Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken
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Also known as “margarita chicken,” this tequila lime chicken is loaded with bright Southwestern flavor.
Tequila Lime Chicken, a.k.a. Margarita Chicken, is one of those dishes that just screams fun. The marinade is a combination of tequila, lime, garlic and spices, and it’s loaded with bright Southwestern flavor. Contrary to what you might think, this recipe is family friendly. The tequila is mild and the chicken isn’t too spicy. Pair it with my black bean salad, restaurant-style salsa, cornbread muffins, and margaritas for a Southwestern-themed cookout.
Table of Contents
“Made this for friends last weekend along with your black bean salad with corn, avocado & lime vinaigrette and cornbread muffins. The whole meal was a huge hit! Thank you!”
What You’ll Need To Make Tequila Lime Chicken
- Olive oil: Serves as the base for the marinade, helping to blend the flavors and ensure the chicken stays moist and tender during cooking.
- Tequila: Gives the chicken a hint of boozy agave flavor that’s unmistakably tequila. It’s what makes this dish a little special and a lot delicious.
- Lime zest: Provides a bright, citrusy note that complements the tequila. Contrary to popular belief, acidic ingredients like lime juice don’t tenderize lean boneless chicken breasts but can actually “cook” the exterior, leading to a leathery texture. Using just the zest ensures the chicken remains succulent, capturing the lime’s flavor while maintaining its tenderness.
- Garlic: Lends robust flavor to the marinade.
- Ancho chile pepper, coriander, oregano: This spice blend contributes warmth, earthiness, and a hint of herbal brightness, giving the chicken a Southwestern flavor profile.
- Honey: Balances the acidity, salt, and heat with its natural sweetness.
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: Pounded to an even thickness, these cuts absorb the flavors well and cook up beautifully tender and juicy.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Tequila Lime Chicken
Step 1: Pound the Chicken
Place the chicken breasts in a 1-gallon freezer bag and pound to an even ½-inch thickness. This both tenderizes the meat and ensures even cooking. Left in their natural shape, the thin side of the fillet dries out while the thicker side finishes cooking.
Step 2: Make the Marinade
Begin by zesting the limes with a fine or Microplane grater. Simply rub the lime in one direction against the blades, turning the fruit as you go. Be sure to remove only the green part; the white pith underneath is bitter.
Mix all of the ingredients except for the chicken together in a 1-gallon zip-lock bag (go ahead and use the same one you used for pounding if it is still in good shape). Add the chicken breasts to the bag and massage the marinade into the meat until evenly coated.
Step 3: Marinate
Seal the bag and place in a bowl in the refrigerator (the bowl protects against leakage); let the chicken marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Step 4: Grill
Preheat the grill to high heat and cook, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Be careful not to overcook; when pounded thin, chicken breasts cook very quickly.
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Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken
Also known as “margarita chicken,” this tequila lime chicken is loaded with bright Southwestern flavor.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons tequila
- 1 tablespoon lime zest, from about 2 limes
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1¼ teaspoons ground ancho chile pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or about 2 pounds), pounded to an even ½-inch thickness
- 1 lime, sliced into wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients except for the chicken breasts in a 1-gallon freezer bag. Close the bag and squish the marinade around to mix. Add the chicken breasts and massage the marinade into the meat until evenly coated. Seal the bag and place it in a bowl in the refrigerator (the bowl protects against leakage); marinate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Clean the grill and preheat to high. Lightly dip a wad of paper towels in vegetable oil and, using tongs, carefully rub over the grates several times until glossy and coated. (Alternatively, you can spray the grates with a non-flammable cooking spray.) Place the chicken breasts on the grill and spoon any remaining marinade from the bag over top. Grill, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes per side (turning only once). Serve immediately with lime wedges.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Serving size: 1 chicken breast
- Calories: 399
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Sugar: 3g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 51g
- Sodium: 1015mg
- Cholesterol: 151mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Holy. Cow. This was AMAZING. I also made the Black Bean Salad with Corn, Red Peppers and Avocado in a Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette to go along with it. My wife and I agreed- this is, so far, the best meal I have ever made- and back in the day, I cooked in a restaurant for seven years!
The corn salad viewed in the Tequila chicken is found where — Love to get your recipe for that too
Hi Susan, I don’t have a specific recipe for that side, but this salad would be wonderful with it:
https://www.onceuponachef.com/2014/06/black-bean-corn-salad-chipotle-honey-vinaigrette.html
I made this chicken over the weekend and it turned out great!! I did not really measure things out exactly, but it still turned out flavorful. Also, I had no idea that it was better to use lime zest than the lime juice for marinating chicken. I’m really happy with how the chicken turned out, and it was so easy. Thanks!
I’m sorry. You only mentioned using both chicken tenderloin AND chicken breasts in the ingredients list. In the directions you only mention chicken breasts.
Made it with chicken breasts and LOVED it. All your recipes have been so wonderful!
Thank you
Lorna
In the ingredient list and in the directions You mention using both chicken tenderloins and chicken breasts. Is that correct or is it either/or?
Thanks
Lorna
Made this the other day and it was soooo good! Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks for posting this again, Jen. These are ingredients I almost always have on hand. I’m always looking for new chicken marinades and love your Moroccan chicken recipes. I didn’t know that citrus juice makes chicken leathery! Great to have the tip as well.
Hi, do you think this marinade would work well with pork? Believe it or not, my husband is allergic to chicken. 🙂
Hi Liz, Yes, I think that it would work well. Please let me know how it turns out!
It is fabulous with pork! My husband has a poultry allergy (I know… weird) so we couldn’t do chicken. We have had this marinade with pork tenderloin several times. We just recently had twins and since there just isn’t enough time to drink, we are happy to have another use for all the tequila we used to drink before children sucked the fun out of us. 🙂
We just finished this dish for supper. It was delicious. The blend of spices with the honey and Tequila was so flavorful. I made no substitutions. Loved that I could make the marinade in the morning while cleaning the kitchen and then had little to do but grill in the hot evening. I served this with a quinoa, black bean and corn salad. It went very well since the salad had a lime vinaigrette. This will be the next meal I cook for guests.
I really enjoy grilling foods and this is one of the best chicken recipes that I have made. I was only able to marinate the chicken for less than an hour and it still had very good flavor. Thanks for providing very flavorful and healthy recipes. I look forward to trying many more of your recipes.