Monterey Chicken
Enjoy this easy Monterey Chicken with seasoned chicken breasts, barbecue sauce, crispy bacon, and melted Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses.
A Simple Yet Flavorful Juicy Chicken Dinner
Monterey Chicken comes together in about 40 minutes which makes it a great choice for weeknight dinners but still unique enough to serve when you want something to impress guests or serve at holidays. I love how easy it is to make and how it holds so much flavor for such a simple dish. Plus, it pairs with any of your favorite sides, making it a versatile, perfect for any time meal.
Frequently Asked Questions:
I enjoy this Monterey Chicken with some of my favorite Green Beans and some Mashed Potatoes. Other ideas are roasted veggies, coleslaw, or a simple salad.
Yes, you can. That’s a good way to cut down on some dishes too. Once you’ve seared the chicken in an oven-safe skillet, just layer the toppings right on top in the same skillet and then pop it all in the oven.
Nope. If you want some heat, try adding some jalapenos or chili flakes.
Remember that we are only searing the chicken at first, we aren’t cooking it. And, a good marinade with a quick time in the oven will help keep it juicy and flavorful without drying the meat out too fast.
If the chicken marinates for about 20 minutes, it can stay covered on the counter while you prep the other ingredients. For longer marinating time, cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.
Monterey Chicken can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge. Or you can keep it in the freezer for up to a week. When ready to reheat leftovers, pop them in the Air Fryer for 3-5 minutes until warmed through. If using the microwave, you can reheat in 30-second intervals.
Ingredients Needed: (See Recipe Card Below For The Full Recipe)
- boneless, skinless chicken breast– if you don’t want to use chicken breast, you can use chicken thighs instead. You will need to cook the thighs a little longer since dark meats take a little longer to cook. I haven’t tested it with chicken thighs so can’t give you an exact timing. Always use a meat thermometer to be sure that they’re cooked to 165F degrees internally.
- Worcestershire sauce
- garlic powder – About two cloves of fresh minced garlic can be used instead of the powder.
- Italian seasoning– if you don’t have Italian, a mix of dried basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary will work too.
- bacon – I recommend frying up the bacon fresh. You an use the bacon grease to brown the chicken and will add amazing flavor.
- barbecue sauce – you can use your favorite store-bought BBQ sauce or Homemade BBQ Sauce.
- shredded Monterey Jack cheese – if you don’t have Monterey Jack, you can use whatever other cheeses you have on hand instead.
- shredded cheddar cheese– this adds a sharper bite compared to the creamy Monterey Jack.
- tomato and green onion – these are for serving. If you don’t like tomatoes or green onions, just leave it off.
How To Make Monterey Chicken
In a bowl, combine the chicken breasts with Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine, then allow to marinate for 20 minutes.
While marinating, cook the bacon in a pan until golden and crispy. Set aside to cool, then crumble. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray (or line with parchment paper) Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Note: you can also cook the chicken in the same pan you cooked the bacon and just use a Tablespoon of the leftover bacon grease.
Add the marinated chicken to the pan and sear both sides until fully cooked through (internal temperature should be 165F degrees.)
Once cooked, remove from the skillet to a cutting board. Slice the chicken into strips (cutting against the grain.) Arrange the sliced chicken on the baking sheet. Brush each piece with barbecue sauce.
Top each piece of chicken evenly with shredded Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese. Bake on the middle rack in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle each piece of chicken with the crumbled bacon and diced tomato. Garnish with sliced green onion then serve!
Craving More Recipes?
Monterey Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ Tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 slices bacon
- 2 Tablespoons oil (avocado, vegetable or olive oil)
- ¼ cup barbecue sauce
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
For Garnish:
- ½ cup diced tomato
- 2 green onions, sliced
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts with ½ Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ Tablespoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Stir to combine, then allow to marinate for 20 minutes.
- While marinating, cook the 4 slices bacon in a pan until golden and crispy. Set aside to cool, then crumble.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray (or line with parchment paper or nonstick aluminum foil.)
- Heat 2 Tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. NOTE: you can also cook the chicken in the same pan you cooked the bacon and just use a Tablespoon of the leftover bacon grease.
- Add the marinated chicken to the pan and sear (brown) both sides. Turn down heat slightly and continue cooking until fully cooked through (internal temperature should be 165F degrees.)NOTE: Keep an eye on the heat. If it stays too hot, the chicken will burn on the outside and not be done on the inside. If necessary, place a cover on the skillet and turn down to medium low heat.
- Once cooked, remove from the skillet to a cutting board. Slice the chicken into strips (cutting against the grain.)
- Arrange the sliced chicken on the baking sheet.
- Brush each piece with ¼ cup barbecue sauce.
- Top each piece of chicken evenly with shredded Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese.
- Bake on the middle rack in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle each piece of chicken with the cooked, crumbled bacon and diced tomato
- Garnish with sliced green onion then serve!
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
My husband has a different version of this recipe he likes to make. However, he said after I made this recipe, it’s a keeper and his new favorite. The chicken was juicy and tender and so flavorful. I did have to modify it this time because I did not have any bacon on hand. So, I had to used real bacon bits out of a bag which he said was just as tasty for a substitute. I would definitely use real bacon the next time and make the recipe as directed. Thank you for another delicious recipe to add to our dinner rotation.
Yay!! That makes me so happy to read Denn! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and comment!
Is it necessary to slice the chicken? it seems a little difficult to transfer the sliced chicken on the baking pan and then move it to a serving dish.
I personally don’t find it difficult or I wouldn’t have made it part of the recipe. However, having said that, It’s your chicken, you do what you find easiest and best for you 🙂