The aroma of this Tequila BBQ Chicken sizzling on the griddle is irresistible. Marinated with fresh lime, tequila and coriander (cilantro), it’s juicy, zesty and full of summer flavour.
Serve it with a simple grapefruit-and-avocado salad for a refreshing, gluten-free meal that’s perfect for warm-weather entertaining.
What type of tequila should be used?
I use white tequila for this recipe, but gold tequila works just as well if that’s what you have on hand. As the chicken cooks, most of the alcohol evaporates, but you’ll still get that lovely tequila flavour alongside the tangy lime, fresh coriander and garlic. The chillies are optional, but if you like a bit of spice, definitely add them.
Which chicken cut is best?
As chicken is the star of this dish, I recommend using good-quality chicken breasts, organic if possible, for the best flavour and texture. Chicken thigh fillets also work well on the BBQ and stay beautifully juicy, although they may not look quite as neat when sliced and fanned across the plate.
For clean diagonal slices, let the cooked chicken rest, covered, for at least 5 minutes before carving. This helps keep the meat tender and juicy, while making it easier to slice and plate up neatly.
Salad Dressing
This salad dressing is similar to a classic vinaigrette, but uses fresh lime juice instead of lemon for a brighter, zestier flavour. It’s made to complement the citrus avocado salad, but also tastes delicious drizzled over the grilled chicken just before serving.
How to serve the salad
This dish is wonderful served warm, with the grilled chicken sliced and arranged alongside the citrus avocado salad. It also makes a beautiful cold salad for entertaining. Simply slice the cooled chicken and arrange it over the salad on a large platter, then serve the dressing on the side to drizzle over just before eating.
- The chicken can also be cooked indoors on a stove-top skillet/grill plate. Use the ridged side to give those attractive chargrilled stripes.
- The chicken can be substituted with either prawns or halloumi but reduce the marinating time to a maximum of one hour.
Tequila BBQ Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
TEQUILA BBQ CHICKEN
- 5 chicken breasts, with or without skin
Chicken Marinade
- 80 ml tequila
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 limes, juiced & zest removed
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 fresh red chilli, chopped finely (optional)
- 1 fresh green chilli, chopped finely (optional)
- 3 tbsp fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves, chopped roughly
- salt & pepper, to taste
Salad Dressing
- 1½ tbsp sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
- 50 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp runny honey
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
CITRUS AVOCADO SALAD
- 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 ruby red grapefruit, peeled and segmented
- 1 orange, peeled and segmented
- 2 ripe avocadoes, sliced thickly
- 60 g fresh rocket (arugula) leaves
Serving
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, to decorate
- 1 lime, cut in wedges, to serve
Instructions
TEQUILA BBQ CHICKEN
Chicken Marinade
- Gather and measure the chicken marinade ingredients together.
- Mix the chicken marinade ingredients together in a glass or ceramic bowl large enough to hold the chicken breasts.
- Add the chicken and prick with a fork several times. This will thoroughly infuse and marinate the chicken meat.
- Cover and chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
Grilling the Tequila BBQ Chicken
- Bring the chicken to room temperature 20 minutes before grilling.
- Preheat the skillet/grill plate on the BBQ to medium-high heat and brush it with some oil.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill each side for 7 minutes. Only turn the chicken over once the chicken has “released” itself naturally from the grill. Do not over-cook the chicken or it will end up being tough.
- After 14 minutes the chicken should be ready, test by touch or with a meat thermometer.
- Season with salt and pepper and cover the chicken with foil to rest for 5 minutes before slicing it on the diagonal.
Salad Dressing
- Mix all the salad dressing ingredients together in a small bowl or jug. Set aside.
CITRUS AVOCADO SALAD
- Gather and measure all the citrus salad ingredients together.
- Slice the cucumber and red onion. Peel and segment the grapefruit and orange. Using a citrus “grapefruit” knife will make this step easier to remove the fruit from the peel.
- Remove the whole grapefruit segment and transfer them to a chopping board.
- Cut the grapefruit segments out between each skin. Repeat this step with the orange/s.
- Arrange the fresh rocket on a large platter and place the sliced vegetables and citrus segments on top of the rocket leaves.
- Slice the avocado and add them to the citrus salad. Add some lime or lemon juice on top of the avocado pieces to prevent them from going brown. Set the salad aside.
Serving
- Place the sliced chicken next to the salad. Drizzle the salad with the salad dressing.
- Sprinkle fresh coriander leaves over the salad and chicken and serve with lime wedges. Serve warm immediately or cover and chill.
Notes
- Keeps for 2 days
- Can be eaten warm or cold
- Unsuitable to freeze
