Are you in for a juicy and flavourful chicken for dinner? Then you surely can’t miss out on this delicious Margarita Chicken recipe. Packed with flavors like lime, chili, agave nectar, and garlic, this chicken can be used as the base for many main courses.
Margarita chicken for dinner means a fun night! You will have the guests coming in early for dinner when they hear you are preparing margarita chicken for them. It’s one of the most juicy and delicious chicken dishes to have.
And most of its preparation is done way ahead of time. So all you need to do is bake the chicken when the guests arrive and serve them a warm dinner.
Generally, Margarita mix calls for tequila to be mixed with all things citrus like lime, lemon, citrus oils, orange, etc. But today, we will be preparing the marination using a non-alcoholic margarita mix. I’m using a pre-made margarita mix as it is easily available and time-saving. If you want, you can make your own margarita mix at home. You will love this recipe, and I’m sure everyone else will too.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe?
- Juicy: Since we are baking the chicken in the oven, it helps lock all the natural juices of the chicken breasts. Also, the marination gets soaked in well, so the flavor is also more intense. Some recipes would call for grilling the chicken, but grilling leads to a more firm chicken rather than soft and tender.
- Packed with flavors: Definitely, this margarita chicken recipe is the most tasty I have had in a long time. The marination is made using margarita mix, cilantro, black pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Even with such basic seasoning, you get the best-flavoured chicken.
- Easy To Make: As complicated as it may seem, this recipe is pretty easy to follow. Prepare the marination as instructed and marinate the chicken breasts overnight. The next day, simply place them in a glassware with additional ingredients and bake. It’s pretty convenient when you have a get-together planned, as you can do all the prep the night before.
Important Ingredients Used In The Recipe
- Chicken breasts: Use boneless and skinless breasts for the recipe. Make sure to remove any excess fat if necessary. Also, if the portions are too thick, you can slice them into cutlets.
- Margarita Mix: I have used a non-alcoholic margarita mix with flavors of lime, lemon, chili, and some agave syrup. It’s perfect for the chicken as we need a mix of citrus juices as the base for marination.
- Cilantro: Fresh cilantro adds a great flavor and freshness to the chicken. When mixed with spices and juices, it tastes amazing.
- Seasoning: For the spices, I have used black pepper, salt, garlic powder, and some sugar. These are pretty simple and basic seasonings. If you want, you can add some red paprika to make it more spicy.
- Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil is used in the marination. This helps marinate the chicken well. It has a high-smoke point, so it works well when used for chicken when baking at high temperatures.
- Cherry Tomatoes: The tune, succulent, and tangy cherry tomatoes add a great freshness and sourness to the chicken breasts. Roaring them with the breasts gives them a charred flavor.
How To Make Margarita Chicken
Preparation: Collect all ingredients necessary for the recipe as per the recipe card given below. When you need to bake the chicken, preheat the oven to 180C (OTG mode: upper rod + lower rod + fan) for 10-15 minutes.
Marination: Prepare the marination first. Take margarita mix, cilantro, pepper, salt, garlic powder, sugar, and olive oil in a large bowl. Mix it well using a fork.
Marinate chicken: Prep and wash the chicken breasts properly. Now, marinate them into the marination. Keep them in the bowl for marination overnight.
Prepare for Baking: Next day, take the breasts out from the marination bowl and place them in a glassware side to side. Pour the excess marination over the breasts. Place half-cut cherry tomatoes on top.
Bake: Put the chicken for baking in a preheated oven at 180C (OTG mode: upper rod + lower rod + fan). Bake for 10 minutes on each side or until the inside temperature of the breasts reaches 150-155C.
Serve: Once the inside of the chicken reaches the required temperature, take it out from the oven and let the chicken cook in its residual heat for a few minutes. Serve warm.
Chef’s Tips For The Recipe
Marination
The chicken breasts need to be marinated for at least 8 hours. It’s best to keep them for marination overnight. Or, you could marinate them early in the morning and bake them at night for dinner.
Cooking
After baking them for 10 minutes on one side, flip the pieces and bake them for another 10 minutes. Keep the digital kitchen thermometer handy to check the inside temperature for accurate cooking time of the chicken.
How To Store Margarita Chicken
Serve warm, freshly baked chicken. Store any leftover pieces in an airtight box in the refrigerator. It can be consumed for 3-4 days. Reheat the chicken in a microwave or in the oven, as you may please, before serving.
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Frequently Asked Questions
You can pair the chicken with some lemon rice or maybe a salad of your choice.
Yes, you can grill or air-fry the chicken if you like. I prefer baking them in the oven.
You can add spices like red paprika, cumin, and coriander to give a more punch of flavors.
Yes, the marination is the highlight of the dish. If the chicken breasts are not appropriately marinated, they won’t taste as they are supposed to. The spices and flavor won’t seep into the chicken. It is highly recommended to marinate the chicken for 8 hours or overnight.
You can add your favorite tequila to the marination to make it alcoholic. Any tequila would work; silver tequila works well. You would need approximately 1/4 cup of tequila.
