This is a recipe for tequila lime chicken, a delicious variation on grilled chicken which works in so many scenarios. You can serve it in a tortilla wrap, with rice, or tossed in a salad. It’s delicious on nachos, and it works great as part of a barbecue spread. We love this tequila chicken recipe.
Two ways to make tequila lime chicken
There are two ways of working with this recipe. First you could go for the dry version involving a skillet or a barbecue. Or you can go the wet version where you chop the chicken up and cooked down in the marinade to create a sauce. Both versions taste great!
For the marinade we used a blanco tequila (read here about the different types of tequila) which adds a nice of depth of flavour without overpowering the dish.
We recommend using more or less lime juice depending on how much sour flavour you prefer. We love the sourness of the lime, contrasting with the depth of the alcohol, a touch of spice, and the freshness brought by the coriander and fresh chilli.
This tequila lime chicken is incredibly more-ish. It has the immediate zesty flavour of the lime, but the tequila adds a lovely depth that you probably wouldn’t guess was tequila to start with.
We made the tequila lime chicken to go in our toasted tortilla wraps along with our new tequila coleslaw recipe. This is perfect summer loving food enjoyed al fresco as the sun is setting.
TEQUILA LIME CHICKEN (serves up to 4)
Ingredients:
- 500g Chicken Breast, cut into long strips
- 100ml Tequila (Blanco is probably best)
- 3-4 Limes, juiced
- 1tbsp Garlic Puree
- 1/2tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/2tsp Chilli Flakes
- 1/2tsp Black Pepper
- 1tsp of Salt
- 2tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 Fresh Chilli, finely chopped
- Handful of Fresh Coriander, finely chopped
Directions:
- In a large bowl combine the tequila, lime juice, garlic puree, smoked paprika, chilli flakes, black pepper, salt, vegetable oil, fresh chilli and fresh coriander. Whisk the ingredients together until well combined before adding the chicken strips. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you have the time.
- Heat an iron skillet or oven-safe frying pan on a high heat, use a drizzle of oil if it isn’t non-stick. Add the chicken strips and allow to cook without moving them for about 5 minutes on each side. You want a nice chargrill mark.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C. Once the tequila lime chicken is chargrilled on both sides. Cover loosely with foil and transfer to the oven for a further 10 minutes to cook the middle. Check the chicken is cooked all the way through, no pink bits!
- Serve with a sprinkle of fresh coriander.
- If making the sauce version, don’t bake in the oven. Instead, remove the chicken strips and chop into bitesize pieces before returning to the frying pan. Pour in the rest of the marinade and allow the mixture to simmer for about 5-7minutes. Turn the chicken pieces halfway through. The sauce should reduce by
half . Check the chicken is cooked through, then serve. This version is great with rice.
Cheers!
