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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Great recipe! Made it for nine..all gone!
This was so delicious! Put it over some black beans heated up with chicken broth. Had some cut up tomatoes, avocado, a smidge of cream, little Colby jack cheese, corn and small amount of tortilla chips. (Sort of a copy cat of Chili’s margarita chicken, but SOOOOO much better!). The chicken was so flavorful and juicy! Marinated overnight! It was perfect! Thank you!
I was not able to make the guacamole as `I did not have the ingredients. I will absolutely make it next time. This is the best grilled chicken I have ever had. Thank you so much!
What’s the best tequila to use in this recipe?
Hi Rachel, I use 1800 Silver tequila for this, but any decent tequila will work. 🙂
Made this for a friend who said she liked it. I had never had it before. I forgot to pound the chicken so it was blackened a bit by the time the breasts were done, but everyone loved it! I can’t wait to try it prepared properly. Thank you for sharing this.
Absolutely the best marinade ! The chicken was so juicy and flavorful. I marinated for about 5 hours. I patted them dry and sprinkled with them with grape seed oil before grilling.
Impeccable. Love this recipe. My family’s favorite.
I cannot find Ancho Chile powder. Any suggested substitute? Thank you.
Hi Sheryl, You can use regular chile powder here instead. Enjoy!
Could you use this marinade on salmon? Or would it cook the salmon too much?
You could, but I’d limit the marinating time to a few hours. Please LMK how it turns out with salmon!
Mariano’s sell it or look in the Mexican food aisle & grind whole dried peppers using coffee grinder.
Can I bake this dish? Also can I use bone in thighs?
Thanks!
Edythe
Hi Edythe, Yes, I think you could use bone in thighs here but I’d add the juice of one lime to the marinade. If you want to bake them, I’d bake them I’d put them in a 400-degree oven for 55 minutes give or take. Please LMK how they turn out!
Hi Jenn,
This recipe sounds delicious. Could I use chicken tenderloins and if so, what adjustments would I need to make. Thank you.
Sure, but you won’t need to pound them out. Other than that, no modifications needed. Enjoy!
Made this for a get together with friends, last night, after not seeing each other since March 2020. What a hit! The chicken turned out moist and tasty. Served with the black bean and corn salad, and a spinach salad. And margarita’s, of course.
Recipe goes on the keeper list – like almost everything on your blog, Jen!
I want to really try this recipe but I need to be on a sodium restricted diet. This recipe has a lot of sodium. Would it be just as good without all the added salt?
Hi Deb, The salt definitely adds flavor. You could try cutting the salt in half if that works for you and then add more to taste when serving if you feel like it’s necessary. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Delicious and juicy chicken. I marinated the chicken breasts overnight so this made for a really easy dinner. Would recommend! I paired with the corn, black bean, and avocado salad recipe that Jenn has and some cheese quesadillas- such a yummy dinner! Thanks for another awesome recipe.
So flavorful and moist! Served the chicken with your delicious chipotle-honey black bean and corn salad and your yummy corn muffins … a great meal enjoyed by all!
I never leave comments. I found this recipe 8years ago and I make it all the time. I also make the salad side dish you recommend. Both are excellent. I have made this chicken for tacos before as well. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe.😍
We do have alcohol but I don’t have any tequila, no vodka either. Mostly I just keep liquor that I’ll use cooking and don’t want to add to it. Could I use brandy? Rum? Vermouth ? Sherry? Whiskey? That’s all I have.
Hi Maxine, I think whiskey will work. 🙂
Simple and delicious, will definitely make again
Perfection – easy, delicious, moist, and taste very fresh. Will be making this chicken over and over again. You have to try it!
We are a nonalcoholic household, I know alcohol burns off when cooking, but I just don’t use it. Any suggestions for a substitute for the tequila?
Hi Suzanne, I’d replace the tequila with more olive oil — will still be delicious. Enjoy!
Made this tonight for the first time. I marinaded the chicken for about 8 hours in the fridge and then grilled on my gas Weber. DELICIOUS!!! Had a great kick to it (I as a little heavy-handed with the chili powder!). Served with Zatarian’s cilantro lime rice and a side salad with baby leaf lettuce. Perfection and super easy.
I made this chicken recipe with the black bean and corn salad for the side dish. The chicken was tender and had a great flavor. I also made the margaritas for the whole tequila night dinner.
Outstanding! Followed directions exactly and marinated 4 chicken breasts for 7 hours. Took a bit longer on grill, about 5-6 minutes to cook through per side. Results were amazing! So juicy and flavorful! Even my mom who always says she hates chicken served herself seconds and took home the leftovers! Jenn you are a ROCKSTAR!
❤️
I recently made the grilled tequila chicken and thought it was very tasty. I wanted to clarify what type salt you specify in your recipes? Thank you!
Hi Karen, I use fine sea salt or table salt (they are interchangeable), unless otherwise specified. Glad you enjoyed!
This chicken is delicious and bursting with classic southwest flavors! The first night I made it for my fiance and I and served with Jenn’s black bean and corn salad with chipotle and honey vinaigrette. We took the leftovers of both the chicken and bean/corn salad the following night and made an epic quesadilla out of it with some added pepper jack cheese and fresh avocado and sour cream to top. Now that spring is here, a fresh margarita to go alongside isn’t a bad idea either 🙂
I’d like to use this marinade for baking/roasting bone-in chicken pieces. Any reason why not?
That should be fine – enjoy!
Perfection. I have made this recipes numerous times over past year. The chicken comes out moist and perfectly seasoned. My family loves it.
Made this last night. Grilled in a snowstorm. Worth it! One thing I learned, and it kind of pains me, but pounding the chicken in a ziplock bag (I usually just pound away or maybe use some waxed paper) made for some really lovely, uniform breasts w/o a lot of collateral damage. I hate using single-use bags, but I made myself feel better by reusing it to marinate the chicken. Anyway. Rock star chicken, super delish, and really good looking, too, thanks to the plastic bag treatment. Needed a new sensation and got it with this recipe. Thanks!
This is absolutely delicious! It is incredibly moist and bursting with lively flavors! I always make extra so we have leftovers!
This is one of my family’s favorite chicken recipes. Boneless skinless chicken breasts can at times be very boring, but this recipe is so flavorful that the chicken is almost completely transformed. Sometimes to change things up, I slice the chicken up afterwards and make it into fantastic fajitas. I have even found that the marinade works great with other proteins, like shrimp! We did this last night with shrimp and the kids gobbled it right up.
This is my husband’s favorite chicken marinade. Perfect for our SoCal weather and in our regular grilling rotation.
This is a great way for BBQ. I use my Big Green Egg on direct cook @ 350 for about 20′. Very nice blending of flavors with the BBQ chicken.
Good morning,
Love all your recipes!
Can I substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs?
Thank you.
So glad you like the recipes! Sure, thighs will work here. Hope you enjoy!
Great recipe! I have been marinating chicken in this and using it for fajitas. I made the recipe twice in the last 3 days! It has been raining the last few days so I have been cooking the chicken breasts in a cast iron pan on the stove. Also I used some lime oil as a sub for the lime zest. You can buy the lime oil from King Arthur flour online.
It is always a hit with family & friends, keep getting request to make it quite often.
Thanks for the easy to follow recipe
Great recipe. This was my first time grilling or making BBQ sauce. I will definitely make this again. It was a hit with my family and friends.
This has become one of our dinner staples. Love this recipe and super simple to make. Always comes out super moist and very flavorful. Love it with the black bean, corn and avocado salad as well as the margaritas!
This is fantastic. Going to make for family Labor Day get together.
I’m a novice cook. One thing the pandemic has done is to give me the opportunity to lessen the load on my wife and begin to learn to cook. ( Prior to this it was just grilling. ) My son and I teamed up to make this recipe. I’m a lime lover – who doesn’t love a good margarita ?! ) This recipe is simple ( It HAS TO BE simple if I can handle it ! ) and delicious ! My wife’s first words after her first bite were “ Oh my goodness, this is delicious, “ said with mild surprise knowing my cooking prowess. Actually, she swears by your (/Jenn Segal’s ) recipes. The chicken was moist and super- flavorful. Thank you, thank you, thank you ! Masterful recipe if you’re able to make ME into a cook.
Fourth time making this chicken! Everyone loves it. I followed directions exactly. In heavy rotation at my house 😋
I’ve always had good experience here so I’m not sure what went wrong. I followed the recipe and grilled the chicken as directed. Unfortunately, it was just really bland, which is surprising! Not sure what went wrong.
Will it be less tender if I use the thin breasts and thus don’t pound them? Thanks.
Thin breasts will work, but the pounding definitely helps to tenderize the meat. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn. I make a lot of your recipes and you make me look good to my family so thanks for that!
Sorry if this is a stupid question but I s there a trick to pounding chicken without fraying the edges? I hate to waste chicken and it looks ugly, too.
Thanks!!
Robin
Hi Robin, Do you put it in a zip-lock bag? Are the breasts really thick? If the breasts are larger than 8 oz each, sometimes it helps to slice them in half horizontally into thinner fillets, and then pound them.
Excellent and easy.
We love this chicken! My question is, can this chicken be frozen in the marinade for thawing and BBQ’g in the summer? Thanks in advance for answering. 😊
Sure, Corrine, that should work. 🙂
This grilled chicken is just as wonderful as everyone says…moist, flavorful, delicious! I haven’t been able to find the ancho chili pepper yet, so have subbed chili powder. I’ll keep looking. I grill just as recipe states, except on a grill pan on my stove, with a pan lid over the chicken. I usually prefer some kind of sauce or dip with chicken breast, but not with this recipe. Perfect as is. Thanks!
So this totally ruined my BBQ party. We’d spent hours smoking ribs, basted them and threw them on with the chicken. The whole grill went up in flames 🙁
Did I miss a step?
Oh no, that’s terrible! Aside from adding ribs to the grill along with the chicken, did you make any adjustments to the recipe? There are a number of different reasons for flare-ups on grills. This article outlines them nicely. Do any of them shed a light on what may have happened?
Yum, seriously. We had this for dinner last night, I didn’t change anything in the recipe and it was truly the best grilled chicken we’ve had. I’d share a photo of it but we ate it all…;-)
Hi Jenn, we are not big drinkers so I don’t have tequilla on hand and don’t want to buy a bottle for one recipe. Ok to leave out? If so, anything else I should add in it’s place? Thanks!
Hi Elizabeth, You can just replace the tequila with more olive oil — it will still be delicious. enjoy!
This was, hands down, the best technique for grilling chicken. How did I live my whole life without figuring out that pounding chicken to the same thickness makes all the difference? The grilling time and method was spot on. I followed this recipe exactly and the results were amazing and taste was beautiful. Thank you, Jenn, for yet another perfect recipe!
When your recipes call for oregano, as in the Tequila Lime Chicken, do you prefer Mexican or Turkish oregano? I’m lucky enough to live near a Penzey’s store, so I have a little of everything. Thanks.
Honestly, I don’t know! I just buy McCormick’s brand, so not sure which it is. Sorry!
Hi Jenn
We were making this recipe today for Mothers Day and all i have is chili powder, will that work instead of ancho chili pepper? Thanks so much and Happy Mothers Day!
Sure, Melissa – regular chili powder will work. Enjoy!
Since where I live I do not have access to ancho chili pepper I had to use chilli flakes.
The recipe still turned out amazing. I will definitely make it again!
Delicious! Managed to marinate for 4 hours +/- and grilled for dinner with some black beans and a southwestern salad on the side. We all thoroughly enjoyed this chicken recipe, including my 9 year old daughter. It is on the list of favorite dinners to make! Thank you so much!