garlic is fully processed. If you don’t have a food processor you can make the marinade by finely chopping the cilantro, jalapeño, and garlic then add the rest of the ingredients and mix all together in a bowl (or shake up in a mason jar).

STEP TWO

Use with your favorite protein. For best results let sit for at least 2 hours, but the longer the better.

ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS

This fresh and citrusy marinade only requires a few ingredients but the flavor is a perfect balance of earthy and citrus.

• extra virgin olive oil – You could also use avocado oil or even vegetable oil.
• Lime juice – I highly recommend using fresh limes, the flavor is stronger, and honestly… limes are still fairly inexpensive. The store-bought kind just doesn’t have the zip (but of course, if you’re in a pinch use what you’ve got). For a little extra lime, add the zest as well.
• Fresh Cilantro – Since you’re going to zap it through the processor, no need to chop. But when you’re measuring it, make sure to really jam that cilantro in there. don’t worry about the stems, they’re nice a soft so they’ll blend well.
• Garlic cloves – Do NOT use the jarred minced garlic. Garlic in a jar can sometimes have an ‘off’ flavor which is still detectable in cooked dishes. It’s also not as strong as fresh garlic, and usually is sitting in oil. It also may have other things like sugar, salts, or other additives to keep it fresh. It’s just better to use fresh, and the “time saver” isn’t much.
• Ground cumin – Adds an earthy and slight smokiness.
• Chili Powder – I love the Tex-Mex Profile that Chili Powder adds.
• Jalapeño – it adds a little kick, but not much. if you’re worried about spice, remove the seeds.
• Sea salt & black pepper – For seasoning.

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HOW TO USE THE MARINADE

USE AS A MARINADE

Simply pour over the meat of choice in a food-safe bag and let sit for one of the suggested times below:

• beef and other tough cuts: 4-24 hours
• Shrimp & fish: no more than 30 minutes.
• chicken and pork chops: maximum of 4 hours

USE WITH A SLOW COOKER

Pour the marinade over your choice of meat, add about 2 cups of stock, and set your slow cooker for the desired temp and the suggested time below:

• 6-7 lb Pork Roast: Low Setting (9 ½ hours); High Setting (7 ½ hours)
• 3-4 lb Pork Loin: Low Setting (6 hours); High Setting (5 hours)
• 6lbs of Chicken: Low Setting (7 ½ hours); High Setting (6 ¼ hours)
• 3-4 lb Beef roast: Low Setting (8 hours); High Setting (5 ¾ hours)

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