Copycat Lawry's Baja Chipotle Marinade
Description
A 5-minute copycat of Lawry's Baja Chipotle Marinade — smoky chipotle, fresh lime, and cumin in a thin, pourable marinade that clings to steak, chicken, and shrimp. No caramel color, no preservatives.
Ingredients
- ½ cup distilled white vinegar
- ⅓ cup fresh lime juice, about 3 limes
- ⅓ cup water
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground chipotle chile powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, crumbled
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk the tomato paste into the water until completely smooth. Do this first — adding paste to thin liquid causes clumps that won't disperse.
- Whisk in the vinegar and lime juice.
- Add the sugar, chipotle powder, salt, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Whisk about 30 seconds, until no dry pockets remain.
- Let rest 15 minutes so the ground spices hydrate. Taste and adjust — more lime for brightness, more chipotle for heat.
- Transfer to a jar. Shake before each use; it separates naturally.
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
Notes
Marinating times: Shrimp 15–30 minutes. Fish 20–30 minutes. Chicken breast 1–4 hours. Chicken thighs 2–8 hours. Steak 1–6 hours. Pork 2–8 hours. Vegetables 30 minutes–2 hours. This is a high-acid marinade — going long turns delicate proteins mushy.
Storage: Airtight jar in the refrigerator up to 3 weeks. With fresh garlic or cilantro added, use within 1 week. Freezes well in ice cube trays (each cube ≈ 2 tablespoons).
Food safety: Reserve marinade before it touches raw meat if you plan to baste or serve it. Never reuse marinade that contacted raw protein, or boil it a full 5 minutes first.
Chipotle: Use ground chipotle, not a seasoning blend. Substitute 2 minced canned chipotles in adobo plus 1 teaspoon sauce, blended smooth.
Salt: Amount assumes Morton kosher. Using Diamond Crystal, increase to 1 tablespoon; using table salt, reduce to 1¼ teaspoons.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ServingCalories: 15kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 0.4gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.03gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 432mgPotassium: 75mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 310IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 12mgIron: 1mg