Goodbye, polar vortex. Goodbye, Nor'easters. Goodbye, winter. Warm weather is finally back! That means I get to plant my herbs and veggies in the garden again. It also means I have to start mowing again… but hey, I'll gladly take that after the long winter we've had!
But most importantly, warm weather means that grilling season is open! I could not be more excited about getting back to grilling again. I drove around yesterday afternoon getting a new grill cover and filling my propane tank for the gas grill. I'm ready!
After much thought, I figured this Margarita Grilled Chicken is the perfect recipe to kick off the summer grilling season. It's loaded with real lime flavor (and even a bit of tequila), and it's a fun recipe to make for friends. Plus, warmer weather almost requires a margarita, right?
Do you ever have the problem of grilled chicken being really, really dry? I definitely have in the past. The secret to preventing dried out grilled chicken is the marinade. Sure, this often requires the chicken to be prepped the day before so that it can marinate overnight, but that's a small price to pay for delicious grilled chicken!
This marinade is particularly good because it features a healthy amount of lime juice. Not only does the lime juice contribute an amazing taste to the chicken, but citrus juice naturally tenderizes meat as well. The end result is a delicious, juicy piece of grilled chicken.
I chose to use a bit of agave syrup in the marinade recipe, as agave is a key element of a traditional margarita. Agave syrup looks a bit like honey, and it's got a very long shelf life (unlike honey, it doesn't crystallize over time). If you don't happen to have agave syrup in the pantry, then go out and get some!
Summer is coming, and you'll need to make margaritas! Just kidding (sorta). If you don't have any agave syrup, feel free to substitute an equal amount of honey or one tablespoon of sugar.
The slight sweetness contributes a great deal of flavor to this Margarita Grilled Chicken. Here's to a long and happy summer filled with delicious grilled foods and fun times with friends on the back deck. Cheers!
We're so glad David is back to grilling. Round out your barbecue menu with grilled sweet potatoes and grilled s'mores too!
Margarita Grilled Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup tequila
- 3/4 cup fresh lime juice, divided (approximately 6-8 limes total)
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons agave syrup
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
- Pierce each chicken breast several times with a fork. Place the chicken in a large glass baking dish or re-sealable plastic bag.
- In a medium bowl, combine the tequila, 1/2 cup of lime juice, water and agave; stir well and set aside.
- Using an immersion blender or small food processor, blend the remaining 1/4 cup of lime juice, garlic cloves, cilantro, salt, and pepper until smooth. Transfer the cilantro puree to the bowl with the tequila; stir until well combined.
- Pour the marinade over the chicken breasts. Cover and place in refrigerator overnight (minimum 6 hours).
- Preheat an outdoor grill to medium heat. Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade and discard excess marinade.
- Grill chicken until done, flipping only once. (This should take approximately 6-7 minutes per side.)
Notes
- If you don't happen to have agave syrup, you can substitute 2 tablespoons of honey or 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar instead.
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