Tequila Lime Chicken Tacos

Those baked chickens in the warmers at the grocery store smell so amazing that sometimes you just can't resist buying one, right? But then you are left with a ton of meat on your bird. This recipe is perfect for jazzing up leftover baked chicken! If you don't have leftovers you can always bake a few pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breasts sprinkled with a little Montreal Chicken seasoning or poultry seasoning. The quantities of tortillas, tequila, and lime you will need depend entirely on how much chicken you have leftover. I will list the basic amounts needed for about 2 cups of chicken. You can increase or decrease to fit your needs. This recipe makes 6-8 tacos.

You will need:

2+ cups of shredded chicken
4 T lime (1-2 limes)
2 T tequila
1 green pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 T oil or butter
6-8 whole wheat tortillas
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toppings for your tacos:

sour cream
shredded cheddar cheese
salsa
anything else you like on a taco!!




Add your tequila to a small bowl and then add your squeezed (or measured) lime juice. I only needed one lime this time around.



Pour the mixture over your shredded chicken and make sure it is evenly coated. You can cube your chicken, of course, but I much prefer it shredded. I think it soaks up the flavors better. Let it sit while you saute the veggies.



Add the oil or butter to a frying pan and then add your veggies. Cook over medium heat until they are a bit colored, but are not completely soft. They will go from this...



to this...



and will be done when they look like this:



Remove your veggies from the frying pan and set them aside.



Add the shredded chicken to the same pan and reheat over medium. You don't need to cook the chicken at all, just warm it up. Doesn't take but a couple of minutes. Stir often.



While the chicken is warming, warm your tortillas in a pan over medium high heat. You don't really need to add any oil or butter to the tortillas, but I sprayed them with a little pan spray on each side. (If you aren't using a nonstick pan then you should probably give the pan a spray, too.) Heat on both sides for one minute each.





When the tortillas are warm and slightly brown, remove them from the pan and immediately flip them in half. If you wait they will harden a bit and you won't be able to fold them in half. Just stack them on a plate.



Now just fill your tacos with the chicken, veggies, cheese, sour cream, whatever you like!






You will turn boring, leftover baked chicken into a whole other meal that is easy on your wallet and tastes amazing! The lime and tequila give the tacos a refreshing bite and the whole wheat tortillas add a nutty flavor. Out of this world!

Enjoy!

Margarita Chicken

What says summer better than a margarita? Well, margarita does a great winter, spring, and fall, too. It's an equal opportunity drink. This recipe is great for chicken or fish. I love to cook Mahi Mahi this way, although I switch out the Montreal Chicken seasoning for Steak seasoning when I do fish.

You will need:

1 can frozen margarita mix, thawed
2/3 cup tequila
2 T Montreal Chicken seasoning
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts



Clean the chicken and cut each breast into thirds and put into a plastic bag. In a bowl mix together the margarita mix, tequila, and seasoning. I like to use Jose Cuervo Gold in recipes and drinks because it has a strong, bold flavor. I used Jose's White in margaritas once and they had no tequila flavor at all. Very sad.





Pour the marinade into the bag over the chicken and marinate for at least an hour, four is better, but don't do it overnight.



The chicken is best cooked in a frying pan. I add about a tablespoon or so of oil in the pan, but if you have non-stick it is really not necessary. Cook for 7 minutes over medium heat on first side, then flip and cook for another 3-5 minutes (depending on how thickness of your chicken).





Are you loving my new green frying pan? I am!!

The sugars in the margarita mix will start to brown, so it's important that your heat is not too high. It makes for a really yummy coating on the chicken. Really, really tasty.





It is possible that this chicken is excellent eaten cold right out of the fridge, but I have no idea. We never have any leftovers from margarita chicken.

Enjoy!

**note: I never use the frozen mix for margaritas. I am a strict Finest Call gal. Some Finest Call margarita mix, a heavy pour of Jose Gold, a few splashes of Triple Sec, and ice. I suddenly got very thirsty...