The last time we grilled, I wanted to do something other than the usual BBQ sauce. A Mexican inspired marinade sounded good: tequila, lime, cilantro… something along those lines. A quick search of allrecipes.com produced this recipe for Tequila Lime Chicken.

The original recipe includes instructions for baking the chicken, and for an accompanying Mexi-Ranch dressing. I was only interested in the marinade. Based upon recommendations of reviewers and my personal tastes, I changed a few of the proportions. Since it is Tequila Lime Chicken, I increased the amount of tequila to 1 teaspoon, and will probably add more next time. The recipe produced an ample amount of marinade and would easily work for more than the suggested four chicken breast halves.

The chicken was delicious and tender! It had a tangy, smokey flavor that went very well with the cilantro lime rice I made that night. The leftover chicken was delicious on it’s own and on grilled pizza. This marinade will be added to our regular grilling rotation this summer!

Tequila Lime Chicken

1 cup water
1/3 cup Teriyaki sauce
2 tbsp lime juice (juice of 1 lime)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp liquid smoke flavoring
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp tequila
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1. Combine all ingredients, except chicken, in non-reactive bowl. Mix well.
2. Add chicken and turn to coat.
3. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
4. Grill chicken.

I was searching for a Chipotle-inspired rice to serve with tequila lime chicken when found this recipe for Cilantro Lime Rice on allrecipes.com. Sadly, it’s not the same as Chipotle’s rice. It’s still delicious.

This is an easy recipe that uses very few ingredients. The rice has a nice lime flavor, and I love the earthy cilantro. I used more than the two tablespoons of cilantro called for in the original recipe. I don’t know how much I used, as I just sprinkled in extra cilantro until it looked right.

After I made this rice, I found a Chipotle Fan site that provides copy-cat recipes that promise to emulate Chipotle staples. I will be trying their chicken marinade and rice soon.

Cilantro Lime Rice

Yields 6 Servings

1 cup long grain white rice
2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp lime juice (juice of 1 lime)
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
salt to taste

1. Bring rice and chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan over high heat.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until rice is tender.
3. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice, cilantro and salt. Fluff with fork and serve.