This Margarita Grilled Chicken recipe is one you will be asked for time and time again. It is packed with cilantro and lime flavor and is tender and juicy! Make it perfect by serving with Avocado Mango Salsa and Cilantro Lime Rice!
We have been thoroughly enjoying ourselves over the past week relaxing at the beach. It was everything a vacation should be. Beautiful, relaxing (well I mean we still have little kids, so not too relaxing,) and filled with delicious food. We were staying with lots of family and we each took a night to cook. My night, I treated our crowd to one of my ALL TIME favorite dinners. Margarita Chicken with Avocado Mango Salsa served over Cilantro Lime Rice. Even though, the past couple of posts here have been recipes, this one had to be posted right away because everyone was asking for the recipe!
To say this recipe is good is kind of an understatement. I have to admit, most of my all time favorites are kinda horrible for you. They are usually creamy or cheese covered or somehow packed with something fattening. The icing on the cake is that this recipe is healthy, low fat, and so flavor filled and delicious I can’t even describe it.
The grilled margarita chicken is fantastic on it’s own,but when you top it with avocado mango salsa and then serve it over a bed of cilantro lime rice….. oh, it’s heaven.
The chicken is really very simple to make. There are two keys to success though in my humble opinion. First, the chicken breasts need to be thin. You can either pound them out or slice them horizontally to get the chicken breasts to about 1/2 inch thick or so. The thickness is important because it allows a perfect flavor ratio as well as makes it the perfect size to cook through quickly without drying out the chicken.
The second key is in the marinating. You will want to allow the chicken breasts to marinate for 3-4 hours but not much longer. This is long enough for the flavors to really soak in but not allow the sugars to coat the chicken. Over the years I have experimented quite a bit with this recipe and have tried marinating overnight. When the chicken marinates too long the sugars from the limeade caramelize on the outside when it is grilled and just doesn’t produce the same awesome flavor.
So here is how I make it: First trim, and pound or slice the chicken breasts to about 1/2″ thick. Place them in a gallon sized Ziploc bag and add 1/2 can Minute Maid frozen limeade concentrate (12 oz can), 1 can water, 1 bunch of cilantro diced, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, the juice of 2 limes (I also throw in the rinds), and salt and pepper to taste. Seal the Ziplock bag and place it in the fridge for 3-4 hours.
Once your grill is hot and ready, get out the chicken and place the chicken breasts on the grill over medium heat and cook for 4-8 minutes per side or until the juices run clear and the thickest part of the chicken is cooked through.
Remove the chicken from the grill and serve over a bed of cilantro lime rice and topped with avocado mango salsa. I think there is a 99.9% chance that you will love this tender juicy flavor-filled grilled chicken recipe every bit as much as me!
Scroll to the bottom for a full printable recipe for Margarita Grilled Chicken. You can find the recipe for the Avocado Mango Salsa here and the Cilantro Lime Rice here.
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3 Ingredient Creamy Crock Pot Taco Chicken
My Favorite Chicken Chili {Made in the Slow Cooker!}
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Margarita Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts approx 4 pounds
- 1 Gallon Sized Ziploc Bag
- 1 12 oz Can Minute Maid Frozen Limeade Concentrate
- 1 12 oz Can Water
- 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 Bunch Cilantro chopped
- 2 Limes juiced and rinds reserved
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Trim the fat from each chicken breast and pound, butterfly, or slice each breast to about 1/2 inch thickness.
- Place pounded chicken breasts into a gallon sized Ziplock bag.
- Add 1/2 12 oz can Minute Maid Frozen Limeade Concentrate, 1 12 oz can water, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1 bunch of cilantro finely chopped, and the juice and rinds of 2 limes into the bag and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Zip the bag securely shut and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
- Place the chicken breasts on the grill over medium heat and cook for 4-8 minutes per side, or until the juices run clear and the thickest part is no longer pink.
- Serve on a bed of cilantro lime rice topped with avocado mango salsa.
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
Stacy says
I’ve been making margarita chicken for a long time with a much simpler recipe for you to try. 1C margarita mix (na of course) 1/2 lime juice, 1-2 cloves crushed garlic. Allow to marinade for at least 8 hours, sprinkle with margarita or kosher salt before grilling. Easy and so yummy.
Kimber says
That sounds tasty too. I used to use margarita mix but found that l Iimeade is much cheaper and tastes every bit as good!
YardMasterz says
Awesome recipe Kimber. We have a similar one on our site, but honestly I like yours better. lol. Love the fresh guac too. Nice touch.