Cheesy Monterey chicken is a Chilis Restaurant BBQ chicken dish with bacon, BBQ sauce, mixed cheese, and diced tomatoes. Served with mashed potatoes, black pepper gravy, and seasonal veggies. This cheesy bacon bbq chicken dish from Chilis can be recreated at home with grilled chicken breast or pan-fried chicken.

There are also different ways to cook and assemble this dish depending on the calories you want to intake. For instance, you can make air-fryer Monterey chicken and not use as much oil or bake this chicken casserole un-fried instead.

The best way to serve cheesy bbq chicken is with favorite sides. Here is a list of tasty sides the next time you make this Monterey chicken recipe:

• Creamy Mashed Potatoes or red-skinned garlic mashed potatoes
• Outback Broccoli and Cheese or seasonal vegetables.
• Rice and beans
• Quesadillas or Naan Bread 
• Mac and Cheese
• French Bread
• Creamy Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad 
• Oven-Baked Potato Wedges
• Summer Slaw Recipe
• Fresh Corn or baked beans
• French Fries or Potato Salad

If you made cheesy bacon bbq chicken and don’t know what to do with the leftover chicken bake, then here’s how to reuse leftovers!

• Chicken BBQ Melts
• Use leftovers for homemade BBQ pizza. Spread the pizza crust with bbq sauce then top with Mexican cheese, chopped leftover bbq chicken, (or cheddar cheese), sliced purple onions, and a drizzle of additional bbq sauce.
• Make a Cheesy bacon BBQ Chicken Sandwich by adding some green leafy lettuce and tomato slices into Homemade Hamburger buns. Dip into ranch dressing for extra flavor.
• Loaded BBQ Chicken Fries: Top French fries with melted cheddar cheese sauce, chopped bbq chicken, and crumbled bacon bits.
• Baked BBQ Chicken Potato Casserole: place leftover cubed and baked potatoes (skins removed) into a baking casserole layer with a little water, shredded bbq chicken, bbq sauce, and top it with cheese.

Chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Depending on how thick your chicken breast fillet is, it can take anywhere from 3-6 minutes per side. My chicken breast was sliced in half crosswise and took about 2-3 minutes per side. Since this bbq chicken breast is made in the oven, it can be seared and finished later.

There are so many different add-ins you can add when making cheesy bbq chicken! For instance, you can change up the cheese to swiss cheese or use bacon bits as a garnish rather than baking in the oven with the chicken. Here are some ideas to change up this bbq chicken in the oven or crockpot!

• Crockpot BBQ Chicken- make this easy cheesy bbq chicken in a slow cooker by placing skinless chicken breasts in a crockpot, then topping with bbq sauce, sliced bacon, and swiss cheese! You will need to half this recipe in order for it to fit into a 5-quart slow cooker.
• Pineapple Bacon BBQ Chicken- add one 20 oz can of pineapples that have been drained and save the pineapple juice for a fruit pizza.
• Spicy Bacon BBQ Chicken- top the chicken with sliced purple onions and pickled jalapenos for a kick of heat.
• Loaded Potato BBQ Chicken- have leftover baked potatoes? Cut the cooked potatoes into cubes and layer the chicken on top, per instructions. Bake until the potatoes are heated thoroughly.
• Skinny BBQ Chicken: make an un-fried chicken skinny dish by layering uncooked chicken breasts over a bed of raw onions. This softens the onions during the baking time as the chicken juices are released during cooking.
• Instant Pot BBQ Chicken- don’t want to splatter oil on your clean stove? Use the instant pot to fry the chicken breast in batches! Simply use the saute button and cook outdoors by plugging the unit somewhere outside. This can be done indoors as well and is deep enough to keep the oil from splattering like it would in a shallow pan.
• BBQ Chicken Grilled- use leftover grilled chicken just for this dish!

Cheesy BBQ chicken is an easy chicken dinner that you can even make as a freezer meal! If you have the time, marinade this bbq chicken in a baking soda solution first, for juicy and tender chicken! Simply follow these easy steps in how to make bbq chicken with cheese and bacon!

I also cut each chicken breast in half then pound it with a meat mallet and finally slice each piece in half again. Not only does this make a nice hefty batch but if you eat this cheesy bbq chicken, you’ll know why making enough is actually required (it will disappear REAL quickly!)

1. First, preheat a 12-inch skillet over high heat.
2. Rub the bbq chicken with paprika, salt, and pepper on each side.
3. Drizzle in 3 tablespoons of sunflower or avocado oil into the hot pre-heated skillet.
4. Pan sear and cook both sides of the seasoned chicken (about 2 minutes per side it’s ok if it’s slightly undercooked it will finish cooking in the oven with the cheese.)
5. Remove the chicken breasts from the pan using kitchen tongs and transfer the chicken to a large casserole or sheet pan.
6. Finish frying the chicken in batches, (I usually fry 4 chicken breasts at a time.)
7. Spread creamy bbq sauce over each chicken breast and top with a slice of bacon and cheese.
8. Bake in a preheated 300°F oven for 20 minutes. This finishes cooking the chicken and melts the cheese.
9. Remove from the oven and garnish with freshly diced tomatoes and sliced scallions.
10. Serve.

Note: to marinade bbq chicken first cut the chicken breasts into cutlets and soak in 2 teaspoons of baking soda, 2 Tbsp of vinegar, and 2 cups of water. This makes a quick meat tenderizer for juicy chicken (and is a restaurant trick!) Marinade for at least 20 minutes then, proceed with the recipe instructions below.

I used a homemade Kansas-style BBQ sauce for this chicken recipe. However, sweet and tangy bbq sauce is ideal like Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce. You want a creamy and spreadable barbecue sauce that has a ton of flavor.

To make ahead, this bbq chicken bake, layer cooled ingredients into a baking dish. You can either, grill chicken or cook it in a skillet first for the chicken rub to adhere better, otherwise, your chicken breasts will look poached, but you can leave the chicken uncooked if you wish to shorten the prep time. Then assemble the layers in the order given, cover, and keep refrigerated until needed.

This Monterey chicken bake can be reheated straight from the cold fridge into the hot oven! Simply bake it at 350°F covered for 30-45 minutes, or until cheeses melt and the bbq glaze is hot!

If you have any leftovers they reheat great!  Keep in mind that excessive reheating in a toaster oven can eventually dry out the cheese, so do try to cover the dish with either plastic wrap (if microwaving chicken) or aluminum foil if using a toaster oven. The chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days before reheating.

To reheat chicken: microwave in 30-second intervals until hot. You could also place leftovers into a casserole pan with a splash of water and reheat it covered at 350°F until hot.

This chicken recipe is freezer friendly and perfect for meal prep! You can freeze Cheesy BBQ Chicken breasts with barbecue sauce and cheese if it is unbaked. Furthermore, use a disposable 13×9 pan and layer the casserole in the order given. Be sure to layer the casserole with cooled ingredients so the cheese doesn’t melt then cover with foil and freeze for up to 3 months.