Margarita Chicken

When it’s time to switch up chicken night, this margarita chicken has a spiced coating and a zesty tequila sauce that keeps things interesting and totally 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))* use whatever you prefer
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup tequila (gold or silver)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
In a plastic bag, mix the flour, paprika, and garlic powder. Generously season the chicken with salt. Place the chicken pieces in the flour mixture one at a time, shaking the bag to coat each piece 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
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the chicken thighs and cook for 4 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. Repeat with the remaining chicken and another tablespoon of oil. Transfer the browned chicken to an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
2 tbsps. olive oil, cooking spray
Add the onion to the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Then, add the garlic and sauté for another 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 the 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 and 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

*Dried Tropical Fruit: For the tropical fruit medley, feel free to mix and match any dried fruit you like—papaya, mango, apricot, and golden raisins are all great choices. The goal is just to add a little sweetness to balance things out.

For optimal outcomes when making this margarita chicken, I recommend referring to the recipe details within the post. The recipe post commonly includes valuable notes, expert tips and frequently asked questions, that are not presented in the recipe card, often including how to make this recipe dairy-free, gluten free or vegan and ideas for healthy ingredient substitutions or variations.

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

Nutrition