Crispy baked tequila lime chicken is a delicious combination of flavors. Breaded baked chicken that is coated with a sweet tequila lime glaze. This is an easy chicken recipe that is ready to serve in about 30 minutes. Serve it as dinner with a side dish or on its own as an appetizer.
Do you ever have some random phrase pop into your mind and you have no idea where it came from? Last week while making various tequila recipes, I kept thinking about a tequila lime chicken. I’ve never had it nor did I come across any related recipes lately, but those three words just kept repeating in my mind. Tequila lime chicken. Tequila lime chicken.
The flavors just seemed like they would be amazing. Since I’m still obsessed with crunchy baked chicken, I decided to make a tequila lime glaze. This pale golden colored sauce is perfect. It’s even better than I had dreamed. It’s just the right balance of sweetness and you can definitely taste the tequila and the lime juice. I couldn’t get enough of this tequila lime chicken. I’m definitely going to make this one again and use the sauce in other dishes as well.
Like many of my other baked chicken dishes, this one comes together easily. I was done in about 30 minutes.
How to Make Crispy Baked Chicken
- For crispy baked chicken I like to use panko breadcrumbs. Panko breadcrumbs are lighter and coarser than regular dried breadcrumbs and give the baked chicken a crispy and crunchy exterior.
- Dip the chicken pieces in egg and then roll them in the panko. It helps to use one hand to dip the chicken in the egg and the other to roll them in the panko. That way, the breadcrumbs will stay drier and won’t clump up.
- Baked the chicken at 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until the bread coating is golden brown and crispy.
Tequila Lime Sauce
The tequila lime sauce is almost like a making a margarita with a few extra ingredients and, of course, you cook it on the stove.
- Granulated sugar
- Light soy sauce
- Tequila
- Triple sec
- Fresh lime juice
- Water
- Cornstarch
Combine all of the ingredients, except the water and cornstarch, in a saucepan. Bring it to a low boil.
In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water. Add the mixture to the saucepan and bring the sauce to a boil. It will only take about a minute for the sauce to thicken.
Pour the sauce over the crispy chicken just before serving.
What kind of tequila should I use for tequila lime chicken?
I like to use reposado tequila. Depending on the kind you buy, it will have been aged anywhere from two months to a year and its color is light gold. You could also substitute silver tequila, which is not aged. Whatever you choose it should be one that you like to drink.
Can I make tequila lime chicken ahead?
I don’t recommend making this dish ahead of time. Since the chicken is coated in panko it will lose its crispiness if it’s made too far in advance. This tequila lime chicken is best served right after you bake the chicken.
More Crispy Baked Chicken Recipes
We love crispy chicken and there are so many ways to change it up with different sauces. Here are some of our favorite recipes:
- Bang Bang Crispy Baked Chicken
- Baked Honey Sriracha Chicken
- Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Crunchy Baked Parmesan Chicken Bites
- Honey Lemon Chicken
Tequila Lime Chicken Crispers
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb boneless chicken thighs cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs I use Kikkoman brand
- 1 extra-large egg whisked
- 1 tsp fresh chopped cilantro optional garnish
for the glaze
- 2 tbsp granulated white sugar
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1/4 cup water + 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup tequila I used reposado
- 2 tbsp triple sec
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice + 1 tsp fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Dip chicken pieces in egg and then roll in bread crumbs until fully coated and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat until all chicken is coated. Bake for 15-20 minutes until chicken coating is a dark golden brown and is crunchy.
- While chicken is cooking, make sauce on the stove. Add all sauce ingredients except the cornstarch + 1/4 cup water and 1 tsp lime juice. Bring to a low boil. In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in water, then add to the mixture. Stir until sauce boils again and cook until sauce becomes thick (should take less than 1 minute. you don't want to cook too long or you will evaporate all the alcohol). Turn off heat and add 1 tsp lime juice and stir in. Pour sauce on chicken right before serving. Garnish with cilantro if desired. Serve over rice if desired.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
I made these and the tequila flavoring was a little bit strong for me but hubby liked them. I’ll switch out the brands of alcohol for next time. Also, it made way more sauce than I needed!
I used foil and they took extra time to crisp up. Have you tried silicon baking mat for the basic chicken portion?
i always use parchment paper because i save my silicone mats for baking sweets.
These chicken crispers look absolutely AMAZING!! They also look highly addictive, though…this is a dangerous recipe 😛
they are super addicting! i need to make them again very soon
They look awesome! Sure to be a crowd pleaser. Pinned.
thanks! i thought it was pretty awesome
Yes yes yes! I want the whole batch!
haha! I kept secretly stealing pieces from Mr. K’s share. =)
These look so yummy! I can’t wait to try them!
thank you! i really enjoyed this and hope you do too!
LOL. I get those random inspirations quite frequently. Somehow I got combining cranberry and siracha while I was reading a mango salsa recipe. But hey, it worked!
heehee, i get that too–reading recipe posts and then having some random inspiration pop into my mind that is unrelated. cranberry sriracha, i’m intrigued.
So awesome, love the flavoring!
it’s such a great combination!