Infuse your grilled chicken with the classic flavors of a fresh lime margarita! Fresh Margarita Chicken is quick, easy, and sizzling.
Despite the fact that winter 2.0 could potentially be making an appearance later this week (I can’t even talk about it) patio season is practically knocking at our door.
Bright umbrellas, deck chairs, and ice-cold drinks are my favorite spring and summertime staples, and Fresh Margarita Chicken is undoubtedly going to become one as well!
Classic margarita ingredients including tequila, agave nectar, and fresh lime and orange juices join forces with garlic, salt, and pepper, to infuse chicken breasts with mouthwatering flavor after marinating for just a couple of hours in the fridge.
Sizzling and char grilled then topped with guacamole — the only thing that could make this meal even better is pairing it with an actual margarita!
Start the Fresh Margarita Chicken by creating the margarita marinade. First zest 1 lime and 1 orange then add the zest to a big bowl or ziplock bag.
Next add the juice of 4 limes and 2 oranges, as well as 3 big crushed garlic cloves and LOTS of salt and pepper. After all, what is a good margarita without its signature, salty bite?!
Add 1/4 cup tequila next (optional – but the alcohol will cook off,) plus 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, and 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon agave nectar or honey.
Add 4 small chicken breasts and place in the fridge to marinate for 1-4 hours. I can’t tell you how fabulous this marinade smells by the way – just like a fresh margarita!
Let the chicken breasts rest out of the fridge for 10-15 minutes after marinating, then grill them over high heat for 4-5 minutes a side, or until cooked through.
Serve the Fresh Margarita Chicken over a bed of fluffy Cilantro-Lime Rice then dollop with Lazy-Girl’s Guacamole before diving in!
I promise you will fall in love with this chicken after the very first bite. If you don’t have a grill, or if it’s not warm enough to grill where you live, simply saute the marinated chicken in a hot skillet until cooked through.
You’ll still get that fabulous margarita flavor. YUM — and enjoy!
Ingredients
- 4 limes, 1 zested, all 4 juiced
- 2 oranges, 1 zested, both juiced
- 1/4 cup silver tequila, optional
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon agave nectar, or honey
- 3 crushed garlic cloves
- salt and pepper
- 4 chicken breasts, ~2lbs
Directions
- Combine ingredients from lime zest to salt and pepper in a large bowl or ziplock bag then mix well. Add chicken breasts then cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 1-4 hours.
- When ready to grill or cook, let chicken breasts rest out of the fridge for 10-15 minutes then grill or saute over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes a side, or until cooked through.
Notes
- Serve with Cilantro-Lime Rice and Guacamole.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Congrats on your new job! As a native neighboring Nebraskan from the city (Omaha), I’ll be really interested in what you learn. Growing up we always thought of Nebraska as Omaha and the “rest of the state” aka the farms!
LOVE the recipe and LOVE the new gig!! So exciting!
I used to live in Iowa and cannot wait to hear about your adventures.
What a cool gig!
And great fact about marinating!
You are my #1 fave blog…IGE FTW!
(Just had to google FTW…haha) :-)
Can’t wait to try this for Cinco or even ANYDAY throughout the summer! Looks so beautiful and colorful! Congrats on the new opportunity! Looking forward to your insight.
I love the idea for the blog! I work at a hospital and we partner with the ISU Extension each spring/summer to get fresh produce from local growers. I love knowing where our vegetables are coming from and helping support local farmers. Hopefully you can give us some more ideas of things we can purchase from central Iowa! :)
It amazes me how so many people think that if you are from Iowa that means you lived on a farm. I’ve been a North Carolinan for almost 7 years now and I still get asked what farming life was like. LOL!
Iowa is such a great state and SO proud to call it home. :)
Looking forward to your new blogging gig.
What a fun dish, I love it!
so freaking delish!! I just made margarita chicken quesadillas with margarita guacamole and fell in love! Your version looks so yummy!
What a fabulous recipe idea! I just love your blog and all your recipes are so tasty looking :)
I’ve had very similar chicken and it is good. I also hate to inform you that Denver had 7 inches of snow today and tonight’s low is 22 degrees. I would love visiting all those farms. If you ever hear of something like that in Colorado I would be way interested. How cool.
congrats on the new gig!!! sooo exciting! will this change your blogging at IGE? love it ALL!!!!
Thanks, Allison! Nothing here at IGE will change!
I got side tracked by all those links to delicious summer drinks!! The chicken does look delicious too.
PS I spied IowaHusbandEats today at Noodles!