Margarita Chicken

There's no such thing as too many quick and simple weeknight chicken dinner ideas. This Margarita Chicken begins with a flavorful spiced flour coating and finishes with a zesty tequila-infused sauce, making it the ideal dish for a sunset serenade. Despite any misconceptions, this dish is truly family-friendly.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Margarita Chicken

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

Servings

Calories 439kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

Ingredients

Margarita Chicken:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. paprika
2 tsps. garlic powder
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1-1/2 pounds)
salt
2 tbsps. olive oil, divided
cooking spray
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dried tropical fruit, chopped (I used a mixture of pineapple, mango & golden raisins (leave the raisins whole))*
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup tequila (gold or silver)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a plastic bag, mix flour, paprika, and garlic powder. Season the chicken generously with salt. One by one, place the chicken pieces into the flour mixture, shaking the bag to coat them evenly.
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp. paprika, 2 tsps. garlic powder, 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1-1/2 pounds), salt
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Add half of the chicken thighs and cook for 4 minutes on each side, or until they are lightly browned. Repeat with the remaining chicken and another tablespoon of oil. Then, transfer the browned chicken to an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
2 tbsps. olive oil, divided, cooking spray
Add the onion to the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Then, add the garlic and sauté for an additional 1 minute. In a microwave-safe dish, combine the dried fruit, juice, and tequila, then microwave on high for 2 minutes to soften the dried fruit. Pour this fruit-juice mixture into the pan with the onions, bring it to a boil while scraping the pan to loosen any browned bits, and cook for 1 more minute. Finally, pour the onion-dried fruit mixture evenly over the chicken.
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced, 5 cloves garlic, minced, 1/2 cup dried tropical fruit, chopped (I used a mixture of pineapple, mango & golden raisins (leave the raisins whole))*, 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, 1/4 cup tequila (gold or silver)
Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. Season with salt to taste once more if desired.

Notes

*When it comes to the tropical fruit medley, you can use a mixture or any variety of dried fruit such as, papaya, mango, apricot and golden raisins all work well. In the end you're just adding a little sweetness to the dish for balance.

For optimal outcomes when preparing this, it's recommended to refer to the recipe details within the post. The recipe post commonly includes valuable notes that are not presented here, such how to make these bars dairy-free, gluten free, vegan and ideas for healthy ingredient substitutions.

The provided nutrition information is merely an approximation, as variations can arise depending on the specific ingredients/brands you select.

Nutrition