Tasty Thursday :: Applebee's Fiesta Lime Chicken

Ever eat something at a restaurant and wish you could recreate it at home? Well that's exactly what I did. My favorite dish at Applebee's is the Fiesta Lime Chicken (formerly known as Tequila Lime Chicken), unfortunately my husband isn't a huge Applebee's fan so we never go there. So one night I went on a mission, a mission to find my beloved Fiesta Lime Chicken recipe. Surprisingly it wasn't that hard. There are tons of websites dedicated to helping you find the recipe for your favorite restaurant dish. The recipe below seemed the easiest and that it was. My husband even liked it! As for me... throw some chachkies on the wall and some goofily dressed waiters and I would have thought I was in an Applebee's. Enjoy!

SUPPLY LIST

• 4 Boneless skinless chicken breast
• teriyaki sauce
• lime juice
• garlic
• liquid smoke (found in the bbq sauce aisle)
  
• ground ginger
• 1 nip of tequila
• jalapeno slices
• taco seasoning packet
• ranch salad dressing
• salsa
  
• shredded cheddar/Monterey jack cheese blend
• corn chips or tortilla chips

MAKE THE MARINADE

• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 cup tequila

Combine all the ingredients into a medium sized bowl. Mix well. Add chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes but no more than 4 hours.

MAKE THE MEXICAN RANCH DRESSING

• 1 cup of Ranch dressing
• 2 tablespoons of red salsa
• 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning mix
• 1 tablespoon minced jalapeno peppers

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Mix until smooth. Cover and chill until needed.

MAKE THE CHICKEN

Preheat your oven to broil and heat up your grill. Cook the chicken on the grill. When the chicken is done, arrange the breasts in a baking pan. Spread a layer of mexican ranch dressing and 1/4 cup of shredded cheese over each piece of chicken. Broil the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes or just until the cheese has melted.

HOW TO SERVE

Spread a bed of 1/2 cup of crumbled tortillas or corn chips on each of four plates. Slide a chicken breast on top of each plate of chips. Serve with your choice of rice, pico de gallo, guacamole or salsa.