
Margarita Chicken with Agave and Tequila
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Easy to make and delicious Margarita Chicken is the perfect summer grill recipe. Your favorite cut of chicken is marinated in lime, tequila, and a little agave syrup then popped on the BBQ. Serve with some grilled peppers and rice for a healthy and tasty dinner. You will LOVE it!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!
Let's celebrate with some Margarita Chicken. And yes, I know that this is the second margarita recipe I've shared with you this week. Those delicious Fizzy Lime Margaritas would go so well with this Margarita Chicken and totally not be margarita overkill. (Like there's even such a thing.)
Why you'll love Margarita Chicken:
- Your favorite cocktail in dinner form. Yes!
- It's super easy to make. Whip up a simple marinade for the chicken to swim in then take it out and pop it on the grill.
- Lime chicken = delicious. Honestly, any citrus chicken recipe will rank high on the list for me. This one, with just the right amount of sweetness from agave, totally wins.
- You can't go wrong with BBQ chicken. This is a fact.
Pour yourself a margarita then dig into this margarita chicken!

Don't save this juicy chicken recipe for Cinco de Mayo!
That's right, my friends. Even though the celebrate all things Mexican day (and eat all the Mexican recipes!) is today, don't save this as a once-a-year chicken recipe. This is a go-to grilled chicken recipe that deserves to be eaten all summer long.
Easy Chicken Recipe!
Easy chicken recipes are my favorite. I like to have a few up my sleeve that I can make for dinner on busy weekday evenings. This margarita chicken is one of them.
The marinade only takes about 5 minutes to make. Most of that time is squeezing limes. (BTW if you don't already have this lime squeezer you're totally missing out. #LifeTransforming) I pour the marinade over the chicken then walk away until I start to feel hungry.
A pot of rice and some chopped and grilled peppers are all this margarita chicken needs to become a full meal.

The best grilled chicken
As soon as the weather warms up, we fire up our little BBQ and keep it going until the leaves start falling in autumn. There is literally no easier or healthier dinner than throwing some chicken and veggies on the grill. Sometimes we keep it crazy simple with some oil, salt, and pepper on the chicken.
Sometimes we get a little fancy and make something like this Summer Peach and Grilled Chicken Pad Thai. So freaking good!
Other times we stick to easy like this margarita chicken. Or some Lemongrass Grilled Chicken. Or some Grilled Thai Chicken Kebabs. Grilled chicken recipes are the best!
Sides to serve with margarita chicken:
- Garlic Butter Grilled Mushrooms
- Grilled Smashed Potato Salad
- Summer Tomato and Grilled Corn Salad
- Grilled Mini Peppers with Minty Tzatziki
- Perfect Basmati Rice
- Easy Cauliflower Rice
And forget about tasty drinks to go with your grilled chicken!

If you love this Margarita Chicken as much as I do, make sure to give it a 5-star review in the comments below!

Margarita Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ¼ cup tequila
- 2 tablespoons agave syrup
- 2 tablespoons oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Optional: ½ jalapeño (sliced)
- 2 lbs. bone-in chicken thighs (or use your favorite cut of chicken)
- Sliced limes (to serve)
Instructions
- Whisk the lime juice, tequila, agave syrup, oil, salt, pepper, and (if using) the jalapeno in a small bowl. Place the chicken in a container or resealable plastic bag and pour the marinade over top. Let the chicken marinate for at least a half-hour or up to 4 hours.¼ cup lime juice, ¼ cup tequila, 2 tablespoons agave syrup, 2 tablespoons oil, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, Optional: ½ jalapeño, 2 lbs. bone-in chicken thighs
- Clean and oil your grill and preheat it to medium heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place it on your grill skin side up. Let it cook for 10 minutes then flip it over and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Serve your margarita chicken with limes on the side.Sliced limes
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.