• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
This Silly Girl's Kitchen
  • Home
  • About Me
    • Contact Me
    • Disclosure & Privacy Policy
    • Work With Me
  • Recipe Index
    • Appetizers
    • Baked Goods
    • Drinks
    • Main Dish
    • Side Dishes
    • Snacks
    • Sweets
  • Seasonal
    • Spring
    • Summer
      • 4th of July
    • Fall
    • Winter
      • Christmas
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
Home » Recipes » Monterey Chicken

Monterey Chicken

August 12, 2020 By Dana DeVolk 41 Comments

Pin
Share
Tweet
Share
6453Shares

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Monterey chicken, an easy grilled bbq chicken topped with BACON and melty cheese. This recipe is a fun copycat recipe and perfect for any weeknight meal.

PIN IT NOW SAVE FOR LATER!

Monterey chicken, an easy grilled bbq chicken topped with BACON and melty cheese. #recipe from ThisSillyGirlsKitchen.com #montereychicken #grilledchicken #bbqchicken #chicken

Woo hoo! It’s time for another grilling recipe! I’m super pumped to share today’s recipe because it’s a copycat, I got to grill; that means easy cleanup AND it came out way better than I imagined it would.

So, yea you’re really in for a treat today!

Every time we go out to Chili’s (which is about every 3-4 months, we have one a couple miles from our house so it’s pretty convenient.) Jeremy gets the Monterey Chicken and it’s always great.

I love the combination of bacon, cheese, and bbq sauce. I’ve made chicken Monterey at home a couple times in the oven but taking it out on the grill is where it’s at!


Take me to the recipe for Monterey Chicken already!

Thank you so much for your eagerness to view my recipe.

If you would rather not hear my super helpful tips and tricks, FAQ, and my overall awesomeness and get straight to this delicious Monterey Chicken – you can very easily scroll all the way to the bottom of this post for the full printable FREE recipe! Bon appetit.


Why this recipe works:

  • With minimal ingredients it whips up in no time.
  • It can easily be doubled to serve a larger family.
  • This only takes 15 minutes to cook up!

Monterey chicken, an easy grilled bbq chicken topped with BACON and melty cheese. #recipe from ThisSillyGirlsKitchen.com #montereychicken #grilledchicken #bbqchicken #chicken

It’s insane how easy this is to whip up as well! I love a good copy cat recipe, especially when it comes to this Monterey Chicken Recipe!

One trick I have for making a successful dinner while grilling out is to take your sides out to the grill with you!

I was boiling away some potatoes for some garlic mash potatoes  while cooking the chicken. That way you don’t have to keep running back inside to check the stove, easy!

I also always get my grill station ready before heading outside. This way I won’t forget anything and have to run back inside. Try using a tray like this one here! 

Can I put the bbq sauce on the as soon as I start grilling?

Don’t baste the chicken as soon as it hits the grill or else the sugars in the BBQ sauce will burn. And we don’t want that!

At what temperature is chicken cooked and safe to eat?

Chicken is fully cooked at 165°F. Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer like this one!

Tips and Tricks:

  • You can easily double this recipe to serve a larger family.
  • We completely recommend a using a good meat thermometer like the one linked above to make sure your chicken is properly cooked.
  • You can use any cheese you want, but Monterey Cheddar blend and Mozzarella are the usuals.
  • You can use any BBQ sauce you like, test out different flavors to see what you like best.
  • We like to chop our bacon and cook it in a skillet before hand but you could also leave it whole and place it on the chicken itself.

Monterey chicken, an easy grilled bbq chicken topped with BACON and melty cheese. #recipe from ThisSillyGirlsKitchen.com #montereychicken #grilledchicken #bbqchicken #chicken

Monterey chicken Chili’s copycat recipe – you can’t go wrong with this crowd-pleasing meal!

You can also make this into a Monterey chicken sandwich. We do this so often either on buns or toasted bread!

How to make Monterey Chicken:

  1. Dice and cook bacon it in a skillet over medium-low heat until crispy. Set aside.
  2. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and the dried spices.
  3. Heat grill and grease grates, place chicken on grill over medium heat. Let cook until almost done.
  4. When the chicken has an internal temperature of 150°F, baste with BBQ sauce on both sides and continue cooking until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
  5. When chicken is cooked through, place half of the bacon on top of each piece. Mix the cheeses together and spread evenly over each piece.
  6. Let the cheese melt.
  7. Serve and enjoy!

Yummm, doesn’t that sound super easy?! It made for a very satisfying meal, served with the mashed potatoes and Brussel sprouts!

I will be making this Monterey Chicken Recipe, again and again, this summer on the grill! Do you have a favorite grilling recipe?

 

Monterey chicken, an easy grilled bbq chicken topped with BACON and melty cheese. #recipe from ThisSillyGirlsKitchen.com #montereychicken #grilledchicken #bbqchicken #chicken

Tools used to make Monterey Chicken:

  • Meat Thermometer
  • Grilling Tray
  • Grilling Tongs

If you like this recipe you might also like:

  • Baked Parmesan Chicken Tenders
  • Southern Fried Chicken
  • BBQ Chicken Nachos

If you’ve tried this MONTEREY CHICKEN let me know in the comments how it turned out! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!
 

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
4.86 from 7 votes

Monterey Chicken

Monterey chicken, an easy grilled bbq chicken topped with BACON and melty cheese.
This recipe is enough for two portions. So, just double or triple the ingredients as required!
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time30 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken, chocken monterey, copycat recipes, grill, monterey chicken, monterey chicken chili's
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 675kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts boneless skinless
  • 1/4 Cup mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 Cup Monterey/Cheddar blend cheese or just cheddar is good!
  • 4 slices bacon
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 cup BBQ sauce

Instructions

  • Before we start grilling, cut bacon in medium dice and cook it in a skillet over medium-low heat until crispy. Set aside. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and the dried spices.
  • Heat grill over high heat for at least 5 minutes. Grease grates, place chicken on grill over medium heat. Let cook until almost done. When the chicken has an internal temperature of 150°F, baste with BBQ sauce on both sides and continue cooking until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. (Don't baste the chicken as soon as it hits the grill or else the sugars in the BBQ sauce will burn.)
  • When chicken is cooked through, place half of the bacon on top of each piece. Mix the cheeses together and spread evenly over each piece.
  • Place top of the grill down and let the cheese melt, this will only take a couple minutes. Serve. 

Notes

  1. You can easily double this recipe to serve a larger family.
  2. We completely recommend a using a good meat thermometer like the one linked above to make sure your chicken is properly cooked.
  3. You can use any cheese you want, but Monterey Cheddar blend and Mozzarella are the usuals.
  4. You can use any BBQ sauce you like, test out different flavors to see what you like best.
  5. We like to chop our bacon and cook it in a skillet before hand but you could also leave it whole and place it on the chicken itself.

Nutrition

Calories: 675kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 61g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 200mg | Sodium: 1476mg | Potassium: 1110mg | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 485IU | Vitamin C: 3.1mg | Calcium: 219mg | Iron: 1.6mg
Nutriton Disclaimer
Tried this recipe?Follow me @danadevolk or tag #danadevolk!

Don’t forget to go see Parrish’s recipe for Grilled Everything Chicken!

.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Dana DeVolk
Follow me
Dana DeVolk
Dana is a professional Chef turned blogger, recipe developer, food photographer, cookbook author, brand ambassador, local tv personality, and more! Her passion is writing about food and posting recipes while offering tips and tricks of the trade. She lives in Florida with her Hubby and fur babies. Interested in working with Dana? Email her at [email protected]
Dana DeVolk
Follow me
Latest posts by Dana DeVolk (see all)
  • Pulled Pork Sliders - January 27, 2021
  • Berry Pavlova Recipe - January 25, 2021
  • Braised Beef Short Ribs - January 22, 2021
(Visited 7,417 times, 2 visits today)
Pin
Share
Tweet
Share
6453Shares

Related

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER.

Get my latest recipes goodies straight to your inbox!

I hate Spam as much as you do so, No Spam I promise!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Disclaimer: By clicking on the "Yes, I want in" button above you are giving me your consent to collect and use your information according to the law and My Cookie Policy Privacy

*If you are an EU Citizen please join the list through this GDPR link: this GDPR link

Filed Under: Fourth of July, Holidays, Main Dish, Recipes, Summer Tagged With: bacon, Chili's copycat recipe, grilled chicken, grilling, honey bbq, Monterey Chicken

Previous Post: « Pistachio Lush Cake
Next Post: Stabilized Whipped Cream »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Dee

    May 19, 2014 at 11:50 am

    This looks fantastic! I’ll keep this in mind for the next time we grill chicken! 🙂

    Reply
  2. Kristina & Millie

    May 22, 2014 at 8:44 am

    Super yum! A definite must try!! Thanks for making me drool 🙂

    Reply
  3. Elizabeth

    May 23, 2014 at 1:43 pm

    Thank you! I have a similar recipe only I call it Western Chicken. It always makes my mouth water! Love it. Thanks for posting and that tomato and corn salad looks yum!!

    Reply
  4. Ashley

    April 24, 2015 at 8:35 am

    I want to make this tonight! It looks so yummy. What if I don’t have a grill though? Any alternatives to cooking it?

    Reply
    • Dana DeVolk

      April 24, 2015 at 3:21 pm

      You can definitely bake it easily! Just put on the bbq sauce about 5 minutes before the chicken is cooked through, still yummy!

      Reply
  5. Tim in TN

    May 3, 2015 at 8:56 pm

    4 stars
    Made this tonight. Awesome. I brined the chicken first and sprinkled fresh avocado and tomato with the bacon over the top. It was a surefire hit. Thank you. Will become part of our summer grilling rotation.

    Reply
    • Dana DeVolk

      May 3, 2015 at 9:31 pm

      Ugh, that sounds amazing! So glad it came out good, I love the additions. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Joanna @ Everyday Made Fresh

    June 21, 2015 at 10:27 am

    This looks so good! Yum!! I have a copycat recipes cook book that I purchased on QVC years ago, this has inspired me to get it out and see what all I can make. Pinning!

    Reply
  7. Mary Gilbert

    June 24, 2015 at 7:27 pm

    5 stars
    This is what I order EVERY time I go to Chili’s!
    Pinned!
    Thanks for sharing on Your Whim’s Wednesday

    Reply
  8. Karly

    June 28, 2015 at 12:06 pm

    This needs to go on the dinner menu this week! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!

    Reply
  9. Joy @ Yesterfood

    June 29, 2015 at 1:23 pm

    5 stars
    Dana, this is wonderful! I am featuring it tonight at Treasure Box Tuesday- thank you for linking up with us! 🙂

    Reply
  10. Chloe Crabtree

    July 2, 2015 at 9:39 pm

    This looks so delicious! I am pinning this and will be making this sometime this summer for sure! I am always looking for new chicken recipes! I would love it if you would stop by and share this or one of your other fantastic recipes at my new link party at: Celebrate it Sunday!

    Reply
  11. Alissa

    September 9, 2015 at 7:40 pm

    So excited to try this recipe – I’m making it tonight! We don’t have a grill so we’re using the oven. What temp should I set the oven to, and how long should I leave it in? Do I need to flip the chicken? Such a newbie in the kitchen!

    Reply
    • Dana DeVolk

      September 9, 2015 at 8:45 pm

      Sorry I didn’t read this until now. I hope it came out good! I would set the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the chicken until it hits a temperature of 155 degrees, then add the bbq sauce. The chicken is done when internal temp is 165 degrees on the chicken. I’m not exactly sure how long it would need to bake for. It depends on the size of the chicken pieces. You do not need to turn them, but you can if you want. Then, finish then with the bacon and cheese in the oven just for a minute or so until the cheese melts. Hope this helps!

      Reply
  12. Tresa Daniels Thompson

    October 15, 2015 at 10:07 pm

    5 stars
    Hi just love the things you have on here just thought I would tell you my. Sick/tired Naunie days recipe spin off this recipe. Tonight was the omg I’m sick and I’m tired taking care of 6 grandkids ranging 6 weeks to 5 yrs. Lol so I am really tired!! So tonight I have everything out to make this sweet dish and got to thinking how to cheat. So I made my own BBQ sauce. Grabbed some fresh onion garlic and green onions then some new potatos did a 1 inch cube spayed my pan cut my chicken in 1 inch cubes layered chicken potatoes bacon chopped .cheese bbq sauce. green onions garlic diced continues till ingredients were go last layer was bacon on top of cheese. Tented with foil baked in 425 for 1hr 20 mins

    Reply
  13. Kelly

    September 9, 2016 at 11:43 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve been looking for a monterey chicken copycat recipe, and decided to go with this. I made it tonight, and it was AWESOME! Thanks for this recipe. I cooked the chicken in a skillet and used precooked bacon for ease, and it was absolutely delicious. So EASY to whip up, and so tasty. We had seasoned oven fries and garlic Parmesan corn on the cob for sides. Very satisfying meal and it will be in regular rotation!

    Reply
  14. Karen

    January 25, 2019 at 5:19 pm

    What brand of bbq sauce so you use ?

    Reply
    • Dana DeVolk

      January 25, 2019 at 5:34 pm

      My favorite store bought bbq sauce is Sweet Baby Ray’s.

      Reply
  15. Jenny

    June 15, 2020 at 10:05 am

    5 stars
    So easy but sooooo good. Thanks for recipe.

    Reply
  16. Marion

    January 4, 2021 at 12:42 pm

    5 stars
    Your Monterey chicken was a big hit with my family. Definitely a winner for me. I used heddar cheese as I’m not able to get Monterey cheese in Australia

    Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

HI, I’M DANA!

Dana from This Silly Girl's Kitchen Blog

Dana is a professional Chef turned blogger, recipe developer, food photographer, and more! Her passion is writing about food and posting recipes while offering tips and tricks of the trade. She lives in Florida with her Hubby and four fur babies.

Read more about me HERE…

Categories

Subscribe

Join Our Newsletter
Join Our Newsletter

Get my latest recipes goodies straight to your inbox! I hate Spam as much as you do so, No Spam I promise!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Disclaimer: By clicking on the "Yes, I want in" button above you are giving me your consent to collect and use your information according to the law and My Cookie Policy Privacy

HOLIDAY FAVORITES

Whipped Cream in bowl square image

Chocolate Whipped Cream

Close up of Tiramisu Pie on plate Square image

Tiramisu Pie

Chocolate Layer Cake on cake stand square image

Chocolate Layer Cake

Close up of Southern Collard Greens on white plate square image

Southern Collard Greens

Cranberry Orange Braid

Eggnog Pudding in glass topped with whipped cream square image

Eggnog Pudding

Popular posts:

  • The Best Fluffy Buttercream FrostingThe Best Fluffy Buttercream Frosting
  • Mississippi Pot RoastMississippi Pot Roast
  • Steakhouse Beef Tips with NoodlesSteakhouse Beef Tips with Noodles
  • Cinnamon Cream Cheese CookiesCinnamon Cream Cheese Cookies
  • Chipotle Bang Bang Shrimp: Delicious Party Food!Chipotle Bang Bang Shrimp: Delicious Party Food!
  • Key Lime Pie - Mini No Bake Pies!Key Lime Pie – Mini No Bake Pies!

Footer

FEATURED IN

AS SEEN ON

COPYRIGHT © 2012-2020 · THIS SILLY GIRLS KITCHEN | POLICY PRIVACY.