I am so excited to share this Tequila Lime Grilled Chicken Drumsticks recipe with you! Easy, delicious, and loaded with flavor! This grilled chicken recipe combines both a little citrus zest and a little smoky tequila which results in mouthwatering dish that is easy enough for a weeknight Summer dinner or to impress your friends.
To be honest, I am not the best at eating chicken on the regular. We are kind of pork and beef people. But I wanted something a little lighter, easy, and easy on the wallet. For these Juicy Tequila Lime Grilled Chicken Drumsticks I had all of the ingredients except for the chipotles in adobe sauce which I picked up on my last shopping trip.
What I love about this Tequila Lime Grilled Chicken Recipe
- Chicken drumsticks are budget friendly
- Uses my fresh cilantro in the garden
- The tequila lime marinade is very simple
- The chicken turns our extremely juicy and flavorful
- Family Friendly (yes the kids can eat it)
- Healthy dish
- 8 ingredients!
Ingredients needed for the Tequila Lime Grilled Chicken Drumsticks
Chicken Drumsticks– I grabbed chicken drumsticks (which are different for chicken legs) because they were on sale but you could use chicken thighs, legs, wings, or even chicken breasts. Your cooking times may vary for different cuts though.
Tequila– I still had silver tequila left from my Spicy Smoked Pineapple Margaritas, but use what have you have or like. The tequila helps give a little smoky flare to this grilled chicken recipe.
Lime– Fresh lime juice is squeezed for a refreshing, zesty, and sweet flavor.
Garlic– I love adding flavor with fresh garlic, you could substitute garlic powder, too.
Cilantro– I have fresh cilantro in the garden this year, it does add a deep flavor profile (if you don’t have it you can skip it or even use dried oregano).
Orange Juice– Orange juice provides additional liquid for the marinade and provides a bright and refreshing flavor profile.
Chicken BBQ Rub– I used some Goldstar Chicken BBQ Rub for some seasoning. It contains paprika, garlic, chili powder, bell peppers, and onion. So you can use what you have or simply season with salt and pepper.
Chipotles in adobo sauce– These peppers come canned so I just chopped up one for some heat. If you like spice you can use two or three peppers. If you don’t have this fresh jalapeno would work well, too.
Agave (optional)– I decided to add a little sweetness to compliment the heat from the chipotles.
How to make the tequila lime marinade for chicken
I kept this recipe pretty simple by adding all the ingredients to a Zip-lock bag and tossing in the refrigerator for a few hours.
So grab a large bag, add in the chicken, tequila, orange juice, BBQ Rub, garlic, chopped chipotles, lime juice, agave, and the chopped cilantro. Seal the bag and give it a few shakes until all of the ingredients and coated.
Place in the refrigerator until you are ready to grill. I highly recommend to let the chicken drumsticks marinate for at 2-4 hours.
How do you cook chicken drumstick on a grill
After the chicken has marinated for a few hours, fire up your grill. I actually used our Traeger Ranger which can cook at higher temperatures. So I heated it up to 400 degrees F, then turned it back down to 375 degrees F. We also used grill grates to get these nice grill marks.
Remove the chicken from the marinade, and set the liquid aside. Place the chicken drumsticks on the grill grates and close the lid.
About 15-20 minutes in brush the chicken with the leftover marinade. And flip them and brush the other side, too.
Continue to grill for about 20 minutes longer until the chicken reaches at least 165 degrees F to 175 degrees F and crisp to your liking.
Pull them off and squeeze a wedge of lime juice over the chicken and enjoy these Traeger drumsticks.
What to serve with Tequila Lime Chicken
I served these chicken drumsticks up with some roasted chicken flavored rice or Spanish rice would be tasty! Of course you could whip up a quick and easy Citrus Margarita to compliment it too 🙂
Like this grilled chicken recipe? Check out my:
- Parmesan Ranch Smoked Chicken Wings
- Smoked Poblano Stuffed Chicken Chicken
- Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos
Make sure to PIN IT!
Juicy Tequila Lime Grilled Chicken Drumsticks
Equipment
- 1 grill
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken drumsticks
- 2 cloves garlic diced
- 1 lime Juiced plus more for serving
- 1/4 cup silver tequila
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1-2 chipotles in adobo sauce chopped
- 1 tsp Chicken BBQ Rub
- 1 tbsp agave optional
- 1 tbsp cilantro
Instructions
- In a large Zip-lock bag add in the chicken, tequila, orange juice, BBQ Rub, garlic, chopped chipotles, lime juice, agave, and the chopped cilantro.
- Seal the bag and give it a few shakes until all of the ingredients and coated.
- Place in the refrigerator until you are ready to grill. I highly recommend to let the chicken drumsticks marinate for at 2-4 hours.
- After the chicken has marinated for a few hours, fire up your grill. I heated it up to 400 degrees F, then turned it back down to 375 degrees F.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade, and set the liquid aside. Place the chicken drumsticks on the grill grates and close the lid. Try to pull the skin over the majority of the meat.
- About 15-20 minutes in brush the chicken with the leftover marinade. And flip them and brush the other side, too.
- Continue to grill for about 20 minutes longer until the chicken reaches at least 165 degrees F to 175 degrees F.
- Pull them off and squeeze a wedge of lime juice over the chicken and enjoy.
Notes
