Applebee’s Fiesta Lime Chicken is a surprisingly easy recipe! Learn how to make this copycat dish with chicken breasts and a salsa ranch sauce that is baked in the oven to cheesy perfection. Serve over tortilla strips, with pico de gallo, and a side of Mexican rice for one of the best family dinners.
Applebee’s was our go-to spot when we visited the neighboring town growing up.
And my go-to dish to order? Their Fiesta Lime Chicken!
With its juicy and tender chicken breasts, coated in a creamy and tangy sauce, topped with cheesy goodness.
It was then served on a bed of crunchy tortilla strips with a side of Mexican rice – you honestly couldn’t get any better than that!
(Well, unless you ordered their Walnut Blondie for dessert – anyone else remember that?)
Reminiscing on this dish last week gave me the inkling to try making it at home. It couldn’t be that difficult, right?
And it wasn’t! After creating a simple marinade for the chicken, baking it in the oven (it’s SO much easier than grilling!), and topping it with some Mexican salsa ranch, the BEST homemade Fiesta Lime Chicken recipe was born… and I’m SO pumped to share it with you!
Even my picky husband who swears he hates chain food restaurants went back for seconds of this copycat version!
Speaking of homemade… since you’re in charge of the ingredients, you can also make this dish a bit healthier with a few simple swaps! (I’ll go over those in more detail below.)
Ingredients
The simple ingredients you need to make this fiesta lime chicken include:
- Chicken. You need boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into equal portions. It’s best if you tenderize with a meat mallet and make them about 1-inch thick.
- Marinade. This is similar to what you use when making steak fajitas or chicken fajitas. The simple marinade is made from lime juice, soy sauce, taco seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, and honey.
- Mexican ranch. The delicious and creamy sauce that gets drizzled on top of the chicken – and it’s SO easy! It is made from ranch dressing, mild or medium salsa, sour cream, lime juice, and freshly chopped cilantro.
- Cheese. Sliced cheese is the easiest to put on chicken, but you can use shredded. Cheddar, Colby-Jack or Monterey Jack are all great options.
- Tortilla strips. If you are not on a low-carb diet, these are a MUST. You can use either strips or regular chips. They give a wonderful crunch to the tender chicken.
How to Make
These are the steps to follow to make this fiesta lime chicken recipe. Please see the recipe card below for more detailed ingredient amounts.
Prepare the Chicken
Cut chicken into four 5-6 ounce portions. Tenderize the chicken with a meat mallet until they are 1-inch thick.
Marinade
Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour. Do not keep overnight as the acidity from the lime juice will make the chicken have a mealy texture.
Whisk the marinade. Marinate chicken breasts.
Bake the Chicken
Place the chicken in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish in a single layer with a little space between each one. Be sure to let any excess marinade drip off before adding it into the dish.
Bake chicken at 350° for 20-25 minutes. You want the internal temperature to reach just shy of 160°.
Salsa Ranch and Cheese
Make the Mexican ranch dressing while the chicken is cooking. Stir together the salsa, ranch, sour cream, lime juice, and cilantro in a medium-sized bowl. This can be made up to 2 days in advance, if needed.
Once the chicken is cooked, cover each breast with 1-2 tablespoons of sauce and 1 slice of cheese.
Return to the oven for 5 more minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Whisk the salsa ranch. Cover chicken with dressing. Place 1 slice of cheese on each.
Serving
Serve over tortilla strips with additional sauce, lime wedges, pico de gallo, and cilantro.
You can also leave out the tortilla strips and serve over cauliflower rice for a low-carb option.
Meal Prep and Storage
- To Prep-Ahead: Cut and tenderize the chicken, mix up the marinade, and make the Mexican ranch. Keep separately in the fridge for up to 2 days until you’re ready to cook.
- To Store: Place leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze for up to 3 months, but just know the ranch sauce may change texture slightly.
- To Reheat: Return to a 350° oven, or microwave until heated through.
Dietary Modifications
Here are some adjustments and substitutions you can make to help this recipe fit your dietary requirements:
- Low-Carb – Serve over cauliflower rice and omit the tortilla strips.
- Keto – Do the same as low-carb, and additionally leave out the honey in the marinade.
- Dairy-Free – Use a dairy-free cheese, ranch and sour cream.
- Gluten-Free – Make sure to pick a gluten free soy sauce or Tamari.
FAQs
Yes! Add the chicken to a medium-heat grill and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Add the sauce and cheese slices and cook until cheese is melted.
Mexican salsa ranch is what covers the chicken breasts. Easily make your own by mixing salsa, ranch dressing, sour cream, lime juice, and cilantro.
The cheese and ranch cause this recipe to be relatively high in fat. However, you can make it low-carb if you skip the tortilla chips and side of rice.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Pound it out. Take the time to tenderize the chicken.
- Similar sizes. Make sure to cut the chicken breasts into the same size so they cook up evenly.
- Make it spicy. Use a medium or spicy salsa for the Mexican ranch to give it some heat.
- Better when homemade. Mix up your own taco seasoning for the most flavor.
- Serve with strips. The crunchy texture and salty bite compliments the juicy chicken breasts perfectly.
Make it a Meal
Serve this fiesta lime chicken with any of these delicious Mexican side dish recipes:
Fiesta Lime Chicken Recipe (Applebee’s Copycat)
Applebee's Fiesta Lime Chicken is a surprisingly easy recipe! Serve over tortilla strips with pico de gallo and a side of Mexican rice for a fabulous family dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ – 1 ½ lbs. chicken breasts cut into 4 portions
- 2 Tbsp. lime juice
- 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. taco seasoning
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp. oil olive or avocado
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- ½ tsp. salt to taste
Salsa Ranch
- ¼ cup ranch dressing
- ¼ cup salsa mild or medium
- 2 Tbsp. sour cream
- 1 tsp. lime juice
- 1 Tbsp. cilantro finely chopped
- 4 oz. Colby Jack cheese slices
To Serve: (Optional)
- Tortilla Chips
- Pico de Gallo
- Cilantro
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-
Cut chicken into four 5-6 ounce portions. Tenderize with a meat mallet until they are 1-inch thick.
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Whisk together lime juice, soy sauce, taco seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, honey, and ½ teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add chicken and marinade in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to an hour.
-
Once the chicken has marinaded, place it in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish in a single layer with a little space between each one. Be sure to let any excess marinade drip off before adding it into the dish.
-
Bake chicken at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
-
While the chicken is cooking, whisk together the salsa ranch in a medium-sized bowl.
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Once the chicken is almost cooked through, add 1-2 tablespoons of sauce per breast and then place 1 slice of cheese on each. Return to oven for 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
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Serve over tortilla chips with additional sauce, lime wedges, pico de gallo, cilantro, and a side of Mexican Rice. Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- To Grill: Add chicken to a medium-heat grill and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Add sauce and cheese slices and cook until cheese is melted.
- Nutrition information is calculated without tortilla strips, pico de gallo, or additional cilantro.
- To Store: Place leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
- To Freeze: It is not recommended to freeze the ranch as the consistency may change. If you skip the sauce, cooked chicken can be sealed in a freezer-safe airtight container and frozen for up to 3 months.
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