Margarita Grilled Chicken is the perfect recipe with tender chicken breasts, sliced avocado, black beans, and corn topped with fresh salsa, shredded cheese, and all the fixings. If you like Chili's margarita grilled chicken, you will love these! Unlike some copycat recipes, this one lets you make your own salsa and margarita mix, so you control what goes into your meal. It is a massive hit with the whole family!

Our margarita grilled chicken is not exactly a copycat recipe because we add our favorite ingredients and leave out some of the restaurant chain's ingredients that we prefer not to have. There is no need to get all dressed up and go out to Chili's restaurant for dinner when you can make this copycat Chili's margarita grilled chicken yourself in your home.

Like Chili's margarita grilled chicken recipe, you only need a few ingredients, including chicken breasts, avocado, tomatoes, black beans, and corn seasoned with cilantro, lime, and taco flavoring. Then, top it with salsa and shredded cheese. This easy copycat recipe is done in less than 30 minutes and can be served with a salad or any side dish you like. You can even make your own side dishes from the Chili's menu.

Ingredients needed:

You will need the ingredients listed here to make this easy grilled chicken margarita recipe. After you gather them, scroll down to our recipe card for step-by-step instructions and precise measurements.

  • Boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • Avocado: Sliced.
  • Plum tomato: Diced.
  • Shredded cheddar cheese
  • Black beans
  • Corn
  • Salsa
  • Taco seasoning
  • Fresh lime juice
  • Lime zest
  • Fresh cilantro: Roughly chopped.
  • Olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Black pepper

How to make margarita grilled chicken from scratch?

  1. Preheat oven: First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Prepare chicken breasts: Meanwhile, rub the chicken breasts with olive oil, kosher salt, lime zest, lime juice, and taco seasoning.
  3. Bake the chicken: When the oven is ready, bake the chicken for 15 minutes on a grill pan.
  4. Add cheese, veggies, and salsa: After the timer goes off, top the chicken breasts with shredded cheese, black beans, corn, and salsa. Bake for another seven to 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
  5. Garnish and serve: Finally, remove the chicken from the oven and top it with cilantro and diced plum tomatoes. Garnish with lime wedges and sliced avocado before serving.

Recipe variations:

  • Pico de gallo: Alternatively, use your favorite fresh pico de Gallo instead of salsa.
  • Barbecue grill: You could cook chicken breast on a barbecue grill on medium-high heat for nine minutes. Then flip and cook for another eight minutes on medium-low or medium heat.
  • Add juice: Add a cup of orange juice to the rub to make this dish sweeter.
  • Air fryer: Speed things up a bit by using an air fryer. You only have to cook the chicken for five minutes or so, depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts.
  • Add veggies: To make this a heartier dish, add other veggies like broccoli, green beans, or carrots.
  • Different cuts: You could use other cuts of chicken, like thighs or drumsticks.
  • Other meat: Feel free to use a completely different heart. Try it with turkey, pork, or beef.

How to serve:


Unlike some other recipes, you can alter this grilled chicken recipe as you like it. Remove or add any of the ingredients to make it your own. Many recipes add tequila or other liquor, which can dry out your chicken. Try one of these serving ideas, or share your own in the comments section.
  • Serve on a bed of Mexican-style rice for a delicious dinner in minutes.
  • Margarita chicken goes great with fried tortilla strips as well. You could crumble them on top of each chicken breast or serve them on the side with fresh pico de gallo.
  • Feel free to add your favorite toppings like sour cream, hot sauce, and other cheese, such as mozzarella or Mexican-style cheese.
  • This fantastic dinner is also delicious, with some crispy potatoes.
  • The perfect beverage for our margarita grilled chicken breasts is, of course, a margarita!
  • Serve leftover chicken in a sandwich or salad. You could even use it to make casserole or stew.

Frequently asked questions

What is in the margarita mix?

The typical margarita mix, like Chili's, has salt, sugar, lime juice, and orange liquor, such as Cointreau. Some blends also contain citric acid. The syrup is similar to lime cordial because the lime and sugar are heated with no extra water, giving it a concentrated lime flavor. For a virgin margarita mix, use orange juice instead of orange liquor.

How many calories are in Chili's margarita grilled chicken?

Our delicious margarita grilled chicken recipe may taste like a guilty pleasure. Still, you will be glad to know that this copycat Chili's margarita chicken's nutrition, calories, and fat amounts are healthy. Chili's margarita grilled chicken says 600 calories, but ours only has 360. We could use less shredded cheese, or they top theirs with tortilla chips and serve on top of Mexican rice.

What are the nutrition facts in this recipe?

Our nutrition, calories, and fat totals do not include the side dishes. Each serving has 360 calories, 62 mg of cholesterol, 20 grams of fat, and 9 grams of saturated fat. It also has 15 grams of carbohydrates, 979 mg of sodium, and 3 grams of sugar. But you also get 2 mg of iron, 33 grams of protein, 40 mg of calcium, 10 mg of vitamin C as well as 500 units of vitamin A, 611 mg of potassium, and 5 grams of fiber.

How to store leftovers:

  • Store: For three to four days, store your leftover margarita grilled chicken in a large ziplock baggie or an airtight container in the fridge.
  • Freeze: To freeze, wrap leftovers in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, put them into a freezer bag, and freeze for up to four months.
  • Thaw: For best results, place chicken in the fridge to thaw overnight before reheating.
  • Reheat: Place chicken on the grill, heat to medium-low, and cook for several minutes. You could also reheat it in the microwave for 60 to 90 seconds.

Recipe tips:

  • Make sure the chicken is fully cooked with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should be 165 degrees F when finished.
  • The cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts. Check for a thicker cut after three minutes for thin breasts or five minutes.
  • Also, if they are too thick, think about slicing them in half horizontally so they will cook faster.
  • For extra flavor, put the chicken breasts into a large ziplock bag or a covered glass bowl with the rub ingredients and marinade for several hours before you cook the chicken.
  • Shorten prep time by using pre-packaged margarita mix and salsa. If you cannot find margarita mix at your grocery store, you can always get it at a liquor store.
  • You can make your own taco seasoning with pepper, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, cumin, and chili powder.


Recipe:

Serv: 4

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 30 mins
4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp taco seasoning
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp lime zest
1 cup salsa, homemade or store-bought
1/2 cup corn kernels from a can
1/2 cup black beans
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 large tomato, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, sliced


Instructions
  • Preheat oven to 400 F.
  • Rub chicken breasts with olive oil, lime juice, zest, taco seasoning, and salt.
  • Arrange it in a baking dish and bake for 15 minutes.
  • Remove the chicken from the oven, and top each with salsa, corn, black beans, and shredded cheese, distributing evenly.
  • Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the chicken is cooked.
  • Remove the cooked chicken from the oven and top with diced tomatoes, avocado, and fresh cilantro.
  • Serve with a wedge of lime on the side.