Sidewalk Shoes

Browse hundreds of healthy recipes, tasty cocktails and travel reviews to help you live your best life. From hotel and restaurant reviews to travel tips and family dinners you can do it, I'll show you how!

You are here: Home / Recipes / Main Dishes / Chicken Recipes / Tequila Lime Chicken

Tequila Lime Chicken

By 32 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Full disclosure on sidebar.

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

I am all about using tequila in cooking, a girl can’t live on margaritas alone!  This Tequila and Lime Chicken gets lots of flavor from the marinade and roasts up tender with a crispy skin.

Post may contain affiliate links.

Tequila Lime Chicken on a plate with limes

Easy Marinated Chicken

After I wrote my review for Nigella’s, Simply Nigella, I spent a little bit of time trying to decide what I wanted to make first.  With it being prom season, my photography business is swamped, so I needed something easy.  I almost immediately settled on her Tequila Lime Chicken. Nothing beats a good marinated chicken for quick and easy.  You can marinate the chicken for 6 hours or up to 2 days, so that gave me plenty of flexibility.  Really is there anything better than a simple marinated chicken that then roasts up nice and crispy in the oven.  No, there isn’t.

Tequila Lime Chicken - a flavorful tequila lime marinade gives this easy roast chicken incredible flavor.

Marinated Whole Chicken or Parts

I am a big fan of marinating chicken.  I loved how simple the marinade for the Tequila Lime Chicken is.   Tequila, lime zest and juice, salt, olive oil, and some crushed red pepper flakes for a bit of spice, is all it takes to make this chicken taste amazing.  Nigella calls for a whole chicken, but I purchased whole chicken legs and cut them apart.

Tequila Lime Chicken - text over a photo of chicken

Tequila Lime Chicken

I also liked her technique of pouring half the marinade over the chicken, roasting for a while and then pouring the rest.  When the chicken is finished cooking she suggests serving it with the drippings poured over.  My drippings had quite a bit of fat in them and I didn’t really feel like straining it, so I omitted that.  The next day however, with leftovers, it was easy for me to scoop off the chicken fat and I did pour the drippings over the chicken.  Very good!

I read Nigella’s cookbooks like a regular book, from cover to cover.  Some of my favorites:  How to be a Domestic Goddess, Nigella Kitchen.

Tequila Lime Chicken
5 from 2 votes
Print

Tequila Lime Chicken

This Tequila Lime Chicken picks up so much flavor from the marinade!! 

Course Main Course
Prep Time 7 hours
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 7 hours 55 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 107 kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 pieces of chicken either from a whole cut up chicken or your favorite parts
  • 5 tablespoons white tequila
  • zest and juice of two limes
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes plus more for serving
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • chopped cilantro - to serve
  • lime wedges - to serve

Instructions

  1. Place the chicken in a resealable bag.
  2. Stir together the tequila, lime zest and juice, red pepper flakes, salt and olive oil. Pour this over the chicken in the bag. Push the air out and seal the bag. Place in a dish in the refrigerator to marinate for 6 hours or up to 2 days.
  3. About 30 minutes before you are ready to begin roasting, remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place the pieces in a small roasting pan (you want them close together so all of the marinade doesn't evaporate when roasting) to let it come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 425. When you are ready to roast the chicken, pour half of the marinade over the chicken and roast in the oven for 25 minutes.
  4. Remove from the oven and pour the other half of the marinade over the chicken and continue roasting for another 25-30 minutes or until cooked through.
  5. Put the chicken pieces on a serving plate and add a little boiling water to the drippings (if dry) to scrape up the browned bits. (Mine was not dry and I omitted this step). Pour it over the chicken, scatter the cilantro on the top, sprinkle with more crushed red pepper flakes if desired and serve with lime wedges.
Nutrition Facts
Tequila Lime Chicken
Amount Per Serving
Calories 107 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 11%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Sodium 1181mg 49%
Vitamin A 1.5%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Some other roasted chicken recipes that you may like:

Za'atar Chicken with roasted vegetables on a scalloped plate

Za’atar Chicken Tenders with Roasted Vegetables

Plate of chicken, sweet potatoes and olive tapenade

Chicken, Sweet Potatoes and Olive Tapenade

This week I am linking up with:
Amaze Me Monday |
Lou Lou Girls |
| The Scoop
The Hearth and Soul |
The SITS Girls |
Full Plate Thursday |
Thursday Favorite Things |
Friday Favorites |
Country Cook Weekend Potluck

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I love Nigella’s cookbooks and her recipes too, Pam! I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but you have definitely made me want to. It’s perfect for spring, and I’m featuring it at the Hearth and Soul Link Party this week. Thank you so much for sharing it! Hope to see you later at the party. Have a wonderful week, and thank you for all your support!

    Reply

  2. What a great way to make use of those souvenir bottles of Tequila that we don’t drink at all. I love a new chicken recipe – thank you!

    Reply

  3. We are going to just love your Tequila Lime Chicken. Thanks so much for sharing your awesome recipe with Full Plate Thursday. Hope you have a fantastic weekend and come back soon!
    Miz Helen

    Reply

  4. I like. This one and I love Nigella. We have used tequila and lime and pineapple before as a thick marinade and grilled the chicken. That’s good too. You always have a pretty presentation.

    Reply

  5. I don’t have easy access to good quality organic chicken and the supermarket versions are pumped full of water to add size/weight. Roasted chicken is such a good simple dish and this marinade takes it up a notch.

    Reply

  6. I loved Simply Nigella, but I haven’t tried many recipes from it yet. Your Tequila Lime Chicken looks wonderful, Pam, and your photos are always amazing! Thank you for being a part of our Hearth and Soul Hop. Stumbled.

    Reply

  22. Any time the directions give you 2 days flexibility, you know the recipe is a winner! (And prom season here is mid-May, when it’s warmer.)

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.