Fiesta Lime Chicken with Salsa Fresca and Mexican Red Rice
I love the Fiesta Lime Chicken at Applebee’s. It’s tender, juicy, and flavorful. I’ve been making a copycat version of this signature dish for a while now, and it’s quite good. I’ve even had a few friends request this meal on their birthdays. Broiled chicken is served atop crispy tortilla strips, alongside salsa fresca and Mexican red rice. The chicken is covered with a mildly spicy ranch sauce and melted cheese. Lime slices add some zest.
Applebee’s Fiesta Lime Chicken Marinade
The secret to the moist chicken is the marinade, which consists of teriyaki sauce, garlic, ginger, tequila, liquid smoke, lime juice, salt, and water. The tequila subtly enhances the flavor of the chicken, but is optional. I’ve made the recipe with and without tequila, and both ways turn out great. I like to marinate the chicken for at least 3 to 4 hours; however, you can get away with 1 hour if you’re in a rush.
To make the crispy tortilla strips, brush a few tortillas with oil, then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Cut into ¼ in strips using a pizza slicer or chef knife. Bake them in the oven at 450 degrees for about 5 minutes; keep an eye on them, as they burn easily. An alternative to tortilla strips would be crumpled tortilla chips, though I prefer the strips.
Mexican Red Rice
I like to serve the fiesta lime chicken with red rice. Mexican rice transforms ordinary white rice into an aesthetically pleasing and flavorful side dish. The rice is simmered in chicken broth with cumin, oregano, onion, garlic, and tomato paste.
If you want a dessert to round off this meal, try this tres leches cake. It’s the perfect end to a delicious meal!
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Applebee’s Fiesta Lime Chicken Copycat Recipe
Print recipe
| Serves | 4 |
| Meal type | Main Dish |
| Website | Adapted from Food.com |
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 Cups shredded cheese (cheddar or colby jack)
marinade
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1-2 limes (for marinade and additional lime slices for serving)
marinade (Optional)
- 1 tablespoon tequila
sauce
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 Tablespoons salsa (plus additional 1 to 2 cups for serving)
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
crispy tortilla strips
- 4 tortillas (or 2 cups tortilla chips)
Note
The chicken needs to marinate at least 1 hour prior to cooking.
Directions
| Marinade | |
| Step 1 | |
| Prepare marinade by mixing together water, teriyaki sauce, juice from 1/2 of a lime, garlic, tequila (if desired), liquid smoke, salt and ginger in shallow bowl or casserole dish. Marinate chicken breasts for at least an hour in mixture, flipping once. | |
| Sauce | |
| Step 2 | |
| Prepare sauce by combining mayonnaise, sour cream, salsa, milk, cajun spice, parsley and hot sauce. Cover and place in refrigerator until needed. | |
| Step 3 | |
| Broil or grill chicken until cooked through. | |
| Crispy tortilla strips | |
| Step 4 | |
| While chicken is cooking, make the crispy tortilla strips. Brush a few tortillas with oil, then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Cut into ¼ in strips using a pizza slicer or chef knife. Bake them in the oven at 450 degrees for about 5 minutes; keep an eye on them, as they burn easily. An alternative to tortilla strips would be crumpled tortilla chips, though I prefer the strips. | |
| Step 5 | |
| Line a baking sheet with tinfoil. Spoon sauce over chicken breasts; sprinkle on cheese and broil until cheese is melted. | |
| Step 6 | |
| Cut the remaining limes into slices. Divide crispy tortilla strips among 4 plates. Place the chicken on top of the strips. Serve with salsa fresca and lime wedges. This goes great with red rice. | |
Mexican Red Rice
| Serves | 4 |
| Meal type | Side Dish |
| Region | Mexican |
| From magazine | slightly adapted from Everyday Food, June 2010 |
Ingredients
- 2 Teaspoons vegatable oil
- 1 small white onion (finely chopped)
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 1 3/4 Cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- course salt and ground pepper
Directions
| Step 1 | |
| In a medium saucepan, heat vegetable oil over medium-high. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to brown around edges, 6 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir to combine. Add long-grain white low-sodium chicken broth, cumin, and dried oregano; season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until liquid is absorbed, 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let rice sit, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve. | |
Hi, this is a great recipe but when you listed the ingredients for the marinade you forgot to include the lime.
Thanks for letting me know! I’ve updated the recipe.
It tasted good but the real applebees is not that spicy, and I would not add that much spice ever again. It was just too much and I won’t give it to my grandson. My one son loves spice like it but my other son hates it. I like it but it really is not a spicy dish. I eat this all the time at Applebee’s.
The spice ratios in this recipe can be adjusted according to personal taste. You can try reducing the amount of Cajun seasoning or eliminating it altogether to make it less spicy.
I used the Hidden Valley fiesta ranch seating packet mixed with sour cream it was an easy substitute and you can mix with salsa if you like! That makes it not as spicy
Thanks for the tip for those who want a toned-down version.
Thanks for posting this recipe – I made it and it was wonderful. The Fiesta Lime Chicken is easily my favorite at Applebee’s and you’ve given me an opportunity to make variations of this dish at home. 🙂 Also, thanks for including the Mexian red rice in here as well.
Thanks, Rachel! I’m glad you liked the recipe. It’s always nice to be able to recreate restaurant favorites at home. Thanks for stopping by!
What hot sauce do you recommend? I used original tabasco but doesn’t quite taste like Applebee’s sauce.
Robert, you can use whatever hot sauce you have on hand, but I typically use Sriracha. 🙂
This was the BEST chicken I’ve had in a very long time!
Thank you, Jan! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for posting this wonderfull recipe. Outstanding!! I serve it with a different version of Mexican rice but I’m sure yours is great. I’ve made it twice now and both times, my husband and I rate it a 10!! (5’s not high enough)!
Thanks, Kathy. I’m glad you and your husband enjoy this recipe so much!
Totally awesome. I was out of Sour Cream so I just put some hot sauce in some Ranch. Delish and for the woman Liz who said it was too spicy I love when people just like to complain. Like you dont know how much to use for your liking please. Anyway love this dish!
Thanks, Theresa! I’m glad you were able to improvise with the hot sauce and ranch. I bet it tasted great! 🙂
Ditto what Rachel said! We go to Applebee’s often & this is what my husband orders every time! I made it at home & he raved about it! Maybe when we go there next time, he’ll try something new! Lol
Thanks for your detailed recipe for the chicken and for including the rice dish.
I’m serving this for guests this week. I know it will be a hit!
I always ordered this at Applebee’s and was so happy when I discovered how to make it at home. I’m glad you feel the same way. I’m sure your guests will love it!
I have made this dish several times and although I almost ALWAYS add my own variations… this recipe is AWESOME just the way it is! Since I have a large family, this is a huge money saver to be able to make it at home and everyone LOVES it! Thanks so much for sharing!
Nancylee
Thanks so much for the lovely comment, Nancylee! 🙂
This was so good–thanks! and the spice was fine for my family
Thanks, Cathy! I’m glad you liked the recipe and that the spice worked for you.
cant wait to try this recipe… my fave applebees dish!
I hope you like it, Erika. Enjoy!
Just wondering do I dump the marinate before I cook the chicken or do I cook the chicken in it?
Hi Cassie, You remove the chicken from the marinade before cooking it. Enjoy!
Thank you, I’m super excited to try it.
Making your recipe as we speak and I am looking forward to trying it!! Thanks for posting, I’ll be sure to let ya know what I think soon ?
Hi Holly,
Thanks for cooking my version of fiesta lime chicken. 🙂
I love Applebees Fiesta Lime Chicken and was excited to find this. I substituted taco seasoning and red pepper flakes for the cajun and hot sauce because one of my kids can’t eat cayenne. Delicious! My family voted to keep the recipe. I also made the red rice dish which they also loved. Thanks so much!
I’m glad your family liked it and you were able to find substitutions that worked for you! 🙂
So after cooking chicken, put sauce and cheese on and broil?
Hi Lisa,
Yes, once the chicken is cooked through, you spoon the sauce over the chicken breasts and top with the cheese. Then broil until just melted. Enjoy!
I used zatarains creole seasoning for the sauce and my goodness! It was so salty. I had to dilute the sauce with sour cream. If you use that or Tony’s use much less! If you’ve high blood pressure your body will thank you!
Do you use any specific or preferred brand of teriyaki sauce for marinating?
Hi Avni,
Lately, I’ve been making my own using the teriyaki recipe from this post.
Hi, going to try this tonight, but was going to put chicken in the oven and then broil. How long and what temperature would you put this dish at in the oven? Thank you
Is the mayonnaise in this recipe, real mayonnaise or miracle whip?
I use real mayonnaise. Enjoy!
I make this a lot but use a salad dressing to marinate that taste closer to Applebee’s. It’s Fit and Active chipotle lime vinaigrette. I also add juice of one lime to it.
After eating this dish again at Applebee’s I decided to try to duplicate it at home. When I Googled lime chicken, there were so many recipes for it, I couldn’t decide which to choose from until I saw fiesta lime chicken and lol and behold up pops your recipe! Search over! I plan to buy the ingredients I don’t already have on my next trip to the grocery store and give it a Try! My husband’s favorite piece of chicken is the thigh while mine is the breast so I will be using both. Should I debone the thigh? Thanks for making this recipe available and I appreciate your reply. Pat
Hi Pat! I’m glad you found my recipe. I would remove the bone and skin of the thighs before making this dish or buy boneless skinless chicken thighs. Let me know if you have any other questions. Enjoy!
I have made this three times and turns out better then Applebee’s. We love it. Made it one for grandkids and they loved it as well.
I’m so glad. Thanks for the feedback. 🙂
Does this recipe contain gluten???
Hi Angela,
Most teriyaki sauces contain soy sauce, which has gluten in it. You will need to look for a gluten-free teriyaki sauce. You will also want to look for gluten-free tortillas. I hope this helps.
Just read all of the comments. This is my go to at Applebees. I cannot wait to try it!
Thanks, Heather! You’re going to love it. 🙂
Hello, this recipe looks delicious, can’t wait to try!
I was wondering what exactly is liquid smoke? Am I able to get away without using it, or does it really add flavour to the chicken? Lastly, is there a substitute I can use for it instead? Thanks!
Hi Sarah,
I must have missed your comment earlier. Sorry about that. You can buy liquid smoke in your local grocery store or on Amazon. It adds a smoky flavor to the chicken. You can still make this recipe if you don’t have it, just leave it out. I hope this helps!
Thank you so much for this recipe!! I just made it for my family. Everyone really enjoyed it even my somewhat picky husband and very picky daughter! Honestly I’m amazed everyone liked it so much.
Thanks, Brooke. I’m so glad your family enjoyed it!