Cooking Lesson #79 Grilled Margarita Chicken

Grilled Margarita Chicken

How you doin’? What does summer mean to you? The one thing I miss the most is not being allowed to have an outdoor grill (not permitted in a high-rise condo). However, I received a Phillips indoor smokeless grill for my birthday, so all is not lost. While it is not completely the same it is the next best thing. The grill only takes about 5 minutes to heat up to its 450⁰F. Better yet, it only takes about the same amount of time to clean up.
 
Grilled Margarita Chicken takes a certain amount of planning to allow for 5 hours minimum marinade time, or you can get started on the marinade the night before, put it in the frig and forget it. I purchase chicken breasts or thighs with the skin on to protect the tender nature of the meat. When grilling start with the skin-side down toward the heat.
 
Margarita Grilled Chicken has the fantastic flavor of tequila cooked into the chicken with subtle hints of sweetness and a little kick from the jalapeño. The gang is all here in this flavor profile…Tequila, lime, and orange all come together to create the best ever Margarita Chicken. This is one recipe you have to try!
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Marinade time:  5 hours or overnight
Grill time:  15 minutes
Yield:  6 servings
 
Ingredients
2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons coarse black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion salt
1 teaspoon jalapeño
1/2 cup margarita mix (the bottled stuff)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup tequila
1/4 cup triple sec
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup light olive oil
6 skin-on, boneless split chicken breasts
 
Directions

1. Place the cilantro, pepper, garlic powder and onion salt in a blender jar.
2. Pour in the margarita mix, lime juice, orange juice, tequila, triple sec and honey. Puree on high until smooth, then reduce speed to medium-low, and slowly add the olive oil, blend until creamy.
3. Place the chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag or glass bowl; pour the marinade overtop and toss to coat. Refrigerate to marinate for 5 hours.
4. Preheat an indoor grill (or outdoor BBQ, if you’ve got one) and lightly oil the grates.
5. Remove chicken from the marinade, shake off excess marinade. Discard the remaining marinade—Do Not Reuse.
6. Grill the chicken until tender and juices run clear, approximately 7 minutes per side (internal temperature at a minimum of 165⁰F).
   

ChefSecret: 

• While this recipe calls for 6 split chicken breasts, you can substitute with 12 skin-on, boneless chicken thigh.
  
• Be sure to add the olive oil last, allowing the herbs and spices a chance to blossom.

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