Jose Tejas, also known as Border Cafe, is literally my favorite restaurant ever. I go there for my birthday every year, whenever my mom comes to visit, and whenever I’m craving Mexican food.
I’ve eaten a ton of things on their menu, but my favorite dish by far is Chicken Bandera. It’s simply an amazing dish. Wood fired mesquite grilled chicken, honey lime cilantro dipping sauce, and a grilled avocado filled with mango. It’s typically served with shoestring french fries, but I get it with either jambalaya or white rice and beans.
Now, I know they only have a handful of locations, but I also know that lots of people have stopped for a meal there at least once.
And listen, if you’ve never been able to visit one of the locations, that is an even better reason to make this recipe at home.
So, as a service to society, I have created a copy cat recipe for this delicious meal. Of course, the real thing is on a whole different level. But, it’s nice to be able to recreate the flavors of my favorite dish. So, that’s exactly what I did!
Some tips I would give you are that if you can’t assemble your own mesquite seasoning mix then grab a seasoning mix from the super market! Also, if you don’t own a grill like me, you can just pan sear it. But since I know that char is essential, I pulled out my George Foreman grill to give it that effect!
Mesquite Grilled Chicken With Honey Lime Cilantro Sauce Copy Cat Jose Tejas Chicken Bandera Recipe
So, as a service to society, I have created a copy cat recipe for this delicious meal. Of course, the real thing is on a whole different level. But, it's nice to be able to recreate the flavors of my favorite dish. So, that's exactly what I did!
Ingredients
- 1 chicken breast
- mesquite seasoning (1 tbsp paprika, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion flakes, 1/2 tsp rosemary, 1/4 tsp sage, 1/4 tsp ground mustard, 1/4 tsp chili powder)
- 1 handful cilantro, chopped
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1/4 cup honey
- salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
- Slice chicken breast into think cutlets.
- Assemble mesquite seasoning mix.
- In a bowl, combine seasoning mix and chicken cutlets. Allow to marinate for at least 10 minutes.
- In a small pan over low heat, mix lime juice, honey, and cilantro. Cook until sauce thickens up and then remove from heat.
- On a grill, cook marinated chicken breast until it’s charred.
- Serve chicken with honey lime cilantro sauce. Enjoy!