Homemade Cilantro Lime Marinade (Vegan)
Dairy-free Cilantro Lime Marinade for Everything! Everyone needs a go-to marinade or sauce that is versatile enough to go with just about anything. That’s why you need to make my dairy-free homemade cilantro lime marinade. With cilantro, lime, peppers, and savory flavors, it’s got a fresh yet pungent, tangy, and tartness that will have you pouring…
Dairy-free Cilantro Lime Marinade for Everything!
Everyone needs a go-to marinade or sauce that is versatile enough to go with just about anything. That’s why you need to make my dairy-free homemade cilantro lime marinade. With cilantro, lime, peppers, and savory flavors, it’s got a fresh yet pungent, tangy, and tartness that will have you pouring it on everything.
Cilantro adds such a nice touch of green and a good dose of nutrition too. This fresh marinade brings all the flavor in a fresh way. Don’t use that processed stuff! You can make this homemade cilantro lime marinade in just minutes!
Best Marinade/Sauce/Dip for Meat, Fish & Veggies
All these flavors come together to really make your meals unforgettable. You can marinate your favorite cuts of chicken, turkey, lamb, beef, fish, tofu, or even veggies with cilantro marinade. It also makes an incredible dip or sauce. Check out my cilantro-marinated turkey legs, chicken, and lamb chops! This marinade, aka sauce, makes everything unique.
Moment of truth, I debated for the longest time whether to call this recipe cilantro lime marinade or cilantro lime sauce. I settled with the former because I literally marinate all my meat, fish, and veggies in this sauce!
Why You Will Love Homemade Cilantro Lime Marinade:
- It’s the best because you make it at home with the freshest ingredients!
- Quick; it only takes a few minutes to put together.
- It’s full of healthy ingredients and big flavors.
- You will love it on just about everything, SO VERSATILE!
- It’s gluten-free, vegan, and dairy-free.
- This marinade has no sugars, so it’s a healthy yet delicious choice.
- Also, cilantro leaves are health-improving; they can lower blood sugar and help the body fight infections.
Ingredients for Dairy-Free Cilantro Lime Marinade:
- Fresh cilantro leaves
- Limes
- Fresh garlic
- Poblano pepper
- Serrano peppers
- Green onions/spring onions
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Cracked red pepper
- Black pepper
- Knorr bouillon seasoning (optional but it adds flavor)
How to Make Vegan Cilantro Lime Marinade at Home
Gather the ingredients, and then get ready because, in just a couple of minutes, you’re going to have this cilantro lime marinade that you’ll wonder how you ever lived without before!
- Wash
You’ll want to start by washing your ingredients. Be sure to pat them dry with paper towels.
- Peel, Cut & Deseed
You’ll next peel your garlic and deseed the poblano pepper. This step will reduce the heat, though if you like it hot, feel free to go for it. You’ll cut the poblano in half and then cut the spring onions too.
- Put in Food Processor
Now you’re ready to add all these ingredients into your food processor. I recommend starting with the fresh stuff first. Garlic, serrano, poblano, spring onions, and cilantro. Then juice the lime into there and add those remaining ingredients.
- Process
Make sure you put the lid on your food processor tight. Then pulse the ingredients until they’re almost smooth. It should have little chunks in it but be mostly incorporated together.
How to Use Cilantro Lime Marinade
I love using this cilantro lime marinade with about anything – meats, fish, and tofu. It’s sublime this way, adding plenty of flavors and making everything nice and tender. You can also use it as a sauce for bowls to take things up a notch with big flavors that are healthy. And, of course, this makes a beautiful dip for cooked proteins and veggies, or even with raw veggies for a party platter.
How to Store the Leftovers
If you have leftover cilantro lime marinade that you didn’t get to use, put it in a mason jar, and it should keep in your fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it in ice cube trays which make yummy flavor bombs to throw into your meals. Make sure you use those within 6 months.
Equally, you can boil down the leftover to reduce the moisture if you prefer.
Recipe Notes/Tips:
- This recipe is completely vegan and gluten-free so everyone can enjoy it.
- It really goes great with anything. It’s my ace in the hole for marinades, dips, and sauces.
- For those that really love spicy, you can skip deseeding the peppers, though I recommend following the recipe first and seeing how the heat suits you.
- Also, feel free to use any hot pepper you have on hand. It doesn’t have to be serrano and poblano.
- If you want this marinade to become creamier, do not add oil alongside the other ingredients. I suggest drizzling the oil as you start the food processor (just as you would when making pesto). That helps it to thicken, making it more creamy.
- If you do not have a food processor, you can easily pound these ingredients using a pestle and mortar. But I love my food processor; I have had it for 4+ years!
- This is a savory marinade; however, if you want it sweet, add your sweetener of choice.
- Leave out the Knorr if you do not wish to use it.
Dairy-Free Cilantro Lime Marinade FAQs
Do you still have questions about my dairy-free cilantro lime marinade? You’ll find the answers right here.
This marinade is made with fresh cilantro leaves, lime juice, garlic, poblano pepper, serrano pepper, spring onions, olive oil, cracked red pepper, Knorr bouillon seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
It has a very fresh taste with pungent and savory flavors mixed with tangy and tart. It’s spectacular on just about everything you can think of.
As it’s a fresh marinade, you’ll want to use it up as quickly as possible for the best quality. That said, you can keep it for about 5 days in your fridge.
Any chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, or fish will go beautifully with these flavors. Tofu is also a match because it just soaks up the flavors of everything around it. You can use it with cooked veggies or raw veggies too. Serve it with rustic crackers or bread along with cut up veggies for a party or holiday. It’s just so good!
In a quarter cup, cilantro only has one calorie. It’s a healthy herb that adds more vitamins and nutrition to your meal. You get vitamin A which is great for eye and heart health. It also has vitamin K, which is good for blood coagulation as well as nourishing the kidneys and bones. And cilantro may be beneficial to the liver too, by protecting it from toxins.
Variations/Substitutions
- If you want it creamy, add cashews or dairy-free yogurt. This will make an amazing salad dressing!
- No food processor? Simply chop things up. You can also use your blender or better still, use pestle and mortar (the old-fashion way)!.
- Swap the lime for lemon if that’s all you’ve got. It will still come out delicious.
- You can also trade up the peppers and play with the spice level of this marinade.
- Want to jazz up your tacos? Make it a cilantro lime crema by adjusting the ingredients for a creamier base. Traditionally, this is done with sour cream, but you can keep it vegan with a dairy-free Greek yogurt base.
How to Make Cilantro Lime Marinade at Home:
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Homemade Cilantro Lime Marinade (Vegan & Versatile)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Sauces
- Method: Food processor
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Homemade cilantro lime marinade is pungent, tangy, and packed with flavors. Combine fresh cilantro leaves, limes, garlic, poblano pepper, Serrano peppers, green onions/spring onions, olive oil, salt, and pepper to make the best cilantro lime marinade. This easy cilantro marinade is Versatile; great as a marinade, sauce, dip, or dressing. Cilantro lime marinade/sauce is vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, and health-improving!
Ingredients
- 1 Bunch of Fresh Cilantro Leaves
- 2 Limes
- 5 cloves of Fresh garlic
- 1 big Poblano Pepper
- 2 Serrano peppers
- A handful of green onions/spring onions (about 3 – 4)
- ½ cup Olive oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Knorr Bouillon Seasoning (optional; highly recommended)
- 1 tsp Cracked Red pepper
- ½ tsp Black pepper
Instructions
- Wash. You’ll want to start by washing your ingredients. Be sure to pat them dry with paper towels.
- Peel, Cut, and Deseed. You’ll next peel your garlic and deseed the poblano pepper. This step will reduce the heat, though if you like it hot, feel free to go for it. You’ll cut the poblano in half and then cut the spring onions too.
- Put in Food Processor. Now you’re ready to add all these ingredients into your food processor. I recommend starting with the fresh stuff first. Garlic, serrano, poblano, spring onions, and cilantro. Then juice the lime into there and add those remaining ingredients.
- Process. Make sure you put the lid on your food processor tight. Then pulse the ingredients until they’re almost smooth. It should have little chunks in it but be mostly incorporated together.
Notes
- This recipe is completely vegan and gluten-free so everyone can enjoy it.
- It really goes great with anything. It’s my ace in the hole for marinades, dips, and sauces.
- For those that really love spicy, you can skip deseeding the peppers, though I recommend following the recipe first and seeing how the heat suits you.
- If you want this marinade to become creamier, do not add oil alongside the other ingredients. I suggest drizzling the oil as you start the food processor (just as you would when making pesto). That helps it to thicken, making it more creamy.
- If you do not have a food processor, you can easily pound these ingredients using a pestle and mortar. But I love my food processor; I have had it for 4+ years!
- This is a savory marinade; however, if you want it sweet, add your sweetener of choice.
What to Season with Cilantro Lime Marinade:
Tastiest Cilantro Marinated Lamb Chops are so flavorful and juicy that you will never cook lamb chops any other way! Perfect for the holidays or Sunday dinners!
Season your next Turkey Legs with a couple of tablespoons of homemade cilantro lime marinade to enjoy the finger-licking good turkey drumsticks!
I added this gorgeous marinade/sauce to this quinoa bowl; it was a thrill! Funny enough, I equally marinated the boneless chicken thighs I served with this bowl in cilantro sauce. This marinade/sauce is Versatile. YUM
More Sauces to Try:
Healthy Vegan Romesco Sauce Recipe:
Balsamic Reduction Sauce with only one Ingredient!
More Vegan Recipes to Try:
- Sweet Potato Rounds with Avocado
- Ripe Sweet Plantains Energy Balls
- Healthy Vegan Oatmeal Cookies with Almonds
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THANKS FOR STOPPING BY! Stay well, safe and keep living your life to the fullest!
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