This recipe works well for both beef and chicken. Fresh lime juice and fresh garlic add an extra punch to this recipe, and I don't recommend skimping on those two ingredients -- it's worth the added effort. (I like to buy the large bags of limes at the warehouse club, juice them all at once, and freeze the juice in ice cube trays. Makes it super easy to just thaw what I need, and the price is very good doing it this way!) Adjust the amount of crushed red pepper to control the spice level. If you like it with an extra kick, add a dash of your favorite hot sauce. This recipe will flavor about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of meat.
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. minced onion (either use fresh or reconstitue some dried minced onion with 2-3 tablespoons of water)
1 1/2 pounds sliced boneless, skinless chicken breast or beef flank steak
Mix olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, red pepper flakes, and onion in a measuring cup. Place meat in a reclosable bag. Pour marinade over meat and seal bag, removing as much air as possible. Squish the bag to blend and make sure marinade comes in contact with as much meat as possible. Place sealed bag in the refrigerator and allow to marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes. Meat can be frozen in the marinade.
