Cilantro Lime Marinade for Chicken & Shrimp
This cilantro lime marinade is made with fresh lime juice, cilantro, garlic, and spices, then used to marinate both chicken and shrimp for an easy, flavor-packed dinner. The protein is either grilled, cooked on a Blackstone, or made in a skillet and served over jasmine rice with a fresh mango avocado salsa. It’s a delicious summertime dinner that you’ll want to make again and again!
Servings: 6 people
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs chicken breasts cut into 1-2 inch cubes
- 1 lb peeled & deveined shrimp tails removed. I used 21/30 size
- jasmine rice for serving
Marinade
- ½ cup olive oil
- Juice from 2 limes
- Zest from 2 limes
- ½ cup fresh cilantro chopped very fine, almost minced
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
Mango Salsa
- 1 cup mango diced
- 1 avocado diced
- 1 small cucumber diced
- ½ red bell pepper diced
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- ¼ cup red onion diced
- 1 jalapeno seeded and diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- juice from 1 lime
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl and whisk well. Add the cubed chicken and thawed shrimp to a large ziplock bag or shallow dish and pour the marinade over. Toss to combine so every piece is covered. Marinate for 30 minutes, up to overnight.
- Make the salsa: Combine the ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine. This can also be made up to a day ahead of time.
Regular Grill
- Heat grill to medium high heat. Thread the marinated chicken and shrimp onto separate skewers. Grill for 3-4 minutes on each side for chicken skewers until they reach 165 degrees, and 1-2 minutes on each side for the shrimp skewers.
Blackstone / Flat Top Grill
- Heat grill to medium high heat. Remove the chicken pieces using tongs and place on the grill top, spread out about 1 inch from each other. Place the shrimp onto the grill in an even layer next to the chicken. Cook the chicken on one side for 3-4 minutes, then flip and continue cooking until done. For the shrimp, cook 1-2 minutes on each side then remove from the grill.
Stovetop / Skillet
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Use tongs to remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and place them into the pan in an even layer. Cook 3-4 minutes without touching, then flip and continue cooking 2-3 more minutes. Remove them and set aside. Add the shrimp in an even layer to the same pan and cook 1-2 minutes on each side.
- Serve the chicken and shrimp over jasmine rice topped with some of the mango salsa, and enjoy!
Notes
- Zest the lime before juicing it. It makes prep much easier.
- Cut the chicken into similar-sized pieces so everything cooks evenly.
- Use a thermometer for the chicken rather than relying on appearance alone. Chicken is done when it reaches 165°F.
- If making the salsa ahead of time, wait to add the avocado until shortly before serving for the best texture.
- Store the cooked chicken, shrimp, rice, and salsa in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- The salsa can be made up to a day ahead. If possible, wait to add the avocado until just before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 194mg | Sodium: 636mg | Potassium: 935mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 974IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 1mg