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    Home » Main Dishes » Chicken Recipes

    Tequila Lime Chicken

    LAST UPDATED: April 25, 2020 PUBLISHED: April 26, 2018 By Pam Greer 23 Comments As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    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 tequila lime marinade and roasts up tender with a lovely crispy skin.

    Four pieces of tequila lime chicken on a white plate.

    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.

    Click here to Pin this Margarita Chicken Now!

    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.

    Close up of 4 pieces of tequila lime marinated chicken

    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

    Chicken, Date and Quinoa Bake

    Harissa and Yogurt Baked Chicken

    Portuguese Style Peri Peri Chicken

    Oven Braised Buttermilk Chicken

    Easy Tandoori Chicken

    If you want even more chicken recipes, be sure and follow my Chicken Recipes Board on Pinterest. 

    Tequila Lime Chicken
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    5 from 2 votes

    Tequila Lime Chicken

    This Tequila Lime Chicken picks up so much flavor from the marinade!! 
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 7 hours
    Cook Time 55 minutes
    Total Time 7 hours 55 minutes
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 629kcal

    Ingredients

    • 4 chicken legs
    • 4 chicken thighs
    • 5 tablespoons white tequila
    • zest and juice of two limes
    • ½ 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

    You can use a whole chicken for this or use your favorite parts.  I used legs and thighs. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 629kcal | Protein: 39g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 230mg | Sodium: 1362mg | Potassium: 493mg | Vitamin A: 280IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1.6mg

    Update note:  This was originally published in 2016 and updated for 2019. 

    More Easy and Delicious Chicken Recipes

    • Cashew Chicken with Broccoli
    • Honey Balsamic Chicken
    • Smoked Chicken Wings
    • Easy Chicken Taco Salad

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. April J Harris says

      May 07, 2018 at 12:23 pm

      5 stars
      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. Pondside says

      April 30, 2018 at 5:15 pm

      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. Miz Helen says

      April 11, 2017 at 11:21 am

      5 stars
      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. Tina Culbertson says

      April 06, 2017 at 6:25 am

      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. Ann says

      April 06, 2017 at 5:04 am

      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. April J Harris says

      April 26, 2016 at 7:59 am

      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
    7. Naina says

      April 26, 2016 at 2:46 am

      These look and sound amazing! Cooking with Tequila? Count me in 😀

      Reply
    8. swathi says

      April 25, 2016 at 8:26 pm

      This is killer chicken Pam, thanks for sharing with Hearth and soul blog hop, pinning and tweeting.

      Reply
    9. Joy @ Joy Love Food says

      April 24, 2016 at 8:26 pm

      This chicken dish sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing at What'd You Do This Weekend?!

      Reply
    10. Aena | Scrambled Chefs says

      April 24, 2016 at 2:36 pm

      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

      Reply
    11. Cindy Price says

      April 24, 2016 at 1:57 pm

      YUMMY!
      Thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY!
      Blessings,
      Cindy

      Reply
    12. shadi says

      April 23, 2016 at 8:20 pm

      What a brilliant idea! Looks very delicious!

      Reply
    13. Meghan | Fox and Briar says

      April 22, 2016 at 4:46 pm

      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!

      Reply
    14. Michelle @ Giraffes Can Bake says

      April 22, 2016 at 4:05 am

      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!

      Reply
    15. Bam's Kitchen says

      April 22, 2016 at 1:49 am

      Some tequila for the chef some for the chicken... it is all good. A fun recipe for the grill.

      Reply
    16. Tina Marie says

      April 20, 2016 at 9:56 am

      Ok, you had me at Tequila Lime - This sounds amazing and delicious. What a great combination of seasoning.

      Reply
    17. Julie at Hostess At Heart says

      April 19, 2016 at 5:29 pm

      We love chicken, and I am always looking for new ways to fix it. This recipe looks delicious!

      Reply
    18. Keith @ How's it Lookin? says

      April 18, 2016 at 7:43 pm

      Looks delicious. Tequila chicken sounds interesting, thanks for sharing

      Reply
    19. Thalia says

      April 18, 2016 at 6:29 pm

      I love the idea of adding tequila to marinade the chicken. Definitely something I must try - sounds and looks os delicious.

      Reply
    20. Jackie Copeland says

      April 18, 2016 at 12:02 pm

      This is definitely on my "make soon" list! Yum!

      Reply
    21. Marjie says

      April 18, 2016 at 11:10 am

      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
    22. Ann says

      April 18, 2016 at 3:12 am

      Could you actually taste the tequila? Would it make much difference to omit it?

      Reply
      • Pam Greer says

        April 18, 2016 at 10:38 am

        I think it adds to the flavor and also part of the tenderizing.

        Reply

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