Fiesta Lime Chicken
I did work at Applebee's when the kids were little and this was my absolute favorite dish on the menu. It really used to be made with real Tequila, but they stopped that, blah blah, booze, blah blah. Whatever. It's good either way and I hate tequila anyhow.
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp tequila ((optional))
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 Tbsp liquid smoke
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1 cup mexi-ranch dressing
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 Tbsp chunky salsa
- 1/2 tsp parsley
- 1 Tbsp cajun seasoning
- 1/2 tsp siracha hot sauce
- 1/4 tsp dried dill
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 6 whole chicken breasts
- 2 cups shredded monterey-jack cheese
- 3 cups crushed tortilla chips or strips ((easy to make yourself too))
- 1/2 cup pico de gallo ((optional))
Method
Marinade
- Mix all marinade ingredients together in a large zip-top plastic bag or in a large non-metal bowl.
- Add chicken to the marinade and place in fridge up to 4 hours (not overnight becuase it's too acidic and will ruin the chicken. We want flavour, not destruction!)
Cooking
- Remove chicken from marinade (and discard the marinade) and grill chicken on the BBQ about 6 minutes per side until it's just cooked through. If it's not BBQ weather, you can bake these in the oven for about 25 minutes.
- While the chicken cooks, in a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients for the dressing toppings.
- Place grilled chicken in a baking dish and top with dressing toppings mix & shredded cheese. Place in the oven under broiler set to high for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly browned.
- For hard-core authenticity and to be true to the Applebee's recipe, garnish each piece of chicken with a tablespoon of pico de gallo.
- Serve over a bed of crushed tortilla chips or strips with a salad and your favorite mexi-rice dish.
Recipe Notes
Tortilla Chips or Strips
These things are super easy to make yourself at home. Buy or make your own tortillas in the traditional 8-10" round shape and then either cut (with a very sharp knife) them into strips (this is authentic Applebee's style) or into triangles for chips. Deep fry them in a neutral oil such as canola or corn oil at 375°F on a candy thermometer for about 3 minutes in small batches. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl lined with paper towels and immediately sprinkle with salt. Or, of course, pick up a bag of your favorite tortialla chips from the grocery store. That'll work too.
Other recipes on this site that are used in this recipe: