Whether you Cinco de Mayo or not, this chicken should be on your menu/grill soon!  The mister is not a fan of the grill, he will turn it on, sometimes clean it, but he loathes doing anything else that involves grilling, like the fun stuff of opening the lid and flipping whatever needs flipping.  He'd rather be positioned in front of the TV in case there is breaking news, or watching M*A*S*H, his latest obsession.  No time for flipping chicken if Hot Lips Houlihan is on TV!  

The mister, as you know, loves all things military, even pretend things, like Hollywood's version of the Korean War.  So nightly, he watches at least two episodes of M*A*S*H, actually that's incorrect, he doesn't just watch, he participates...he thinks it's an interactive TV show and that Hawkeye, Radar and the gang can hear him...so they talk, he talks, and he loves to tell them how it really was in Korea...except that he wasn't in Korea, he was in Vietnam, but I guess it's all the same to him.  It's all great fun for me for about 30 seconds and then I have to leave the room so my head doesn't explode!

Just thought you'd like to know what we do around here of an evening...now let's talk Tequila Lime Chicken, shall we?  It's so easy.  Make the marinade, pour over chicken, let sit overnight or for at least 6 hours and then grill.  What's that?  You don't like Tequila?  Well really, who does?  Certainly not the worm!  But alcohol is a great tenderizer and that's what the tequila does in this recipe, it tenderizes the chicken and it gives it a nice zesty flavor.  The alcohol is burned off so no worries about feeding it to the littles or anyone else.  

The marinade is so flavorful - tequila, lime, orange juice, jalapeno and garlic - those are the kick-starters - with just enough kick to blast this chicken, over the wall (!) South of the Border! 

Gratuitous Princess-Angel-Baby-Dog shot...Rosie Ann Marie loves it when we grill, even though she may not look like it in this picture, she's one happy little girl.

Tequila Lime Chicken - Adapted slightly from Barefoot Contessa

1/2 cup tequila (I used 2 mini bottles, which is just about 1/2 cup. Mini bottles are the way to go if you don't want to invest in an entire bottle.)

1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (5 to 6 limes)

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (2 oranges)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh jalapeno pepper, divided (1 large pepper seeded)

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic (3 cloves)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 boneless chicken breasts  (I used what I had on hand, boneless/skinless, but skin on would be great and chicken thighs are awesome) 

Optional toppings:  cilantro, green onion, sliced avocado, black olives, jalapeno

In a large measuring cup combine the tequila, lime juice, orange juice, chili powder, 1 tablespoon of the diced jalapeno pepper, garlic, salt and pepper.  Put chicken in a large Zip-lock style plastic bag, pour marinade over chicken, seal bag and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.  (Longer is better for the best flavor.)  When ready to grill, oil the grill grates and heat grill to about 400 degrees.  Place chicken on the grill for about 5 minutes, lower heat to about 350 (if you can) until nicely browned.  Turn the chicken and cook for another 10 minutes, until just cooked through.  Remove from the grill to a plate, cover tightly and allow to rest for 5 minutes.  Sprinkle reserved 1/2 tablespoon jalapenos over chicken and other toppings, if using.  Serve hot or at room temperature.  Serves 4.