Recipe of the Week: Tequila Lime Chicken With Grilled Pineapple Salsa

Limes, cilantro, jalapenos, and tequila make a flavorful marinade for juicy, tender chicken on the grill. Fruit salsa is turned up a notch by grilling the pineapple (also yummy with peaches), a perfect complement to summer cooking.

Ingredients
Chicken
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (about 6 limes)
¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice (1 orange)
½ cup gold tequila
1 TBSP lime zest
1 jalapeno, sliced (remove seeds for less spicy)
1 shallot, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
2 TBSP olive oil
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh cracked pepper

Salsa
4 sliced pineapple rounds (½ inch thick)
1 large avocado, diced
½ red bell pepper, finely diced
½ jalapeno, minced (remove seeds for less spice)
2 TBSP fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Juice and zest of one lime
¼ tsp, each, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

Preparation
Chicken
1. In a large bowl, combine all of the marinade ingredients, aside from the chicken.
2. Add the chicken to the bowl, making sure it is submerged in the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one-hour, or up to overnight. Recommended to marinate for as long as possible for more flavor.
3. Heat the grill to medium-high. Remove the chicken from the bowl and grill 4-6 minutes per side, depending on thickness.
4. Remove from grill onto a platter and cover with foil. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Salsa
1. Heat grill to medium-high. Grill pineapple rounds 2 minutes per side until charred grill marks appear. Let cool on a plate.
2. In a bowl, gently combine the rest of the salsa ingredients.
3. Once the pineapple has cooled, remove the cores, and dice the rest of the pineapple. Add to the bowl and gently stir until evenly combined with the rest of the ingredients.

More recipes from Jessica Cerra.

Jessica Cerra is the owner of Fit Food by Jess, a private chef and catering company in Encinitas, Calif., and the co-founder of Harmony Bar. A former professional XTERRA triathlete, Cerra now races for Twenty16 Women’s Professional Cycling Team.