Copycat Chili's Monterey Chicken Recipe
We love this Baked Monterey Chicken Recipe that's so flavorful, with a combination of juicy baked chicken breasts, fresh tomatoes, Monterey Jack cheese, sweet and tangy BBQ sauce, and crispy smoky bacon.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 445kcal
Ingredients
Chicken Seasoning:
- 4 chicken breasts boneless & skinless boneless and skinless about 1.5-2 lb
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
Monterey Chicken:
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
- 1 ⅔ cups Monterey Jack shredded but may substitute
- ⅔ cup Fresh Roma or Plum tomatoes diced
- 3 slices bacon chopped and cooked until crispy
- 3 green onions sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and lightly grease a 9x13" casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cover chicken breasts with plastic wrap and pound the thick end with a rolling pin or meat mallet to flatten slightly. This will ensure the chicken cooks more evenly.
- Combine seasoning: parsley, salt, garlic powder, paprika, pepper, and onion powder. Sprinkle evenly over chicken breasts and place in the prepared dish.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
Assembling Monterey Chicken:
- Remove chicken from the oven (it won't be done -- that's okay). Brush with barbecue sauce and top with cheese.
- Return to the oven and cook for 8-10 minutes. Let the cheese melt and bake until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F when checked with a meat thermometer.
- Top with tomatoes, crispy bacon, and green onions before serving.
Notes
Storage:
Refrigerating: you can refrigerate any leftovers for up to 4 days. I recommend reheating, covering, in the oven at 250 degrees F until warmed through.
Freezing: you can easily prep this recipe ahead and freeze it. I recommend freezing it after it is baked, then thawing completely in the refrigerator before reheating it according to the instructions above. Keep in mind that the tomatoes will soften considerably if frozen.
Freezing: you can easily prep this recipe ahead and freeze it. I recommend freezing it after it is baked, then thawing completely in the refrigerator before reheating it according to the instructions above. Keep in mind that the tomatoes will soften considerably if frozen.
Nutrition
Calories: 445kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 1330mg | Potassium: 672mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 903IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 381mg | Iron: 1mg