Chicken Monterey is a pan-seared chicken breast smothered in barbecue sauce, covered with melted cheese and finished with crumbled bacon, diced tomatoes and green onions. It is a restaurant-style favorite, also called Monterey chicken, that is sweet, smoky, cheesy and fresh all at once. The whole thing is made in one oven-safe pan in about 30 minutes, which makes it an easy weeknight dinner that looks like you went to more trouble.
How to make chicken Monterey: Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and cook them in olive oil in an oven-safe pan for 4 to 5 minutes per side. Pour barbecue sauce over the chicken and top each breast with shredded cheese. Move the pan to a 400°F oven for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese melts. Top with bacon, tomatoes and green onions.
Why You’ll Love It
- One pan. From the stove to the oven to the table.
- Thirty minutes. A fast dinner with big flavor.
- Barbecue, bacon and cheese. A combination that never misses.
- Fresh on top. Tomatoes and green onions cut through the richness.
- Restaurant style at home. For much less than eating out.
Ingredient Notes
Boneless skinless chicken breasts. Four. Breasts of even thickness cook most evenly.
Olive oil. One tablespoon, for the pan.
Salt and pepper. To taste.
Barbecue sauce. One cup of your favorite. It is the sauce in this dish.
Cheese. One cup, shredded. A blend of Monterey Jack and cheddar is the classic. Colby Jack also works.
Bacon. Four slices, cooked and crumbled.
Tomatoes and green onions. Half a cup of diced tomatoes and 1/4 cup of green onions. Chives can stand in for the green onions.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup green onions
How to Make Chicken Monterey
1. Heat the pan and oven. Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe pan over medium-high heat. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Season the chicken. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Cook the chicken. Cook the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes per side, checking the thickest part with a food thermometer. The cooking time varies with thickness. Poultry must reach 165°F.
4. Add sauce and cheese. Pour the barbecue sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese over each breast.
5. Melt the cheese. Place the oven-safe pan in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese melts. Confirm the chicken reaches 165°F with a food thermometer before serving.
6. Finish and serve. Sprinkle the cooked, crumbled bacon, diced tomatoes and green onions over the chicken and serve.
What Is the Sauce on Monterey Chicken?
Barbecue sauce. There is no special Monterey sauce to make from scratch. A cup of bottled barbecue sauce is poured over the cooked chicken in the pan, and the cheese melts over it. The Monterey in the name points to the Monterey Jack cheese on top.
What gives the dish its look and its layers is the order the toppings go on. Some go on before the oven and some after.
| Order | Topping | When | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | Barbecue sauce | Before the oven | It warms and clings to the chicken |
| Second | Shredded cheese | Before the oven | It melts over the sauce |
| Third | Crumbled bacon | After the oven | It stays crisp |
| Fourth | Diced tomatoes | After the oven | They stay cool and fresh |
| Last | Green onions | After the oven | They stay bright and crunchy |
If the bacon and tomatoes go under the cheese, the bacon turns soft and the tomatoes cook. On top, they give every bite some crunch and freshness.
Tips for Success
How do you tell when the chicken is safely done?
With a food thermometer in the thickest part of each breast. It should read 165°F. Melted cheese and minutes in the pan are not the test.
What if my chicken breasts are very thick?
Pound them to an even thickness, or slice them in half horizontally into two thinner cutlets. Thin, even pieces cook through in the time the outside browns.
What pan should I use?
One that can go from the stovetop into a 400°F oven, such as cast iron or stainless steel with a metal handle.
Should the bacon be cooked first?
Yes. Cook it until crisp and crumble it before you start the chicken.
Which barbecue sauce is best?
The one you like to eat. A sweet, smoky sauce is the usual choice.
How Long Does It Take?
About 30 minutes: 10 minutes of prep and about 20 minutes of cooking, including a few minutes in the oven to melt the cheese.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, in shallow, covered containers, and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave until the chicken reaches 165°F. Add fresh tomatoes and green onions after reheating.
What to Serve With It
Mashed potatoes and green beans are the classic sides, and a baked sweet potato with dinner rolls is another good plate. For more easy chicken dinners, try slow cooker cheddar baked chicken, 4-ingredient French onion chicken or slow cooker brown sugar chicken. For hands-off nights, there is 4-ingredient slow cooker chicken. And from the oven, make the Ritz cracker chicken casserole or oven baked creamy chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the sauce on Monterey Chicken in this recipe?
Barbecue sauce. One cup is poured over the cooked chicken before the cheese goes on.
When do the bacon, tomatoes and green onions go on?
After the pan comes out of the oven, just before serving.
What do you serve with Monterey Chicken?
Mashed potatoes and green beans, or a baked sweet potato and dinner rolls.
How do you tell when the chicken is safely done?
It reaches 165°F on a food thermometer in the thickest part.
Final Notes
I cook the bacon in the same pan first and wipe it out, so there is only one pan to wash at the end of the night. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Monterey Chicken
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Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 1 cup cheese shredded; Monterey Jack and cheddar blend
- 4 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1/2 cup tomatoes diced
- 1/4 cup green onions
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe pan over medium-high heat. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes per side, checking the thickest part with a food thermometer. The cooking time varies with thickness. Poultry must reach 165°F.
- Pour the barbecue sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese over each breast.
- Place the oven-safe pan in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese melts. Confirm the chicken reaches 165°F with a food thermometer before serving.
- Sprinkle the cooked, crumbled bacon, diced tomatoes and green onions over the chicken and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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