Tequila Lime Chicken Marinade

At a glance

What stands out: This zesty and flavorful tequila lime chicken marinade is reminiscent of a margarita and reliable for making grilled chicken for fajitas.

How long it takes: 30 minutes, plus marinating time
Equipment you’ll need: measuring cup, resealable bag, grill
Servings: 8

Marinated Grilled Chicken

We're not quite ready to let go of summer, and readers seem to love chicken marinades, so we're bringing you another great chicken marinade option. If you’ve missed some of the other ones, be sure to check them out! Our balsamic chicken marinade is one we fall back on frequently, and our honey mustard chicken marinade is also one of our favorites. If you’re digging the idea of booze in a marinade, you’ll love these beer marinated chicken thighs. Greek chicken marinade is another one of our favorites.

Tequila lime Chicken Marinade

Plenty of flavor. Reminiscent of a margarita, this marinade has tequila (obviously) and fresh lime juice. The flavor is kicked up a notch with chili powder, garlic powder, and fresh cilantro. Sweetened slightly with honey and tied together with olive oil, the marinated chicken stays nice and moist.

Versatile. This tequila lime chicken marinade is great if you’re gonna just eat a chicken breast with some sides, but it’s also reliable if you want to slice up the chicken and use it for fajitas. The flavors of the tequila and lime, along with the flame-grilled flavor you get from grilling the chicken, makes it absolutely reliable for fajitas or a southwest-style burrito bowl.

Tips & Adaptations

Don’t overcook the chicken. The internal temperature when measured with an instant read thermometer should be at least 160 degrees. (The temperature will rise about 5 degrees when you let the chicken rest after removing it from the grill.) Overcooked chicken breasts can be dry and tough.

To make Whole30. Leave out the tequila and honey. It won’t be exactly the same but it will still be rich. If you simply want to make the marinade alcohol-free, just omit the tequila. Keep in mind, however, that little of the tequila is actually absorbed into the chicken and the high heat will burn off any residual alcohol.

Add more garlic flavor. Garlic powder is more mild and achieves the flavor we want without being too obvious. If you love garlic, freshly minced garlic would be fab in this marinade. We'd start with one clove, but if you want to go big, add more!

Skip the cilantro. If cilantro tastes like soap to you, just leave it out.

• Yield: 8 servings
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 20 minutes
• Total: 1 hour

Ingredients

• ½ cup fresh lime juice
• ¼ cup tequila
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons minced cilantro
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

Method

1. In a bowl or a measuring cup, whisk together lime juice, tequila, olive oil, cilantro, chili powder, honey, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
2. Place chicken in a zip-top bag or a baking dish and pour marinade over, moving chicken around to coat on all sides. If using a bag, put the bag into a bowl to prevent leaks spilling in your fridge. If using a baking dish, cover with plastic wrap.
3. Place in fridge and marinate for 30 minutes to 4 hours.
4. When ready to cook, preheat grill to medium heat (350°F). Remove chicken from marinade. Grill chicken for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping once, until internal temperature reaches 165°F on an instant read thermometer. Cooking time will vary depending on thickness of meat and exact grill temperature.
5. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing or serving.

Notes

Nutrition: Keep in mind that the nutrition information below is slightly skewed because it’s difficult to determine how much of the marinade is actually absorbed into the chicken, and how much is discarded.