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.
What You’ll Need To Make Tequila Lime Chicken
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.
I don’t use the juice of the limes in the marinade because, contrary to popular belief, acidic ingredients (such as vinegar or lemon juice) do not tenderize lean boneless chicken breasts. Just the opposite: they “cook” the exterior of the meat and give it a leathery texture. The zest is enough to give the chicken the essence of lime, while still maintaining its succulent texture.
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 chili 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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Great recipe! So flavorful! Once again, a terrific recipe, thank you Jenn! I paired it with your black bean/corn/avocado/lime salad. PERFECT. Your recipes are the BEST. This week I’m trying the Tandoori Chicken. Love all the spices in these recipes. I will pair it with your suggested Basmati Rice Pilaf with Dried Fruit and Almonds as a side.
After a family gathering serving the grilled chicken with your recipe, I had to try this one next! Followed the recipe verbatim. OMG, phenomenal! Tequila (Patron). Chicken. Who knew?!! Thank you Jenn! Chef’s kiss!
The flavours were fantastic
We just finished dinner … this was delicious! I prepared the marinade pretty much per recipe except I only zested one large lime. I prepared the chicken itself a little different. The chicken breasts at local grocers or gourmet markets are huge, so I fully butterfly them. I did pound only slightly to even out the thickness. I marinated about 2 hours due to timing of discovering recipe and timing for dinner. The chicken was juicy, moist, and incredibly flavorful. Next time I will add the zest of the 2nd lime and marinate longer (plan ahead). I also think this marinade would be amazing with grilled thick-cut pork chops or pork tenderloin. Thank you for a delicious recipe.
Sounds delish and will be making this and your black bean salad for a family dinner after an afternoon at the lake. Do you think I could marinate some firm tofu chunks in this marinade and grill them on skewers for for a vegetarian option? Thanks for your help and your always stellar recipes Jen.
Hi Kim, I don’t have any experience with tofu, but I know that it soaks up marinades nicely. If you know that you’ll get results with grilling tofu, I’d go for it!
I used chicken thighs from Costco and they were juicy, tender, and delicious! The last time I made this, I used breasts, but I prefer thighs.
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! I love your recipes and I love your pairing suggestions for making a complete meal. Thank you!
I purchased a large amount of chicken breasts, can I freeze this recipe (raw chicken) in the marinade, thaw 24 hours before putting on the grill?
Sure!
Love your recipes!
Question: I’d like to make this tonight but don’t have any tequila at home. Can I substitute something for it, or just eliminate it? Thanks!
Hi Kelly, I’d replace the tequila with more olive oil — it will still be great. Hope you enjoy!
Amazingly good!!! I didn’t have a grill so I cooked it in my cast iron skillet on a high heat setting, put the chicken in the smoking hot skillet, covered it and flipped it after 2 – 3 minutes. The color was as delightful as the flavor. My husband loved it so much. I have more in marinade right now that I’ll serve to family tomorrow. Wonderful recipe!!! Thanks again and again and again, Jenn!!!
This was delicious and easy just as is. Took a little longer than 2-3 minutes per side for me. Might not have had the grill hot enough or chicken pounded thin enough. Also great with black bean avocado corn salad, which again was perfect as is, though I did half the recipe. I have never had a recipe fail from your website. Thank you as always.
Please add 5 star rating to my comment
Can you use boneless chicken thighs instead of breasts?
Sure, they’ll just take a bit longer to cook. Hope you enjoy!
Please be so kind to advise temp and time, etc to cook in oven. Thank you very much.
Hi Mira, for indoor cooking, I use both the stove and the oven. On the stove, I’d sear the chicken over high heat (for a min or two per side until browned) then finish it in a 350-degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Hope you enjoy!
Jenn: When searing the chicken on the stove, do I put a little oil in the skillet … or is the chicken oiled enough from the marinade? Thank you.
Hi Francis, there should be enough oil coating the chicken from the marinade that you shouldn’t need anymore oil, but there’s not problem if you want to use just a bit. Hope you enjoy!
The Chicken breasts and chicken thighs were moist and tasty, so good in fact, that my grandchildren asked for seconds and reached for thirds. I baked it in the oven because the grill was out of commission…all still delicious. Thank you.
I served this with Mexican rice and the Black Bean, Corn, and Avocado Salad- simply by far my son’s favorite. It rates up there for me, too. Cooked broccoli for the young ones. Great presentation.
Thank you for the tasty suggestions and full meal plans. These recipes are keepers.
My niece prepared this recipe for a Memorial Day BBQ. It was delicious, digestible, balanced, not too spicy….just right. I asked her for the recipe and she was kind enough to send the link to your website. I can’t wait to make this myself.
Hi Jenn,
Can I use chicken drumsticks here?Would I need to change anything? I’m thinking of doing about 8-10 drumsticks. Thanks!
Yes, chicken drumsticks would be fine here. I’d make 1.5 times the marinade to make sure you have enough and use the cooking guidance from this recipe. I’d love to hear how this turns out with drumsticks!
Jenn!!!!! I can’t even tell you how delicious this chicken was. I made it with tenderloins because I’m not so great with cutting chicken 🤢. This was amazing. I served it with your Mexican rice, corn/bean salad and a Romain salad with the copy cat chipotle dressing. A huge hit and will be serving it all to family next weekend. I can’t thank you enough for your amazing recipes!!!! 😊
Can I make the marinade a day before, and put it in a mason jar, in the fridge? The next day I will add it to the chicken and marinate overnight.
Definitely!
We made this with chicken tenderloins and it was absolutely delicious! Would it work with shrimp?
Thank you, Jenn, for all that you do!
Glad you liked it! Yes, I think it would work with shrimp. Let me know how it turns out if you try it!
Hi Jenn,
Following up – we made it with jumbo prawns (exactly the same recipe but just reduced the marinading time to ~30 min) and we liked it more if that’s even possible! Served with your avocado summer salad and Mexican rice which I thought the flavors would compete but they blended beautifully! Absolutely one of our favorites now. Kids devoured them – can’t thank you enough!
So glad it worked well with the shrimp — thanks for taking the time to follow-up!