This Tequila Lime Chicken is inspired by Applebee's Fiesta Lime Chicken. It's a tasty Tex Mex dinner idea that’s great for meal prep!
Who needs to spend money on takeout when you can make a delicious copycat chicken dish at home?! This dish is perfect for weeknight dinners or prepping ahead for lunches you’ll actually look forward to.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Bold restaurant-style flavour at home: Just like Applebee's in your kitchen! You get all the Tex Mex flavour without the takeout bill.
- Perfect for meal prep: This chicken holds up beautifully for leftovers. Just portion it out with rice and toppings for easy lunches all week long.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Chicken cutlets – cut two chicken breasts in half lengthwise or use boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- Olive oil – or another neutral cooking oil like avocado or canola oil.
- Tequila – if you don’t have any tequila, you can swap it out for water or lime juice.
- Lime juice – freshly squeezed lime is best, but bottled lime juice will work in a pinch.
- Chili powder – use a combination of paprika, cumin and cayenne instead.
- Cumin – coriander is the best substitute for cumin.
- Lime zest – add a bit more lime juice if you don’t have any lime zest.
- Garlic – I prefer freshly minced garlic. Jarred minced garlic will also work.
- Shredded Tex Mex cheese – swap out for a shredded cheese blend of your choice or leave the cheese out altogether.
Tex Mex rice
- White rice – you can try using another variety of rice but it won’t have the same flavour.
- Chicken broth – vegetable broth would be the best substitute here.
- Butter – olive oil or your favourite butter substitute can also be used.
- Chili powder – use a combination of paprika, cumin and cayenne instead.
- Onion powder – finely minced onion would also work.
- Cumin – coriander is the best substitute for cumin.
Toppings
- Pico de gallo or salsa – fresh, store-bought or jarred varieties would all be delicious.
- Cilantro – if you’re not a fan of cilantro, leave this out altogether.
- Jalapeno slices – sliced serrano peppers would add more spice. If you’re not a fan of spice, top with some bell pepper.
- Tortilla strips – use your favourite store-bought brand or make your own.
- Lime wedges – lemon wedges would also work.
- Sliced avocado – guacamole would be delicious here too.
How to make tequila lime chicken
Step 1: Make the Tex Mex rice.
Cook rice in rice cooker with broth, butter, chili powder, onion powder, cumin, and salt.
Step 2: Marinate then bake the chicken.
Marinate chicken, then bake for 10 minutes.
Step 3: Add cheese and bake the chicken again.
Add cheese and bake for another 5 minutes until melted.
Step 4: Add your favourite toppings and serve!
Customize with your favorite toppings and serve.
Tequila lime chicken toppings
You have total control over the toppings to add to this dish – you definitely don't have to follow exactly what I used! Try some combinations of creamy, crunchy and tangy elements, but avoid overloading… too many toppings can overwhelm the chicken.
- Try grilled pineapple or mango salsa, avocado crema or corn and black bean salsa, pickled red onions or jicama slaw.
- Add something like spicy ranch, chipotle crema or queso fresco.
- Top on some caramelized onions and peppers.
- Add a little something extra like fresh herbs, toasted pepitas or hot sauce drizzle.
Frequently asked questions
Are fiesta lime chicken and tequila lime chicken the same?
The two dishes are very similar, but not exactly the same. With Applebee’s Fiesta Lime Chicken, the chicken is grilled. For this Tequila Lime Chicken recipe, I baked the chicken.
Can kids eat tequila lime chicken?
Yes, kids can eat tequila lime chicken! The alcohol cooks off during grilling or baking, leaving just the flavour behind.
Can I make this without tequila?
Yes! You can leave it out or replace it with extra lime juice or a splash of orange juice for a citrusy kick.
What to serve with this dish
This chicken pairs perfectly with some nice fresh sides to round out your meal:
- Corn on the cob
- Green bean fries
- Simple green salad
- Grilled bell peppers or zucchini
How to store and reheat
Store: Keep cooked chicken and toppings in separate containers in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Reheat: Reheat the chicken in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave until warmed through.
Freeze and reheat from frozen: Freeze the cooked chicken for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat in a skillet or microwave.
More Applebee's copycat recipes
Meal prep tools
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this tequila lime chicken into your weekly lunches.
- A rice cooker is invaluable for saving time, and it cooks other grains, too!
- I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
Tequila Lime Chicken {Applebee's Copycat}
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breast cutlets (or 2 chicken breasts sliced in half lengthwise)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp tequila
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup shredded tex mex cheese
Tex Mex rice
- 1 cup dry white rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp butter or olive oil
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 pinch salt
Options for topping
- Pico de gallo or salsa
- Chopped cilantro
- Jalapeno slices
- Tortilla strips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F.
- Mix olive oil, lime juice, tequila, chili powder, cumin, salt and garlic in a large bowl then add chicken cutlets. Let chicken marinate for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, make rice by adding all ingredients under the rice heading to a rice cooker, cooking until liquid has absorbed.
- When chicken is ready to cook, add to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. While chicken is cooking, prep toppings.
- Remove chicken from oven and top with grated cheese, then bake another 5 minutes until cheese is melted and chicken is fully cooked.
- Top chicken with toppings of choice and serve with rice. Enjoy!
Video
Comments & Reviews
Sam hain says
My partner is from PNG Papua New Guinea, I wanted to make him this but also give him something that’s more reflected his food taste from home. I changed up the rice part of the recipe changing it to Lime Coconut rice with chicken broth that was slow cooked in the oven for a couple of hours. I can’t seem to find any real Sago Palm it’s all just fake tapioca pearls, so I’m going to have to create a dessert using pineapple, coconut milk or coconut cream, possibly some real coconut made into a pudding or frozen banana, coconut cream, pineapple dessert. Still trying to figure out a good recipe for MUMU Like his Mom and grandma made for him. If I can swing it we might do a whole hog cook, for the 4th of July using traditional PNG recipes and traditional cooking methods like back on the island. I still have to get a good price for the hog per pound, getting several packs of banana leaves is going to be a challenge ones that are not dried out that will burn up instead of steaming the varies food Items. A good substitute for plain Taquilia is a alcohol called cactus juice, we like to marinade the chicken overnight in the refrigerator then only take it out when it’s ready to grill out on the grill.
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you both enjoyed!
Loneflower says
Fantastic recipe!
I used chicken tenders instead of chicken breast .
In leu of the lime, I used 2 TBS Limeade.
Marinated the chicken tenders for an hour in a Ziploc bag.
I added a 1/3 can of sweet corn to the rice once the rice was fully cooked.
I topped the chicken with a layer of air fried corn tortilla chips and for the Tex-Mex cheese, I mixed Medium Cheddar and Pepper Jack cheese.
Next, I put the rice, chicken, tortilla chips and cheese on a cast iron platter on High broil just until the cheese melted.
Removed platter from oven and added avocado slices and fresh cilantro.
It was Delicious, my husband and I both loved it!!! We are going to make a double batch next time and put it in the freeze drier for our next camping trip.
Joyce Kelsey says
How do you cook the rice if you do not have a rice cooker? Looks so yummy.
Taylor Stinson says
Hi Joyce! You can cook the ingredients under the rice heading in a regular pot on the stove 🙂
Kelly Ireland says
This recipe was SO good! We avoid Applebee’s (and most chain restaurants) because we just don’t care for them, so I can’t actually compare to the Applebee’s meal. I (accidentally) left off the cheese and honestly didn’t miss it! I also used my air fryer to cook my chicken instead of baking it. The marinade is awesome! Thank you for sharing! I have made 2 of your meal prep bowls now (3rd recipe is tonight!) and they have both been so tasty! Definitely bookmarked your page (and signed up for newsletter) to keep coming back! Thanks for all the healthy inspiration and ideas!
Taylor Stinson says
Thank you so much for the kind words Kelly, it really means a lot! I’m so happy you’ve been enjoying my recipes 🙂