Tequila Lime Chicken

5 from 3 votes

Tequila Lime Chicken bursts with delectable flavors, and can be grilled, sautéed or baked. It's excellent in salads, tacos, sandwiches, or served as a main course with sides.

Prep Time15

Cook Time5

Marinating Time6

Total Time6 20

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken for family dinner, chicken marinades, tequila-lime chicken marinade

Servings:

Calories: 323kcal

Author: Valentina K. Wein

Ingredients

¼ cup avocado oil or other neutral oil like vegetable
¼ cup good quality tequila
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons finely chopped chipotles in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon lime zest (from about 1 large lime, washed and dried)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4 small or 2 large)
salt and pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the marinade. In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the chicken, and whisk to blend.
Marinate the chicken. Trim the chicken breasts of any excess fat. Pour the marinade into a heavy-duty zip-lock bag and add the chicken. (To avoid leaking in the refrigerator, put the bag in a second bag or a bowl.) Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours and ideally overnight.
Cook the chicken. Remove the chicken from the bag, and let any excess marinade drip off into the bag. Place the chicken on a clean, dry surface. (Do not throw out the marinade!) Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper, coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with the oil and place it over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the chicken. You should hear a sizzling sound when it hits the pan, and if you don’t, wait until it’s hotter. Sauté just until it’s cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. (Times will vary, depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts.)
Deglaze the pan/cook the marinade. As soon as you remove the chicken, pour the leftover marinade from the bag in the pan. With the heat about medium-high, use a flat-edged spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan to dislodge any stuck, caramelized bits of the marinade from sautéing the chicken. Work them into the liquid and bring to a boil. Since it’s just a small amount, it will look more like a strong simmer than a boil, and it will be thick. Turn the heat to low and simmer for just a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat.
Rest, slice and serve. Let the chicken sit for a few minutes (slice if desired), and drizzle with the cooked marinade.

Notes

Nutritional information is automatically calculated, so it should only be used as an estimate.

Nutrition