Chicken and rice cooked together with Tequila, Mexican spices, vegetables, and plenty of cilantro for a flavorful one-pot meal. The dish is topped with a fresh radish salsa for crunch and an acidic bite.
Tequila Lime Chicken and Rice is the perfect weeknight meal because it can be made in just one pot, has a good amount of hands-off cooking, and is incredibly flavorful. The radish salsa adds a fresh acidic bite to help balance the other flavors, resulting in a complex dish the whole family will love!
What you need to make Tequila Lime Chicken and Rice
This recipe has a longer ingredient list, but a lot of the ingredients you probably have on hand and the others are commonly found in any grocery store.
For the Chicken and Rice-
- olive oil
- chicken tenders (any cut of chicken will work deliciously in this recipe)
- kosher salt & black pepper
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- cumin
- coriander
- onion
- bell pepper
- cilantro
- garlic
- tequila
- rice
- chicken broth
For the Radish Salsa-
- radish
- scallion
- cilantro
- lime zest & juice
- kosher salt & black pepper
- olive oil
How to make Tequila Lime Chicken and Rice
There are a couple of steps to prep the ingredients, but once everything is prepped, this dish comes together easily.
Season the Chicken
- Heat olive oil over medium-high heat, in a large dutch oven. While oil is heating, prepare the chicken. Season with salt and pepper, then prepare the spice mixture. In a small bowl, combine garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and coriander. Use half of the mixture to season the chicken and set the rest aside.
2. Once oil is hot and begins to shimmer when swirled around the pot, add seasoned chicken pieces in a single layer. Cook, undisturbed, on the first side for 5 minutes, until it browns. Once chicken is browned, flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the second side. The goal is not to cook the chicken through at this stage, just to brown it.
Cook the Vegetables
3. Remove the chicken and set aside. Add onions, bell pepper, and cilantro stems to the pot, adding a drizzle of oil if needed. Season with salt and pepper, then add remaining seasoning mixture. Stir to combine and cook the vegetables over medium heat for 5 minutes, until beginning to soften. Stir occasionally to ensure nothing burns or sticks to the bottom of the pot.
4. Once vegetables begin to soften, add garlic and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute, then raise heat to high and add tequila. The tequila will bubble up when added. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
After the tequila has almost evaporated, add the chicken back to the pot.
5. Next, add the rice and broth. Stir to combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover and lower to a simmer. Cook, covered, for 20 minutes, until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed.
Making the Radish Salsa
- While the chicken and rice are cooking, prepare the radish salsa. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and taste for seasoning. Adjust seasoning if needed and set aside until chicken and rice are finished cooking.
Finishing the Tequila Lime Chicken and Rice
Once chicken and rice are finished cooking, garnish with chopped cilantro and top with radish salsa.
Questions about Tequila Lime Chicken and Rice
You can purchase the onion and bell pepper mixture already chopped which will help cut down on the prep time.
I recommend adding some chopped jalapeño or sliced Serranos to the finished dish! You can also add the peppers to the onion and bell pepper mixture and sauté to help mellow the spice.
Absolutely. I recommend using your largest pot to ensure everything fits once the rice is cooked because it will expand once it absorbs the liquid.
For more one pot chicken and rice recipes, check out my Parmesan Chicken and Rice
Tequila Lime Chicken and Rice with Radish Salsa
Ingredients
For the Tequila Lime Chicken and Rice
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1.5 lbs Chicken Tenders any cut of chicken will work here, cut into 1 inch pieces
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Corriander
- 1 medium Yellow Onion medium diced
- 1 Green Bell Pepper medium diced
- 1 bunch Cilantro stems separated from leaves (stems will be used for Tequila Chicken and leaves will be used for Radish Salsa)
- 3 cloves Garlic minced or grated
- 4 oz Tequila
- 1 cup Rice long-grain, like Jasmin or Basmati
- 2.5 cups Chicken Broth
For the Radish Salsa
- 1 cup thinly sliced Radish about 6-8 radishes
- ½ cup sliced Scallions
- ½ cup chopped Cilantro
- 1 tablespoon Lime Zest
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 tablespoons Lime Juice
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
Instructions
For the Tequila Chicken and Rice
- Heat olive oil over medium-high heat, in a large dutch oven. While oil is heating, prepare the chicken. Season with salt and pepper, then prepare the spice mixture. In a small bowl combine garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and coriander. Use half of the mixture to season the chicken and set the rest aside.
- Once oil is hot and begins to shimmer when swirled around the pot, add seasoned chicken pieces in a single layer. Cook, undisturbed, on the first side for 5 minutes, until it browns. Once chicken is browned, flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the second side. The goal is not to cook the chicken through at this stage, just to brown it.
- Remove the chicken and set aside. Add onions, bell pepper, and cilantro stems to the pot adding a drizzle of oil if needed. Season with salt and pepper, then add remaining seasoning mixture. Stir to combine and cook the vegetables over medium heat for 5 minutes, until beginning to soften. Stir occasionally to ensure nothing burns or sticks to the bottom of the pot.
- Once vegetables begin to soften, add garlic and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute then raise heat to high and add tequila. The tequila will bubble up when added. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan. After the tequila has almost evaporated, add the chicken, rice, and broth.
- Stir to combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover and lower to a simmer. Cook, covered, for 20 minutes, until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed.
For the Radish Salsa
- While chicken and rice are cooking, prepare the radish salsa. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and taste for seasoning. Adjust seasoning if needed and set aside until chicken and rice are finished cooking.
For Serving
- Once chicken and rice are finished cooking, garnish with chopped cilantro and radish salsa.
So good and makes tons of leftovers! We turned it into quesadillas for lunches.
I love a one pot meal and this was INCREDIBLE! While it required more prep and ingredients than I’m used to, it was totally worth it. Everything was bursting with flavor and I’m glad I didn’t leave out the radish salad, it topped the meal so well!
This is so yummy and flavorful. For a family of two, plenty of leftovers for lunch! Plus I love having only one pot to clean.