Cilantro Lime Mexican Marinade

Lime juice's citric acid tenderizes faster than yogurt's lactic acid, but more gently than straight white vinegar — which makes cilantro lime marinade the fast, forgiving middle option when you didn't plan ahead. Swap in avocado oil instead of olive oil if you're grilling hot: olive oil starts smoking around 375°F, well below grill temperature, while avocado oil holds until roughly 520°F. The base — cilantro, lime, garlic, oregano, cumin, oil — takes about five minutes to put together. Keep the soak between 30 minutes and 4 hours; push past six and the citric acid starts turning the texture mealy instead of tender. It's equally at home on chicken thighs, shrimp, or a firm white fish like mahi-mahi.