The Fabulous Way Ina Garten Boozes Up Chicken

A shot or two of tequila can liven up many a night out — and when you use the spirit for cooking, it can have a similar uplifting effect. The perfect example is Ina Garten's tequila lime chicken, which she describes as her husband "Jeffrey's favorite Friday night roast chicken, but with the volume turned up" (via YouTube). As well as bringing some burn to the dish, the spirit also serves to tenderize the meat for a deliciously juicy texture.

The Barefoot Contessa uses tequila as the basis of a marinade for her poultry, combining it with zingy lime juice. Just like when you're making the perfect margarita, fresh lime juice is key for a bright and vibrant flavor, so don't be tempted to go for the bottled variety. Adding a little sweet orange juice balances out the flavor profile and garlic amps up the savory flavor, while chili powder and diced jalapeño add heat.

Garten says that "the more it sits in the marinade, the better it tastes," so leave the skin-on boneless breasts overnight in the fridge if you can before cooking. But don't leave it for more than two days, or else the chicken could start to turn mushy; between six to 24 hours is the usual recommended marination period (per the USDA). And avoid marinating meat in a metal container, as the acid from the lime juice can react with the material.

Ina Garten likes to grill the chicken breasts once they've been marinated in the tequila and lime mixture. Depending on the size of the cuts, they'll take around 10 minutes on a pre-heated grill over a direct, medium-level heat. Turn them halfway through, and position them at a 45-degree and then a 90-degree angle if you want to get those dazzling crosshatch marks on meat.

Alternatively, you could cook the marinated chicken in a hot oven. Though you won't get the same smoky flavor as from the grill, an advantage of this method is that you can pour more of the tasty marinade over the meat as it cooks. Pour half over for the first half of the cooking time, then pour the remainder over for the second half.

The dish can also be made in a slow cooker, using the marinade ingredients as a sauce to cook the poultry. You may prefer to use chicken thighs rather than breasts for longer cooking, as they're less likely to dry out, but either would work. Because the alcohol doesn't get a chance to escape through steam using this method, it may smell or taste overly boozy. If that's the case, simmer it for the last 30 minutes to an hour without the lid. However you cook the chicken, just make sure it's cooked to the USDA-recommended 165 degrees Fahrenheit, using a food thermometer to check.