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–+ servings

Monterey Chicken

This recipe combines juicy chicken, crispy bacon, tangy barbecue sauce, and melted cheese for a simple, flavorful weeknight dinner.
Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time:30 minutes
Total Time:40 minutes

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 6 slices of bacon
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (sliced in half horizontally, about 1 pound)
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ cup barbecue sauce
  • 1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese (or any cheese you want)
  • 2 Roma tomatoes (cored and diced)
  • ¼ cup diced green onions

Instructions

  • Cook bacon. In an oven-safe 12-inch skillet, cook bacon on medium heat, turning until completely cooked, browned, and crispy, about 8-10 minutes. Set aside on a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve the bacon fat in a small bowl and clean the pan.
  • Preheat oven. Preheat the oven to 400℉.
  • Heat pan. Measure the bacon fat and add oil for a total of 2 tablespoons. Place in the pan and preheat to medium-high heat to warm the oil.
  • Season chicken. In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Sprinkle the seasoning over both sides of each chicken breast.
  • Cook the chicken. Carefully place the chicken in the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes. While the chicken cooks, crumble the bacon and place it in a small bowl. Turn chicken and brush each chicken breast with about one tablespoon of barbecue sauce. Cook chicken for an additional 4-5 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165℉. Turn the chicken and brush with barbecue sauce again, about 1 tablespoon of sauce per chicken breast.
  • Top with cheese. Carefully spread the shredded cheese over each chicken breast, about ¼ cup per piece of chicken.
  • Bake. Transfer the pan to the oven to melt the cheese for about 6-8 minutes.
  • Top with remaining toppings. Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven. Transfer chicken to a serving platter and top with crumbled bacon, diced tomatoes, and green onions. You can also add toppings and serve right from pan. Serve immediately.

Notes

If you don’t have an oven-proof skillet, you can transfer the chicken to a foil-lined baking sheet to melt the cheese in the oven after cooking the chicken in the skillet.

Nutrition

Calories: 383kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 1274mg | Potassium: 491mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 761IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 251mg | Iron: 1mg
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 383kcal
Author: Katie