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 tequila lime marinade and roasts up tender with a lovely crispy skin.
Margarita 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. Being me, I was looking for 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.
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Tequila Chicken Marinade Ingredients
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.
Technique
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!
This has become one of my go to roast chicken recipes! I still haven’t tried it on a whole chicken, but I imagine it would be wonderful!
Click here to pin this yummy chicken now!
More Baked or Roasted Chicken Recipes
Harissa and Yogurt Baked Chicken
Portuguese Style Peri Peri Chicken
Oven Braised Buttermilk Chicken
If you want even more chicken recipes, be sure and follow my Chicken Recipes Board on Pinterest.
Tequila Lime Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 chicken legs
- 4 chicken thighs
- 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
- Place the chicken in a resealable bag.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Update note: This was originally published in 2016 and updated for 2019.
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!
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!
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
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.
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.
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.
These look and sound amazing! Cooking with Tequila? Count me in 😀
This is killer chicken Pam, thanks for sharing with Hearth and soul blog hop, pinning and tweeting.
This chicken dish sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing at What’d You Do This Weekend?!
I actually haven’t ever marinated chicken with tequila – this sounds delicious though!! Love how simple the recipe is – NEED to try it out soon! <3
YUMMY!
Thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY!
Blessings,
Cindy
What a brilliant idea! Looks very delicious!
I’ve never used tequila to marinade any kind of meat before, but this is such a great idea! Love that it is a simple marinade with tons of flavor!
I love this!! I’m a big fan of tequila in anything, and that marinade sounds perfect! Great for cinco de mayo too!
Pinning and sharing!
Some tequila for the chef some for the chicken… it is all good. A fun recipe for the grill.
Ok, you had me at Tequila Lime – This sounds amazing and delicious. What a great combination of seasoning.
We love chicken, and I am always looking for new ways to fix it. This recipe looks delicious!
Looks delicious. Tequila chicken sounds interesting, thanks for sharing
I love the idea of adding tequila to marinade the chicken. Definitely something I must try – sounds and looks os delicious.
This is definitely on my “make soon” list! Yum!
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.)
Could you actually taste the tequila? Would it make much difference to omit it?
I think it adds to the flavor and also part of the tenderizing.