On the surface chicken can be quite boring. But it’s also easy to make and radially available. So I set out on a mission jazz up my typical chicken breast.
Tequila and lime are great flavors together and I know allowing chicken to brine in a salty solution helps preserve the juiciness. So that’s exactly how this recipe was born. I wanted to grill chicken that wasn’t dry – to me there is nothing worse. You shouldn’t have to drown a chicken in sauce to choke it down.
When you brine chicken or turkey, (anther notoriously dry piece of meat) the salt help adheres to the protein. Think about how salt makes people retain water, the concept is the same here, when you brine chicken. The salt keeps the moisture in the meat.
Checkout my recipe below for (juicy) Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken! And to make it a complete meal, serve with my Grilled Corn and Avocado Salad!
Tequila Lime Chicken
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Inactive Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in chicken breasts (can sub boneless)
- 1 cup tequila
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon cumin
- 1/2 tablespoon paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder (or 1 clove, chopped)
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In a bowl combine the tequil, olive oil, cumin, paprika, garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper. Whisk virgously to emulsify. Once mixed pour into a large ziplock bag and add the chicken breasts.
- Place the bag of chicken in a bowl (incase the bag springs a leak) and refrigerate the chicken for at least 3 hours or up to over night. Note – the longer you can brine the chicken the juicer it will be.
- Once ready to grill, pre-heat grill to medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the brine, sprinkle both side with a little salt, pepper and paprika then place on the hot (and oiled grill grates). sear both sides then reduce heat to medium and cook until the internal temp reaches 155F. Remove from heat and allow to rest 10 minutes before slicing.
Keywords: chicken, lime, tequila, grilling, dinner, summer
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