Monterey Chicken – A 30 minute chicken dinner loaded with smoky barbecue sauce, spicy tomatoes, lots of cheese and bacon! A family favorite for sure!
Getting dinner on the able every night can be a little bit of a chore sometimes. Coming up with different things to make it interesting and tasty can be a challenge. But that is why I am here for you!! I have a whole slew of Dinner Recipes on the blog already for you, and I am always adding more.
This Monterey chicken is loaded with flavor and so darn easy to make.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Just a few ingredients are needed and you can really have them on hand at all times, so no special trips to the store.
- Super fast and easy to make. If you use thin cut chicken breasts it will cut down on the cooking time even more.
- Mix up the cheese and barbecue sauce for different flavors. You can use a sweet barbecue sauce or spicy for a completely different experience.
What You’ll Need
- Chicken Breasts
- Salt & Pepper
- Oil
- Barbecue Sauce
- Bacon Pieces
- Rotel Tomatoes
- Cheddar Cheese
- Green Onions
For the Bacon pieces, you can use cooked and crumbled bacon or the store bought actual bacon pieces you can find down the salad aisles. If you are cooking and crumbling the bacon, you probably need about 2 strips total (1/2 strip per piece of chicken).

How To Make Monterey Chicken
Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card to get the measurements and full instructions!
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add oil, swirling to coat. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Add chicken to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until cooked through.
- Top each piece of chicken with about 1 Tablespoon barbecue sauce, 3 Tablespoons tomatoes, 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, and 1 Tablespoon bacon pieces.
- Cover and cook until the cheese is melted.
- Top with green onions to serve
What Goes With Monterey Chicken
You really can serve this with just about anything! Whatever your favorite veggie or potato is works great.

This Monterey Chicken was one of the first recipes I shared on the blog when I started in 2011. Today I am sharing it with you again and updating the pictures. It is definitely one you are going to want to add to your dinner plans soon!
Storage
If you have leftover chicken store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can reheat in the microwave until it is warmed through.

More Easy Chicken Dinners
- Crockpot Fiesta Chicken
- Baked Parmesan Chicken
- Marry Me Chicken
- Cashew Chicken
- Bourbon Chicken
- Bacon Cheddar Chicken Tenders
- Honey Dijon Chicken
Monterey Chicken

Monterey Chicken - A 30 minute chicken dinner loaded with smokey barbecue sauce, spicy tomatoes, lots of cheese and bacon! A family favorite for sure!
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- salt and pepper
- 2 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
- 1/4 cup real bacon pieces
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 1 10 oz can Rotel tomatoes, drained
- 1/4 cup green onions, sliced
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add oil, swirling to coat.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Add chicken to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until cooked through.
- Top each piece of chicken with 1 Tablespoon barbecue sauce, 3 Tablespoons tomatoes, 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, and 1 Tablespoon bacon pieces.
- Cover and cook until the cheese is melted.
- Top with green onions to serve
Notes
Recipe from All the Simple Things
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 455Total Fat 22gSaturated Fat 9gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 146mgSodium 1182mgCarbohydrates 12gFiber 0gSugar 6gProtein 50g
Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should only be used as a general guideline.
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Pretty. Good. Food. says
Mmmm, sounds delicious :)!
Pretty. Good. Food. says
Mmmm, sounds delicious :)!
Chrissie Baker says
It sounds amazing and one that we would love to try for dinner one of these days. I love the flavors that come together in this recipe. The chicken will definitely absorb all those, which will make it tastier!
Melanie Bauer says
This looks spectacular! I love all the flavors going on, so easy and crazy delicious!
Dorothy at Shockinglydelish says
Love that you used rotel! Gives the dish a little zip!
Catalina says
Smokey, spicy, and bacon! My kind of dinner! Definitely a family favorite!
Catalina says
I’ve made it and my family loved it! It’s the best chicken dish!
Abeer says
I love that this chicken is so easy to make! The perfect weeknight dish!
Demeter says
This chicken looks fully loaded! What a filling and flavorful dinner!
jessica | The Novice Chef says
this is a great addition to our “after Christmas plans”… LOL
Beth Pierce says
I only need to know it had barbecue sauce, bacon, and cheese to know I needed to make it, and I wasn’t wrong. This is SO GOOD!
Amanda says
I have been looking for a new chicken recipe and this is perfect. I cannot wait to make this next week!
katerina @ diethood.com says
I love how easy and delicious this is!! My family would love it!!
Beti | easyweeknightrecipes says
This sounds insanely delicious!! I am so excited to try it!!
Sandra | A Dash of Sanity says
What a simple and tasty family dinner!