Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: This zesty and flavorful tequila lime chicken marinade is reminiscent of a margarita and perfect for making grilled chicken for fajitas.

How long it takes: 30 minutes, plus marinating time
Equipment you’ll need: measuring cup, resealable bag, grill
Servings: 8

Three chicken breasts, one sliced, on a cutting board with lime and cilantro sprinkled around.
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Marinated Grilled Chicken

I’m not quite ready to let go of summer, and readers seem to really love chicken marinades, so I’m bringing you another great chicken marinade option. If you’ve missed some of the other ones, be sure to check them out! My balsamic chicken marinade is one I fall back on frequently, and my honey mustard chicken marinade is also one of my favorites. If you’re digging the idea of booze in a marinade, you’ll love these beer marinated chicken thighsGreek chicken marinade is another one of my favorites.

A sliced chicken breast on a cutting board, two other chicken breasts are pictured. They are all sprinkled with fresh cilantro leaves.

Tequila lime Chicken Marinade

Plenty of flavor. Reminiscent of a margarita, this marinade has tequila (obviously) and fresh lime juice. The flavor is kicked up a notch with chili powder, garlic powder, and fresh cilantro. Sweetened slightly with honey and tied together with olive oil, the marinated chicken stays nice and moist.

Versatile. This tequila lime chicken marinade is great if you’re gonna just eat a chicken breast with some sides, but it’s also really perfect if you want to slice up the chicken and use it for fajitas. The flavors of the tequila and lime, along with the flame-grilled flavor you get from grilling the chicken, makes it absolutely perfect for fajitas or a southwest-style burrito bowl.

Overhead view of three grilled chicken breasts on a wooden cutting board with a handle. One chicken breast is sliced. All are sprinkled with fresh cilantro.

Tips & Adaptations

Don’t overcook the chicken. The internal temperature when measured with an instant read thermometer should be at least 160 degrees. (The temperature will rise about 5 degrees when you let the chicken rest after removing it from the grill.) Overcooked chicken breasts can be very dry and tough.

To make Whole30. Leave out the tequila and honey. It won’t be exactly the same but it will still be delicious. If you simply want to make the marinade alcohol-free, just omit the tequila. Keep in mind, however, that very little of the tequila is actually absorbed into the chicken and the high heat will burn off any residual alcohol.

Add more garlic flavor. Garlic powder is more mild and achieves the flavor I want without being too obvious. If you love garlic, freshly minced garlic would be fab in this marinade. I’d start with one clove, but if you want to go big, add more!

Skip the cilantro. If cilantro tastes like soap to you, just leave it out.

A sliced, grilled chicken breast is on a wooden cutting board with two other chicken breasts. Lime wedges are also pictured.

More Chicken Marinades

Recipe

Tequila Lime Chicken Marinade

4.42 from 53 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Marinating Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8 servings
This zesty and flavorful tequila lime chicken marinade is reminiscent of a margarita and perfect for making grilled chicken for fajitas. You're going to love it!
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Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • In a bowl or a measuring cup, whisk together lime juice, tequila, olive oil, cilantro, chili powder, honey, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
    ½ cup fresh lime juice, ¼ cup tequila, ¼ cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons minced cilantro, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
  • Place chicken in a zip-top bag or a baking dish and pour marinade over, moving chicken around to coat on all sides. If using a bag, put the bag into a bowl to prevent leaks spilling in your fridge. If using a baking dish, cover with plastic wrap.
    2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • Place in fridge and marinate for 30 minutes to 4 hours.
  • When ready to cook, preheat grill to medium heat (350°F). Remove chicken from marinade. Grill chicken for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping once, until internal temperature reaches 165°F on an instant read thermometer. Cooking time will vary depending on thickness of meat and exact grill temperature.
  • Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing or serving.

Notes

  • Nutrition: Keep in mind that the nutrition information below is slightly skewed because it’s difficult to determine how much of the marinade is actually absorbed into the chicken, and how much is discarded.

Nutrition

Serving: 4oz chicken breast, Calories: 222kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 73mg, Sodium: 440mg, Potassium: 465mg, Fiber: 0.5g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 346IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 12mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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4.42 from 53 votes (52 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




27 Comments

  1. Donna Fanning says:

    This is not spam!

  2. Roy says:

    2 stars
    Lime zest should be used instead of the juice in the marinade. The juice gives the chicken a leathery texture.

    1. Rachel Gurk says:

      Thanks for your thoughts!

  3. Tracie says:

    I’m excited to make this Tequila Lime Chicken today. Would love if you linked suggested sides with your recipes. LOL now I have to find something to go with this.

    1. Rachel Gurk says:

      Thanks for the suggestion! We do that on a lot of our newer recipes and are gradually adding those suggestions to older recipes. Try this chicken with cilantro lime rice or drunken beans!