Tequila Lime Chicken

Chicken marinated in tequila and lime.  Summer is here!

I’m not sure if I had ever had tequila marinated chicken before, and the flavor was semi-surprising. I did not get a strong punch of tequila (a little disappointed, most would probably be satisfied), but it was certainly flavorFUL, and even a little sweet. Maybe it was the splash of OJ? But I really enjoyed when I experienced the heat of the jalapenos–next time I will definitely use more. Actually, next time tequila chicken is on the menu, I am going to make this, so prepare yourselves. But I suppose we should give it time. Variety is the spice of life, right?

Since it was 100 degrees out, I served this over a salad and mixed up a simple lime vinaigrette to complement the flavors in the chicken. Refreshingness. But you could serve it with rice, or quinoa, or a bean salad or…..(infinity)…. You could also make a creamy lime vinaigrette by mixing it up with buttermilk or greek yogurt.

I kept smirking while making this because I couldn’t help thinking of one of my favorite shows: “So the lime first, then the shot…” It’s Always Sunny fans, anyone?

Tequila Lime Chicken

*you could easily marinate more chicken with this amount of marinade, 3-4 chicken breasts

• 2 boneless chicken breasts
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• zest of 2 limes
• juice of 4 limes
• 1/4 cup of tequila (this may sound like a lot, but it’s really only 1-2 shots)
• splash of OJ
• splash of canola oil
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• jalapeno to taste (I used a few slices of pickled jalapenos because I had them on hand, I would say one fresh jalapeno would be great: seeds kept for more heat, discard the seeds for less.)

Combine all ingredients in a tupperware container and shake it up. Place in the refrigerator, and let the marinade work magic overnight. Grill or pan fry 6-8 minutes on each side.

Lime Vinaigrette

*I would say this makes enough for about 6 salads

• zest of 1 lime
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 Tablespoon of red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander (freshly chopped cilantro would be better!)
• salt and pepper

Shake, shake, shake-Shake, shake, shake-Mix it all up!