FIESTA LIME CHICKEN (Applebee’s Copycat Recipe) is our favorite easy grilled Summer meal! This Lime Chicken is served on a bed of Mexican rice and topped with lime ranch, pico de gallo, and tortilla strips. I order this Fiesta Lime Chicken Recipe at Applebee’s every single time, and now you can make it at home! It’s even better homemade, trust me. 

sliced chicken breast over a bed of rice

Fiesta Lime Chicken Recipe

Fiesta Lime Chicken is one of the most flavorful recipes you will grill up this Summer! Find out how to make this Applebee’s copycat recipe at home.

I love Summer for so many reasons, but one of the best is all the GRILLING! It’s so fun to be outside cooking instead of stuck indoors at the stove, plus I love that Pat wants to be more involved with dinner prep. It seems easy to get creative on the grill, and the flavors always seem bigger and brighter. We decided to make this Fiesta Lime Chicken Applebee’s Recipe and we were SO thrilled with how it turned out.

Henry (our 4 month old) just loves being outside, so this Summer we have been around the grill more than ever. This Fiesta Lime Chicken Recipe is one of my favorite ways to dress up dinner while still staying simple.

This Fiesta Lime Chicken is bold, delicious, and oh so easy. Dinner here we come! I love the creamy ranch, right amount of spice, and Tex Mex flavor combination.

fiesta lime chicken on tray

Fiesta lime chicken in pan

Cheesy Chicken Recipe

Lime Chicken topped with Ranch and lots of cheese just cannot be beat!

This Summer I’m having so much fun creating some cheesy recipes with my favorite creamy brand, Borden® Cheese! You might remember my Crab Artichoke Bread Bowls , Cheesy Baked Breakfast Sliders, and of course those fun Cheesy Pigs in a Blanket I posted last month. I can’t get enough of their Sliced Colby & Monterey Jack Cheese and they were just perfect for this Fiesta Lime Chicken. So creamy and flavorful!

If you’re looking for more Tex-Mex Recipes some of our favorites are Baked Chicken Tacos, Easy Queso Blanco, and Easy Cheesy Tex Mex Rice (<— ding ding ding! Just perfect when paired with this Fiesta Lime Chicken Applebee’s Copycat!)

sliced cheese melting over chicken breasts

Fiesta lime chicken sliced on bed of rice

Applebee’s Fiesta Lime Chicken Recipe

This Applebee’s Fiesta Lime Chicken Recipe is a hit with both kids and adults. Let the kids help garnish the recipe!

I love to get kids involved in cooking. This recipe is great in that you can let them jump in and garnish their chicken with pico, cilantro, sour cream, or whatever their hearts desire. All you have to do is grill the chicken for them!

The flavors in this fave dinner are incredible. Grilled chicken topped with lime ranch and then smothered in colby jack and finally topped with pico de gallo, cilantro, and tortilla strips! Serve it with Mexican rice and you’re really in business. This is a no fail recipe that is sure to please even the pickiest of eaters (aka, PAT).

chicken, veggies, and rice on plate

top view of chicken breast and rice on pan

Tips for making Applebee’s Fiesta Lime Chicken:

  • We used a great cheesy ranch straight from the store. There are so many options these days so pick one that appeals to you. Cilantro Lime or Chipotle Ranch would also be delicious!
  • We topped our Fiesta Lime Chicken with Colby Jack Cheese but you can change things up and use baby Swiss, Pepper Jack, or even a mix of cheeses! Make this recipe your own.
  • If you want things extra spicy, use Pepper jack cheese and Rotel tomatoes instead of pico de gallo. The more spice  the better if you ask me!

If you’re in the market for an easy dinner to grill this Summer, you’ve come to the right place! Fiesta Lime Chicken for the WIN! Be sure to check out all of our other favorite Chicken Recipes, including our Caesar Chicken and Baked Fried Chicken.

See the recipe card below for details on How to make Fiesta Lime Chicken. Enjoy!

If you like this Fiesta Lime Chicken recipe, try these other easy chicken dinner recipes:

Recipe Card

Fiesta Lime Chicken

4.44 from 71 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Becky Hardin
sliced fiesta lime chicken on a bed of rice on a plate
FIESTA LIME CHICKEN (Applebee's Copycat Recipe) is our favorite easy grilled Summer meal! This Lime Chicken is served on a bed of Mexican rice and topped with lime ranch, pico de gallo, and tortilla strips. I order this Fiesta Lime Chicken Recipe at Applebee's every single time, and now you can make it at home! It's even better homemade, trust me. 
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Ingredients 

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • seasoning salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cup ranch dressing
  • 1/4 cup greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 4 slices Borden Colby & Monterrey Jack Cheese
  • Pico de Gallo fresh cilantro, and tortilla strips for garnish
  • Mexican Rice for serving

Instructions 

  • Heat grill to 400F
  • Brush each chicken breast with olive oil and then sprinkle with seasoning salt (I like Lowry's) and pepper to taste.
  • Grill for approximately 10 minutes per side or until chicken is fully cooked through and no longer pink. Set aside.
  • While chicken is cooking combine the ranch, yogurt, lime juice, cilantro, and garlic in a blender and blend until fully combined and smooth. Set aside.
  • Place 1 tablespoon of the ranch mixture on each chicken breast and then top with a slice of cheese. The cheese should melt down onto the chicken, but to make it extra creamy pop it back on the grill for a minute or two until its melted to your liking.
  • Top each breast with fresh pico de gallo, cilantro, and tortilla strips. Serve with Mexican Rice for extra flavor.
  • Enjoy!

Video

Calories: 383kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 32gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 104mgSodium: 469mgPotassium: 480mgVitamin A: 380IUVitamin C: 3.5mgCalcium: 216mgIron: 0.7mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment!

 

Meet Becky Hardin

Becky Hardin is a wife and mother living in Saint Louis Missouri. She founded The Cookie Rookie in 2012 as a creative way to share recipes. Now, she is a trusted resource for easy cooking around the world, being featured in Taste of Home, The Kitchn, ABC’s Home and Family, and more. Here at The Cookie Rookie she is the editor in chief of all recipes and continues to enjoy sharing her passion for cooking for busy families. She has since founded two additional food blogs, Easy Chicken Recipes and Easy Dessert Recipes.

4.44 from 71 votes (67 ratings without comment)
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Kimberly Fournier
Kimberly Fournier
August 31, 2024 7:08 pm

I’m so happy to have come across this recipe. It’s better than the restaurant version. Thank you!5 stars

Steph
Steph
September 24, 2023 10:49 pm

Original Applebees mexi sauce has tomato paste in it which explains the pink hue. But it also has High fructose corn syrup and propylene glycol alginate, so, I guess, if you want “authentic” put those ingredients it. I can’t understand why you’d want it more salty! This recipe pretty accurately nails the flavor profile with just a handful of fresh, normal ingredients. Such an unnecessarily aggressive review. I am not a bot 💕

Steph
Steph
September 24, 2023 10:40 pm

My family really gobbles this up. It’s quick and tasty and I almost always have the ingredients on hand. I am not a bot! (Ahem, Whitney…) I’m a real person with four picky kids who all enjoy this recipe.5 stars

Samantha Marceau
September 26, 2023 9:42 am
Reply to  Steph

We’re so happy to hear you love this recipe, Steph! Thanks so much for stopping by!!

Samantha Marceau
May 12, 2023 9:23 am

We’re sorry this recipe didn’t meet your expectations, Whitney!