This Chili Lime Marinade uses only 4 simple ingredients (plus a few staple spices) and is perfect on chicken, steak, shrimp, fish, or even veggies! It's so versatile and the proteins or veggies can be cooked on the grill, in the oven, the air fryer, or even in a pan on the stove.
No matter if you use the chili marinade for chicken, fish, veggies, or really anything else - the flavors pair well with so many sides! Some of my favorite pairings are this Elote Dip, roasted mini peppers. Grilled Potato Wedges.
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⭐️Why I Love It
- Bright Tasting - The combination of fresh zesty lime with chili powder and other easy spices is a great combination of zesty, bright, and lightly spiced! If you love recipes with lime, also try this Cilantro Lime Marinade recipe or Cilantro Lime Pasta Salad.
- Simple Ingredients - You only need 4 simple ingredients (plus a few pantry staple spices) to make this super flavorful marinade.
- Super Versatile - I love that this marinade works well with chicken, beef, shrimp, or veggies! One of my favorite ways to use it is to marinate chicken thighs that I then cook on the grill, stove, or air fryer.
🥘Ingredients
- Fresh Limes - You'll use both the zest and the juice! Using the zest too adds so much flavor. Just rub a microplane over the surface of the lime to zest before slicing in half & juicing.
- Olive Oil - You can swap in a different oil like canola oil or avocado oil.
- Minced Garlic - Freshly minced is best for flavor, but the pre-minced garlic in a jar is fine too. In a pinch, you can swap in garlic powder. Use ½ teaspoon of garlic powder per teaspoon of minced garlic.
- Honey - This adds a subtle sweetness to balance the spices. You can also use agave nectar.
- Spices - Chili Powder, Ground Cumin, Paprika, Dried Oregano - These spices give the marinade most of its flavor! Ancho Chile powder is a great swap for the regular chili powder, as is a smoke paprika for the regular paprika.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🍗Pairing Suggestions for the Marinade
I love how versatile a chili lime marinade is, but here are some of my favorite uses!
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs or Breasts - These can be cooked on the grill (like this grilled cilantro lime chicken thigh recipe), in the oven at 400 degrees F for 20-30 minutes, or in the air fryer (like these air fryer sesame chicken thighs), or on the stove top over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes per side. The chili powder and other spices give a nice browning and subtle crust to the chicken.
- Veggies like Bell Pepper, Onions, Zucchini, or Broccoli - Marinate the veggies then either skewer and grill over medium heat, roast on a sheet pan at 400 degrees F until tender, or sauté in a pan on the stove.
- Shrimp or Fish - Marinated seafood can also be cooked on the grill (like these grilled shrimp kabobs), in the air fryer (like this air fryer honey garlic salmon), oven (like in these sheet pan shrimp fajitas), or on the stove.
🔪Step by Step Instructions
Photo 1 - In a medium bowl (or gallon zip top bag) add the oil, lime zest and juice, minced garlic, honey, and spices.
Photo 2 - Mix to combine (or shake up in bag).
Photo 3 - Marinade can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days before using or you can use it right away to marinate proteins or veggies in the fridge.
Photo 4 - Protein and veggies can be marinated for as little as 20 minutes (don't want to go too long or the lime juice can impact the texture, see below for more details!). Then just cook to your preferences - it's great on the grill, stove, oven, or air fryer.
⏱️Marinating Times
Due to the citrus (lime juice) in the marinade, you don't want proteins to sit in the marinade for too long or the texture can be impacted. See time guidelines below:
- Seafood – Marinate for at least 20 minutes but no more than 30 minutes.
- Chicken & Pork – Marinate for at least 20 minutes & no more than 4 hours.
- Beef – Marinate for at least 20 minutes & up to 12 hours.
- Veggies – Marinate for at least 20 minutes & up to 12 hours.
💭Recipe Tips
- Prep Marinade in Advance - The marinade can be mixed together up to 5 days in advance, and stored in the fridge, then just combine with your proteins or veggies before cooking. I like to prep the marinade in a mason jar (you can shake it to mix it up) then store in the jar.
- Make it Spicy - As written, this marinade is not spicy. But if you want a kick, try adding some diced jalapeño or even ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
🍽Leftovers and Storage
Store marinade on its own in the fridge for up to 5 days. The storage time of cooked proteins or veggies in the marinade will vary:
- Cooked chili lime chicken or steak can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Cooked chili lime shrimp or fish can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Cooked chili lime veggies can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
👩🍳Recipe FAQs
It's always best to marinate things in the fridge (especially raw meat like chicken, fish, or beef). I like to marinate either in a glass bowl (covered with plastic wrap) or in a plastic gallon zip to bag (I place the sealed bag in a large bowl in case it leaks).
🔥Related Grilling Recipes...
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PrintRecipe
Chili Lime Marinade
This Chili Lime Marinade uses only 4 simple ingredients (plus a few staple spices) and is perfect on chicken, steak, shrimp, fish, or even veggies! It's so versatile and the proteins or veggies can be cooked on the grill, in the oven, the air fryer, or even in a pan on the stove.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: Marinade for ~1lb meat/veggies
- Category: Main
- Method: Grilling, Oven, Air Fryer, Stove
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1-1.5 pounds meat or veggies, for marinating
Instructions
- Mix Marinade - In a medium bowl (or gallon zip top bag) add the oil, lime zest and juice, minced garlic, honey, and spices. Mix to combine (or shake up in bag).
- Store or use Marinade - Marinade can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days before using or you can use it right away to marinate proteins or veggies in the fridge.
- Marinate Meat or Veggies - Protein and veggies can be marinated for as little as 20 minutes (don't want to go too long or the lime juice can impact the texture, see below for more details!). Then just cook to your preferences - it's great on the grill, stove, oven, or air fryer.
Notes
The marinade on its own can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Marinating Times: Seafood – Marinate for at least 20 minutes but no more than 30 minutes. Chicken & Pork – Marinate for at least 20 minutes & no more than 4 hours. Beef – Marinate for at least 20 minutes & up to 12 hours. Veggies – Marinate for at least 20 minutes & up to 12 hours.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ of marinade
- Calories: 146
- Sugar: 4.6 g
- Sodium: 331.3 mg
- Fat: 14.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 6.6 g
- Fiber: 0.7 g
- Protein: 0.4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Katie says
I used this on chicken and potatoes that I then grilled and they were both fantastic!