Tequila-Lime Chicken Tacos with Radish-Avocado Salad
The longer you can marinate the chicken for these fresh-tasting tacos, the better their flavor will be. Watermelon radishes make the dish especially pretty, but if you can’t find them, substitute French or regular radishes, which taste very similar.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) good-quality tequila
- 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) fresh orange juice (from 1 to 2 oranges)
- 1/3 cup (3 fl. oz./80 ml) plus 1 Tbs. fresh lime juice
- 2 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 lb. (1 kg) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 4 watermelon, French or plain red radishes, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 firm but ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch (12-mm) cubes
- 10 to 12 flour or corn tortillas, warmed
Directions:
In a large, nonreactive bowl, whisk together the tequila, orange juice, the 1/3 cup lime juice, the 2 Tbs. olive oil, the chili powder and 1 tsp. salt. Add the chicken and toss to coat thoroughly. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.
Prepare a medium-hot fire in a grill.
Remove the chicken from the marinade. (Discard the marinade.) Arrange the chicken on the grate directly over the heat and grill, turning once, until nicely grill-marked and opaque throughout, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for about 10 minutes. Cut the chicken into 1/2-inch (12-mm) pieces.
Meanwhile, make the radish-avocado salad: In a nonreactive bowl, toss together the radish slices and avocado cubes. Gently stir in the 1 Tbs. lime juice and the 2 tsp. olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
To assemble, fill the tortillas with the chicken and top with the radish-avocado salad. Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Taco Night, by Kate McMillan (Weldon Owen, 2014)