Fiesta Lime Chicken

Oh my goodness it has been a long time since we posted anything. Bad us.

Well, to make up for our slothfulness, I'll post one of the BEST recipes I have found. This is a recipe for Applebee's Fiesta Lime Chicken that I found on topsecretrecipes.com. It is truly delicious!!

First, a short disclaimer. The amounts of each ingredient that go into the mexi-ranch dressing seem really minuscule, but they are right! At first I thought that because the amounts were so small, that I wouldn't be able to taste anything! But I have made this recipe three times and each time it has been delicious! So, without further ado:

Applebee’s Fiesta Lime Chicken:

Serves 4.

Tips:

*Just be sure not to marinate the chicken for longer than 3 to 4 hours or the citric acid in the lime juice may toughen the chicken.

*I like to pound the chicken so that it is relatively flat. This helps the chicken cook a little faster and more evenly!

Marinade:

1 cup water

1/3 cup teriyaki sauce

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon mesquite liquid smoke flavoring

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

4 chicken breast fillets

Mexi-Ranch Dressing:

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup sour cream

1 tablespoon milk

2 teaspoons minced tomato

1 ½ teaspoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon minced canned jalapeño slices (nacho slices)

1 teaspoon minced onion

¼ teaspoon dried parsley

¼ teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon dried dill weed

1/8 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon cumin

1/8 chili powder

Dash garlic powder

Dash ground pepper

1 cup shredded cheddar/Monterey jack cheese blend

2 cups crumbled corn chips or fried tortilla strips

1. Prepare marinade by combining marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the chicken to the bowl, cover and chill for 2 to 3 hours.
2. Make the mexi-ranch dressing by combining all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well until smooth, then cover dressing and chill until needed.
3. When you are ready to prepare the entrée, preheat the oven to high broil. Also, preheat your barbeque or indoor grill to high heat. When grill is hot, cook the marinated chicken breasts for 3 to 5 minutes per side or until they are done.
4. Arrange the cooked chicken in a baking pan. Spread a layer of the mexi-ranch dressing over each piece of chicken (you’ll have plenty left over), followed by a ¼ cup of the shredded cheese blend. Broil the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes, or just until cheese has melted.
5. Spread a bed of ½ cup tortilla strips or crumbled corn chips on each of four plates. Slide a chicken breast onto the chips on each plate and serve with your choice of rice, and pico de gallo or salsa.