Nothing screams Summer grilling season like Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken–tasty, cheesy, and simple. This copycat Applebee’s recipe is SO FLAVORFUL. Grill season here we come!
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Tequila Lime Chicken Recipe
This easy grilled chicken is a perfect main dish for summer but you can really eat it any time of the year by cooking it indoors.
The secret to Tequila Lime Chicken (besides the tequila marinade…can’t go wrong with that!) is the three-cheese ranch dressing that adds a blast of amazing flavor.
Oh yes, it’s a summer BBQ miracle!
Why you’ll love this Tequila Lime Grilled Chicken:
- Grilled: Succulent, perfectly grilled chicken…perfect for summer BBQs
- Citrusy: A delicious and fresh citrus lime marinade.
- Sauced: Brushed in an addictive three cheese ranch sauce.
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Ingredients
- Chicken breast – Boneless and skinless. Ideally, opt for organic or free-range.
- Tequila – I love Camarena– it’s smooth and adds a lovely, subtle smokiness.
- Fruit juice – fresh lime and orange juice.
- Garlic – minced.
- Lime seasoning blend – I like Mrs. Dash’s Fiesta Lime Seasoning Blend. But you can make your own with 1 tps. paprika, 1 tsp. cumin, and 1 tsp. salt.
- Cheese – I like ultra-thin Colby jack cheese.
- Ranch dressing – Three Cheese Ranch from Kraft is great.
Trademark note: In the spirit of transparency, please note that some of these ingredients are trademarked products. Applebee’s, Camarena, Mrs. Dash and Kraft are proprietary brands that I want to acknowledge and give credit to.
How to Make Tequila Lime Chicken
You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!
- Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a plastic bag and add the chicken pieces. Refrigerate.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill for 8-10 minutes per side.
- Brush chicken with the ranch dressing and a slice of cheese; allow to melt.
- Serve and enjoy!
Why marinate chicken?
Marinating the chicken is super important and it’s what takes this chicken to the next level. Not only does it add a ton of flavor, but it helps keep the chicken juicy and tender!
If you have time, I always recommend marinating the chicken for 6-8 hours or overnight but you can leave it for 2 hours if you’re pushed for time. Even a short marinating time makes a difference!
How Do You Tell When the Chicken is Cooked?
If you are unsure the chicken is cooked through, then you can use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature.
Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and make sure it reaches 165F. If it doesn’t, cook it for a few minutes longer.
The Best meat thermometer!
I love using this meat thermometer for making sure the meat is at 165 degrees! Easy for beginners & totally worth the $10 cost!
What Do You Serve with Tequila Lime Chicken?
I love to serve this chicken dish with rice and Pico de Gallo or tomatillo avocado salsa. It’s simple, easy, and incredibly delicious.
Other sides that would work well are green beans, salad, noodles or grilled veggies.
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- Salsa Verde Chicken
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- Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Creamy Swiss Chicken Bake
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If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy! You can also jump to recipe.
Tequila Lime Chicken Recipe
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Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 1/2 cup tequila I love Camarena
- 3/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 T. Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime Seasoning Blend If you don't have access to this, use 1 tps. Paprika, 1 tsp. cumin, and 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. fresh black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 4 slices Colby Jack Cheese ultra-thin if possible
- 1/2 cup Lite Three-Cheese Ranch dressing I used Kraft
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix tequila, lime juice, orange juice, garlic, fiesta lime seasoning blend, pepper, and cilantro. Place the chicken into 2 gallon-sized ziplock bags (2 pieces per bag) and pour the marinade over the chicken. Seal and refrigerate for 6-8 hours.
- After marinating, take the chicken out of the bags (discarding the marinade) and grill on medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes on each side, or until chicken is cooked through.
- Brush each chicken liberally with the ranch dressing, and top with a slice of cheese. Allow the cheese to melt over the chicken before taking off the grill.
- Serve with rice, fresh pico de gallo, and lime slices.
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- Leave the chicken to marinate for as long as possible (overnight is best).
- Any good melting cheese will work with this recipe; you could also use Cheddar, Gruyere or mozzarella
- To be sure the chicken is cooked, use a meat thermometer and check it reaches 165 degrees F.
- Leftover chicken can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days
Nutrition Information
Can’t wait to try this! I noticed you didn’t add any salt but you added to the list to sub-out if you didn’t use the Mrs. Dash. Did you just sprinkle the chicken lightly with salt before marinating?
Every time I go to Applebee’s, my favorite entree to order would the Tequila Lime Chicken. It’s so good that I’m savoring every single bite. Now, I can make this scrumptious recipe at home!! :-)
I am the same way about that dish!! Hope you love the recipe :)
I love marinating chicken and pork with tequila and lime. It imparts such fantastic flavor. I’ve pinned this for my next BBQ – love the recipe!
Thank you Kristi! Hope you love the recipe!!
Tastes just like Applebee’s. My wife was pleased. I knew I could do it. LOL
I love to hear that!!!! Thanks for letting me know you guys liked it!
I made this last night for a dinner party of 12!! (well to be honest, it was 2 other families of 4 so there were 12 of us but 6 of the “us” were kids and they had burgers – the adults loved the chicken though!!) It was fabulous!!! Can’t wait to make it again and I hope you don’t mind if I try to feature the recipe on my blog too! So yummy!!!! Thank you for this one!!!
Yay!! I love to hear that! And I would LOVE to see it on your site!! Hope you’re doing well :)
Can’t wait to try this! It will go perfect with the corn you posted the other day too! I hope you will come over and link it up with Foodie Fridays!
Thanks Michelle!! I’ll do that! :)
I used to LOVE this dish from Applebees! Can’t wait to try yours! Pinned!
Thanks lady! You’re the best :)