Tequila, fresh lime and orange juice combine to make a spectacular marinade for this juicy, flavorful Margarita Chicken. This versatile grilled chicken can be used as a base for a variety of delicious summer meals.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
The minute you tell people that Margarita Chicken is on the menu, it sets the mood for a fun night. This recipe also happens to be exceptionally easy with most of the prep happening hours in advance. A must for a stress-free summer meal.
Most of the recipes out there for Margarita Chicken marinade include a bottled margarita mix. Why? I suppose it seems like a timesaver, but since we don’t use a bottled mix to make our margaritas, I definitely wasn’t going to use it in my marinade.
In my opinion, bottled mixes impart a “chemical” taste and that’s not what I was after here. I wanted clean, fresh flavor and my friends, that is precisely what you’ll get by going with the simple ingredients in this recipe. The result is a flavorful Southwestern-style grilled chicken that can be used in a variety of fun summer meals.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken – I usually go with boneless, skinless chicken breast but thighs will work as well.
- Tequila – Use any type of tequila you love. If you like the flavor of it in a beverage, it will be great in the marinade. I love the bright, clean flavor of silver tequila.
- Orange juice – The juice from one good sized orange.
- Limes – You’ll be using the zest and juice from two limes in the marinade. I always buy extra limes for serving.
- Olive oil
- Agave nectar or honey – If you have agave nectar on hand, definitely use it here. If not, honey will work just fine. See below for more information on agave nectar.
- Minced garlic – Fresh is best for this marinade.
- Seasoning – Great flavor comes from dried spices including chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper.
What is Agave Nectar?
Agave nectar is a sweetener with a very mild flavor and a consistency that is a bit thinner than honey. Just like tequila, it is harvested from the agave plant. Because it adds sweetness but not much flavor, it is perfect for mixing up cocktails without interfering with the flavor of the other ingredients. Another benefit is that it dissolves easily, making it great for marinades, cocktails, or sweetening iced tea or hot beverages. If you don’t have any on hand, you can absolutely substitute honey in this recipe.
How to Make Margarita Chicken
- Combine the marinade ingredients in a small bowl.
- Place the chicken in a resealable plastic storage bag and pour the marinade over the top. Seal bag and refrigerate the chicken for at least 3 or up to 8 hours. I don’t recommend marinating boneless breast overnight. It doesn’t need it. And, with all that citrus juice in there, you could run the risk of damaging the texture of the chicken.
- Grill the chicken over medium heat until cooked well throughout, approximately 6 to 8 minutes per side.
If your chicken pieces are ginormous, which they usually are, I recommend slicing them in half through the middle, before marinating. This marinade truly tenderizes the meat and the flavor is out of this world!
Serving Suggestions
- Serve Margarita Chicken with simple summer sides like grilled corn and cherry tomatoes with basil for a super light and wholesome meal.
- Slice and serve it with flour tortillas and a variety of taco toppings.
- It’s so good in burrito bowls with Cilantro Lime Rice or Restaurant Style Mexican Rice topped with Mango Avocado Corn Salsa or my Easy Corn Salsa.
Easy, versatile, and delicious!
More Grilled Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
- Grilled Hawaiian BBQ Grilled Chicken
- Grilled Greek Chicken
- Grilled Chimichurri Chicken Tacos
- Pretty Chicken Marinade
- Check out my entire collection of Grilling and BBQ recipes!
Margarita Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
- ½ cup tequila
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 limes, zested and juiced
- 1 large orange, juiced
- 2 tablespoons agave nectar or honey
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 to 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro, optional
Instructions
- If very thick, slice boneless breasts in half through the middle to create 2 thinner cutlets and place them in a gallon-size resealable plastic food storage bag.
- Combine the remaining ingredients, except the cilantro, and pour it over the chicken. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 3 and up to 8 hours.
- Grill the chicken over MEDIUM heat until cooked well throughout, approximately 6 to 8 minutes per side.
- Slice the chicken and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve as desired with lime wedges on the side.
Notes
- Serve Margarita Chicken with simple summer sides like grilled corn and cherry tomatoes with basil for a super light and wholesome meal.
- Slice and serve it with flour tortillas and a variety of taco toppings.
- It’s so good in burrito bowls with rice, beans, and a variety of toppings.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
Like this? Please rate & comment below!This post was originally published on July 21, 2015. It has been updated with new text and images.
Made this using boneless skinless thighs and grilled on a charcoal grill. I only had one lime, so I used margarita mix and the chicken came out so delicious! I doubled the marinade so I could use half to marinade and the other half that the chicken had not been in to reduce on the stove for a sauce……AMAZING!
Love what you did with it, Athena. Thanks so much for you comment!
AppleZilla March 13, 2013 at 8:51 pm I used fresh orange juice from a local narutal food store along with 3 blood oranges I juiced to amp up the color. I doubled the recipe for a party and it was a BIG hit!
I can’t wait to try this one! I might even try to make my own homemade margaritas from this recipe. Did you really get that much zest from just two limes? I must be doing something wrong. You should post a zesting tutorial, I can’t be the only one who struggles with it. It might be the tool I am using. It might be my fear of getting that bitter white pith in the bowl. But zest is typically the thing that takes the flavor over-the-top, so I will persevere!!!
I really did get all that zest from two limes! I used a Microplane Zester https://amzn.to/1CZqN6c. They are inexpensive and zest like a dream. Give it a try!
This looks absolutely delicious! Perfect for summer grilling.
I love marinades like this, it makes the chicken so flavorful!
Any way to dress up chicken I am listening. Love the ingredients you use. Must taste delish!