Grilled tequila lime chicken features juicy, flavorful tequila marinated chicken topped with a fresh avocado peach salsa.  It’s the perfect summer meal!

Tequila chicken on white plate with peach mango salsa

I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July week!  We had a nice relaxing holiday.  I took some unplanned time off because I told myself that I needed to take a step back and enjoy the summer instead of falling into the black hole of blogging.

Yes — blogging can be a black hole.  It’s an endless cycle of bringing new recipes to life, reshooting old recipes (because my old photos make me cringe),  bookkeeping and finding a balance between being present on social media and family!

I’m my own worse enemy most of the time because my mind is always swirling with ideas for new content and it’s hard to slow it down.

As hard as it is, I need to reign things in to keep myself from becoming a crazy lady. 🙂

Tequila lime chicken on white plate with peach mango salsa

That said, the recipe for this Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken with Avocado Peach Salsa has been waiting in the wings.  I’ve made it several times with a variety of salsa recipes and finally landed on this creamy avocado and juicy peach medley.

I love creating sweet and savory salsa and guacamole recipes with whatever types of fruit and veggies that I have on hand. The sweet, juicy peach and creamy avocado worked wonderfully together and was perfect for this tequila chicken!

The avocado peach salsa is rounded out with red onion, lime juice, freshly chopped cilantro and a kick of jalapeño pepper.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

  • The tequila lime chicken recipe can be prepped ahead of time and left to soak in the marinade for up to 12 hours.
  • You can enjoy the chicken as is, or you can chop it up to enjoy in tacos or burrito bowls.
  • Leftover tequila can be used to make margaritas, which happen to pair perfectly with the grilled chicken. 🙂
Overhead view of grilled tequila chicken on white plate with peach mango salsa

Recipe ingredients

I rarely grill boneless skinless chicken breast anymore because it’s so unforgiving.  In contrast, chicken thighs, drumsticks or skin-on bone-in chicken breast are very forgiving because the fat from the skin and bone keeps the chicken tender and juicy.

However, this tequila marinated chicken works perfectly with boneless, skinless chicken breasts!

Ingredient notes

  • Chicken breasts. You can definitely opt to use skin-on, bone-in chicken for this tequila lime chicken recipe, but I chose to use boneless skinless chicken breasts because I felt that it would work the best for this recipe and it cooks up so quickly.
  • Tequila. I prefer silver tequila for it’s mild flavor. You can use your favorite, just don’t use the cheapest one you can find as it will affect the final flavor of the dish.
  • Lime juice. Freshly squeezed is best. You’ll need to juice about two large limes to get enough juice for the tequila lime chicken marinade.
  • Peaches. I peeled mine, but you can leave the skin on, if desired. The peaches may be subbed with your favorite fruit. See my mango salsa and pineapple salsa recipes for inspiration!
Peach mango salsa in a bowl with spoon

How to make this recipe

There are only a few simple steps required to grill juicy, flavorful boneless skinless tequila lime chicken.

  1. First, make sure that your chicken breasts are uniform in thickness to ensure that cooking time is the same.  Place the chicken in a zip top bag, seal it, and pound the chicken to 3/4″ – 1″ thickness.
  2. Second, marinate the chicken breast for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight.  I know marinating requires a bit of planning, but the longer your chicken has marinated the better the results will be!  This tequila lime chicken marinade tenderizes the chicken breast and imparts so much flavor.  Trust me…it’s worth it!
  3. From there, allow the chicken to come to room temperature for 1-2 hours before grilling.  This will ensure that the chicken cooks more evenly and it cuts down cooking time.
  4. Finally, once the chicken has reached 165 degrees F, remove it from heat and cover loosely with foil for 10 minutes.  If you slice your chicken without adequate resting time, all of the juices will run out onto your plate resulting in very dry chicken.

FAQs

Can this recipe be made in advance?

Yes! The tequila lime chicken may be marinated in advance and frozen!  Remove from the fridge, thaw and voila! — you have perfect marinated chicken.

However, the salsa is best made no more than 1 hour prior to serving for freshness and color.  I prefer to make the salsa while the chicken is cooking or resting.

Can another cut of chicken be used?

Yes, the tequila lime chicken marinade can also be used on chicken drumsticks, thighs, and so on. Just note that different cuts of chicken will have different cook times than what’s listed in the recipe card below.

Can the tequila be omitted?

No, this is one recipe where you need the alcohol. The tequila helps tenderize the chicken and also imparts tons of flavor.

I have plenty of other alcohol-free chicken recipes on my site though, so definitely check those out!

Tequila chicken on white plate with peach mango salsa

Sides for grilled chicken

Not sure what to serve with this grilled tequila chicken? Here are some suggestions:

Recipe notes

  • To save time, simply chop all of your ingredients minus the avocado and keep separate until you’re ready to prepare your salsa.
  • The chicken may be served as-is or as tacos or burrito bowls with my cilantro lime rice or black beans!
  • Change things up by substituting the peach with mango or pineapple, or go the traditional route by topping the chicken with my Homemade Guacamole.
  • Store-bought salsa is also a viable option if you’re short on time.

More grilled chicken dinner ideas:

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you!  Leave a comment and rating below, or tag me @flavorthemoments on Instagram!

Tequila lime chicken on white plate with peach mango salsa

Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken with Avocado Peach Salsa

Servings: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 16 mins
Additional Time: 0 mins
Total Time: 31 mins
Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken is juicy, flavorful tequila lime chicken topped with a fresh avocado peach salsa.  It's the perfect summer meal!
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Ingredients

For the chicken:

  • 1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded to 3/4″-1″ thickness
  • 1/4 cup tequila
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice about 2 large limes
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

For the salsa:

  • 2 medium peaches pitted and coarsely chopped
  • 1 avocado pitted and chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion
  • 1 small jalapeño chopped
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice about 1/2 lime
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions 

Prepare the chicken:

  • Place the chicken breasts in a zip top bag, release the air and seal.  Pound to 3/4″-1/2″ thickness and place in a baking dish or zip top bag.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the tequila, lime juice, olive oil, salt, garlic powder, cumin and smoked paprika until combined.  Pour the marinade over the chicken and flip until it’s well coated or massage into the chicken if using a zip top bag.  Marinate chicken in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight.  The longer you marinate your chicken the better!
  • Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 1-2 hours prior to cooking to bring to room temperature.
  • Preheat the grill to medium heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
  • Grill for 6-8 minutes on the first side until grill marks form, then turn and cook another 6-8 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.  Remove from heat and allow and cover loosely with foil for 10 minutes before serving.

Prepare the salsa:

  • Place all ingredients into a medium bowl and gently stir to combine.  Taste and add more lime or seasoning as needed.
  • Serve the chicken topped with salsa and enjoy!

Notes

  • The chicken may be marinated in advance and frozen!  Remove from the fridge, thaw and voila! — you have perfect marinated chicken.
  • The salsa is best made as close to serving time as possible.  I prefer to make the salsa while the chicken is cooking or resting.
  • To save time, simply chop all of your ingredients minus the avocado and keep separate until you’re ready to prepare your salsa.  You may also use your favorite store bought salsa if you’re short on time.
  • The chicken may be served as-is or as tacos or burrito bowls with my cilantro lime rice or black beans!

Nutrition

Calories: 423kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 35g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 83mg, Sodium: 494mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 7g

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: American
Author: Marcie
Keyword: tequila lime chicken, tequila lime chicken recipe
All recipes and images © Flavor the Moments.
Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!

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