Well apparently today is Texas Independence Day - so naturally, it sounded appropriate to make something with tequila and queso!
This is a versatile recipe, as you can also use pretty much any cut of chicken and cook it anyway you want to: in the oven, in a frying pan, on a smoker, or in an air fryer.
Tonight we used the smoker to get that extra flavor and served it over a microwavable (frozen) cauliflower rice we love from Birds Eye that is pre seasoned and with a side of fresh sauteed green beans. Sadly we didn't have any tequila from Texas to make it really official...
TEQUILA QUESO CHICKEN THIGHS Protein: chicken Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 50 minutes INGREDIENTS (8+): chicken thighs (2-3 lbs)
olive oil (1/2 c)
lime juice (5 tbsp)
garlic, minced (1 tbsp)
tequila (1 tbsp)
salt + pepper, or seasoning of choice (to taste)
- velveeta cheese (16 0z package)
diced tomato with chiles (10 oz can)
INSTRUCTIONS:
-Preheat smoker to 400F.
-Combine olive oil, lime juice, tequila (can be optional) and garlic in a bowl. Mix together and then brush onto the chicken.
I found this made much more than I needed, but I used some of it to saute green beans.
If you have closer to 2 lbs of chicken, you might be able to cut these ingredient amounts in half.
-Season chicken with salt + pepper, and any other seasoning desired.
-Put chicken on the smoker and cook for 45-50 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F.
-In the meantime, pour canned tomatoes and velveeta in a small saucepan. Cook on low heat to melt the cheese and mix regularly to prevent it from burning to the bottom. Keep warm until the chicken is cooked.
-Once chicken is done, top with the queso sauce and it's done!
-Dig in!
