This Monterey chicken is an easy-to-make dinner featuring chicken breasts topped with cheese, bacon, BBQ sauce, tomatoes, and green onions! Whether you've ordered it from Chili's before or are trying it out for the first time, you'll love how simple and flavorful this dish is! The best part is that you can prepare a restaurant-quality main course at home in less than 40 minutes!
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Easy Copycat Chili's Monterey Chicken
While my family occasionally enjoys going out to dinner, I've found that you can easily make your own version of popular restaurant dishes at home! This copycat chicken dinner is no exception, and it's ready to serve in just 35 minutes.
These chicken breasts are topped with delicious flavors from melted Monterey Jack cheese, salty bacon, diced tomatoes, and sliced green onions. To top it all off, you need a drizzle of your favorite BBQ sauce!
See all my copycat recipes here.
For more fabulous chicken recipe ideas, be sure to check out my collections of chicken breast recipes, rotisserie chicken recipes, and chicken casseroles!
🥘 Ingredients
With mostly household ingredients, you'll have an incredibly delicious chicken main course to serve in no time! Although it's an optional ingredient, I highly recommend adding the liquid smoke if your family loves a hint of smokey flavor!
- Bacon Grease - 1 tablespoon of bacon grease, or you can use extra virgin olive oil (EVOO).
- Chicken Breasts - 2 pounds of chicken breasts that are boneless, skinless, and about ½ pound each.
- Salt & Pepper - ½ teaspoon of each, salt & pepper, to taste.
- BBQ Sauce - 1 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce, or use my easy honey BBQ sauce!
- Liquid Smoke (optional) - 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke.
- Monterey Jack - 1 cup of shredded Monterey Jack, or use a combination of Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese or mozzarella.
- Bacon - 4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled.
- Tomatoes - ½ cup of diced tomatoes.
- Green Onions - ¼ cup of sliced green onions.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Chili's Monterey Chicken
It doesn't take much to make a restaurant-quality chicken dinner in the comfort of your home! You will need a grater set, a cast iron skillet, measuring cups, a chef's knife, a cutting board, and some silicone kitchen tongs to begin!
This recipe will make about 4 servings of Monterey Chicken!
- Preheat. Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C/Gas Mark 6).
- Heat bacon grease. In a large skillet (or any oven-safe, heavy-bottomed pan), heat 1 tablespoon (13 grams) of bacon grease (or extra virgin olive oil) over medium-high heat.
- Season. Sprinkle 2 pounds (907 grams) of chicken breasts on all sides with ½ teaspoon (3 grams) of each, salt & pepper, or to taste.
- Cook chicken. Place the seasoned chicken breasts in the heated skillet and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side. *Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts.
- Add ingredients. Once the chicken is done cooking, brush 1 cup (286 grams) of barbecue sauce and 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) of liquid smoke (if using) over the top. Next, sprinkle 1 cup (113 grams) of Monterey Jack over each chicken breast.
- Bake. Place the skillet in your preheated oven and bake it uncovered at 400°F (205 °C/Gas Mark 6) for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese has completely melted.
- Serve. Garnish the chicken with 4 slices (88 grams) of bacon (crumbled), ½ cup (75 grams) of tomatoes, and ¼ cup (25 grams) of sliced green onions. Serve immediately.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Even Chicken Breasts for Uniform Cooking: Select chicken breasts that are similar in size to ensure they cook evenly. For thicker breasts, consider butterflying them or gently pounding them to an even thickness for consistent cooking.
- Seasoning Variations: While a classic salt and pepper seasoning works well, feel free to experiment with your favorite spice blends to add a personal touch to the chicken's flavor.
- Quality Barbecue Sauce: Opt for a high-quality barbecue sauce as it significantly influences the dish's overall taste. The right sauce will complement the cheese, tomatoes, and green onions, enhancing the dish's flavors.
- Cheese Choices: Traditional Monterey Jack cheese is perfect for this dish, offering a mild and melty quality. However, you're welcome to mix it up with cheddar or a blend of Monterey Jack and cheddar for a different taste and texture.
🍽️ What To Serve With
This chicken dinner will pair well with a large variety of easy side dishes! Try it with my bacon cream cheese mashed potatoes, roasted vegetable medley, or a fresh Caesar salad. Enjoy!
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Store any chicken leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Freezing
Freeze the completely cooled chicken breasts in a freezer-safe container (without toppings) for 2-3 months. It's important to leave the toppings off as they may lose their texture and flavor once thawed. Add the toppings after you thaw and reheat the chicken.
Reheating
Place your leftovers in a baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Preheat your oven to 350°F (205°C/Gas Mark 4) and warm the chicken for about 10-15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
>>>>See all of my recipes here<<<<
❓ Recipe FAQs
Monterey chicken is a popular American dish that features chicken breasts topped with melted cheese, barbecue sauce, tomatoes, crispy bacon, and green onions. It's most commonly known for being on the Chili's restaurant menu but can be easily made at home. It has a delicious combination of sweet and savory flavors (depending on the type of BBQ sauce used).
If you'd prefer to add a bit of heat to your chicken breasts, you can add some dice jalapeños on top or mix in your favorite hot sauce to the barbecue sauce.
Yes, you can absolutely use different types of cheese if you prefer. While Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese are the most common, you could experiment with other cheeses like mozzarella, Swiss, or pepper jack.
🐔🍗😋 More Tasty Chicken Recipes
- Peanut Butter Chicken - A simple and delicious chicken main course that only takes about 15 minutes to make!
- Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts - An elegant chicken dish that is easy enough for any weeknight dinner!
- Air Fryer Chicken Leg Quarters - These chicken leg quarters turn out delightfully crispy and golden every time!
- Chicken Teriyaki Skewers - Bite-sized pieces of chicken are full of the rich and savory flavors of teriyaki sauce!
- Grilled BBQ Chicken Breasts - This recipe is an irresistible summertime BBQ dish that you'll want to make over and over again!
- Air Fryer Shake & Bake Chicken - A simple and flavorful chicken dinner that's ready to serve in only 20 minutes!
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📖 Recipe Card
Chili's Monterey Chicken Copycat
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon bacon grease (or extra virgin olive oil)
- 2 lbs chicken breasts (boneless, skinless - about ½ pound each)
- ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
- 1 cup Monterey Jack (shredded, or use a combination of Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese, or mozzarella)
- 4 slices bacon (cooked and crumbled)
- ½ cup tomatoes (diced)
- ¼ cup green onions (sliced)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C/Gas Mark 6).
- In a large skillet (or any oven-safe, heavy-bottomed pan), heat 1 tablespoon bacon grease (or extra virgin olive oil) over medium-high heat.
- Sprinkle the 2 lbs chicken breasts on all sides with ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper or to taste.
- Place the seasoned chicken breasts in the heated skillet and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side. *Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts.
- Once the chicken is done cooking, brush 1 cup barbecue sauce and 1 teaspoon liquid smoke (if using) over the top. Next, sprinkle 1 cup Monterey Jack over each chicken breast.
- Place the skillet in your preheated oven and bake uncovered at 400°F (205°C/Gas Mark 6) for 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese has completely melted.
- Garnish the chicken with 4 slices bacon (crumbled), ½ cup tomatoes and ¼ cup green onions. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Choose chicken breasts that are even in size as this will allow for even cooking. If your chicken breasts are on the thicker side, you may consider butterflying them or pounding them with a mallet or rolling pin.
- Although I used a simple salt and pepper combination to season the chicken, you can use any of your favorite seasoning blends if desired.
- I highly recommend using a good quality barbecue sauce for the best flavor results. It's one of the signature parts of this dish aside from cheese, tomatoes, and green onions.
- Monterey Jack is the traditional cheese used in this dish, but you could use cheddar or a combination of Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese.
- Use a digital meat thermometer in the thicket part of the chicken breasts to make sure that they reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- To store: Store any Monterey chicken leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- To freeze: Freeze the completely cooled chicken breasts in a freezer-safe container (without toppings) for 2-3 months. It's essential to leave the toppings off as they may lose their texture and flavor once thawed. Add the toppings after you thaw and reheat the chicken.
- To reheat: Place your leftovers in a baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Preheat your oven to 350°F (205°C/Gas Mark 4) and warm the chicken for about 10-15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
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