Monterey Chicken with Pico de Gallo {Chili’s Copycat}
The flavors in this Monterey chicken {a Chili’s copycat recipe} are out of this world delicious! Tender grilled chicken, topped with bacon, cheese and a simple homemade pico de gallo. Yum!
This Monterey chicken is so good, it makes me want to cry.
Seriously. It is soooooo good.
It seems a travesty to have to even try to wrap words around the deliciousness.
If you’ve had this Monterey chicken dish at the restaurant, Chili’s, I can 100% guarantee that the homemade version is a million times better.
Bold claim, I know, but I’m guessing you know as well as I do that making easy, popular restaurant dishes at home* for a fraction of the cost (and with fresher flavors) is totally worth it.
*but maybe we can all agree that SOME dishes are just better left to the fine dining professionals and the reason it’s fun to eat out in the first place (horrific flashbacks of the time I tried to make a from-scratch butternut squash-stuffed ravioli with a braised lamb and leek number – it was so, so bad)
If you aren’t familiar with Monterey chicken, let’s talk specifics here.
You’ve got yourself thin pieces of chicken that get dunked in a marinade for a quick minute (or up to 24 hours if you want to make it ahead!).
That marinade is filled with the simplest of all ingredients – it’s almost bizarre how much flavor it imparts to the chicken.
Then, you take that juicy, tender, grilled chicken and top it with crisp bacon and creamy jack cheese.
That’s not all, of course, because the tasty factor is further elevated by a simple, homemade pico de gallo (tomato salsa).
The flavor.
Oh my gosh, the flavor!
Every single person in my family declared this one of their favorite meals ever.
That’s saying a lot when I have at least 4/5ths of my children deathly loyal to this creamy alfredo sauce and another child who usually wants to eat nothing other than these pancakes for all of her foreseeable future meals.
And as you know, Brian’s loyalty has always been to this sweet and sour chicken.
I sensed a shift in the universe when this Monterey chicken was served.
We all kind of looked at each other, like “who are we and how did we get here?”
Loyalties were instantly redefined and new favorites cemented.
It is the perfect meal for a warm evening or for company, and it’s simple enough for a weeknight (even easier if you marinade the chicken and prep the pico ahead of time).
Usually I spend at least 17 minutes of my life leading up to Father’s Day interrogating Brian about what he wants for his Father’s Day meal.
But not this year.
He’s getting Monterey chicken, and I feel totally fine about usurping his decision-making ability because I already know he loves it like crazy (and probably going with brownie pudding for dessert unless a few new recipes I’m trying out over the next few weeks pan out like I hope they will).
That green salad you see in the back of some of the pictures is actually a ridiculously delicious avocado, black bean, corn and romaine salad.
I don’t think I’ll officially post the recipe, but if you throw those ingredients together and whisk up the following dressing, you’ve got the basic idea (so yummy).
Dressing: 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, pinch of sugar or drizzle of honey, 1/4 teaspoon cumin and chili powder, salt and pepper to taste.
Amazon affiliate links included below.
A quick note about grilling: you can use a variety of methods to cook this chicken.
I use my CampChef pellet grill; any other outdoor grill will work as well.
Additionally an indoor grill pan would work great, or try out the broiler in your oven (keep the pan at least six inches away from the heating element) or just a regular, every day skillet.
The key, no matter what method you use, is to make sure the chicken cooks to the perfect temperature without overcooking.
An instant-read thermometer makes that task super easy (this inexpensive one works great). Cook the chicken to 165 degrees F when the thermometer is inserted at the thickest part. Easy peasy!
What to Serve With This
One Year Ago: Delicious No-Bake Cookie Dough Bites
Two Years Ago: Foil Packet Sweet Potato Tacos
Three Years Ago: Easy Brazilian Cheese Bread {Pao de Queijo}
Monterey Chicken with Pico de Gallo {Chili’s Copycat}
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt, I use coarse, kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 6 thin-cut boneless skinless chicken breasts, (or slice thick chicken breasts in half, like a hamburger bun, or pound to about 1/4-inch thick)
Toppings:
- 6 strips thick-sliced bacon or turkey bacon, sliced or chopped
- 1 ½ cups shredded pepper jack or Monterey jack cheese
- 1 ½ cups chopped tomatoes, about 2 medium tomatoes or 3 Romas
- ¼ cup small diced red onion
- 2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
- 1 tablespoon finely minced jalapeno, leave seeds and ribs in for more heat
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- For the chicken, in a small bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, brown sugar, salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken in a gallon-size ziploc bag or shallow dish. Coat the chicken with the marinade mixture; there isn’t a ton of marinade, so a thin coating is just fine. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours).
- While the chicken marinates, in a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon to a bowl to cool slightly. Add the shredded cheese and toss. Set aside.
- For the pico de gallo, in a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, and lime juice. Drizzle with a teaspoon or so of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper (important!). Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Preheat a grill pan or outdoor grill (could probably even use an oven broiler or regular skillet on the stovetop) to medium-high.
- Remove the chicken from the dish or bag, letting excess marinade drip off. Cook the chicken for about 4-5 minutes per side (exact time will depend on thickness of chicken) until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F at the thickest part.
- Without removing the chicken from the grill pan/grill, top the chicken with an equal amount of bacon cheese mixture, cover the grill or pan until the cheese is melted, another minute or so.
- Serve the chicken with the pico de gallo and prepare to be wowed – so delicious!
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from Cuisine at Home April 2017 (altered basically all ingredient amounts to increase the recipe beyond two servings and changed up a few other things, like not using bacon grease in the pico de gallo)
I forgot the cheese and this was still amazing! Looking forward to making it again soon. Thanks for another winner Mel!
I made this last night and every single member of my family ate it and loved it! Even my kids who don’t like tomatoes, onions or jalapeños just loved the combination of flavors. This is totally a journal entry moment! Thanks for helping me be a rock star at my house last night!
I made this last night. It is so good!!! It is going into our list of favorites!! The fresh pico de gallo really made it over the top delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!
I made this for dinner tonight. I only had time to marinate it for an hour, but OH MY GOODNESS! This is a 5 star recipe. My whole family loved it! I marked it as Company Worthy.
Absolute perfection! I can’t wait to make this all summer! Who am I kidding?… I’ll be making this in the fall too!
I had every intention of making this recipe just as written. But then 2 of our family of 5 were not around for dinner so I just grilled the marinated chicken and we ate it without any toppings. It was delicious. I had marinated a double batch (that’s how much I trust your recipes!) and the next evening I warmed up the leftovers and served them on whole wheat bread topped with a slice of Monterey jack and a couple of slices of bacon. They were great! This recipe is definitely going in the regular rotation. Thanks!
Wow, this is fantastic. My 8 year old tried one bite and immediately said, “this is unbelievable!” I couldn’t agree more. I try new recipes from your site all the time, and I think that this one and the chili lime tacos with mango salsa that I tried last week are two of the best meals I’ve ever made. Thank you for all that you do! You are the best!!
Hi Mel. You have big fans in Poland! I found your blog a couple of years ago and me and my family love your recipes. We tried many of them. However, there are a few ingredients that are not available in Polish shops, one of them is Monterey Jack cheese. What cheese would be a good substitute? Would cheddar be okay or is it too strong?
Hi Maja, thanks for commenting! Is there a cheese you have available that is creamy and melts really well? That is what Monterey Jack is like, but in a pinch, you could try cheddar!
Made the Monterey chicken today for 2 teenaged grandkids and their parents , they gave it 2thumbs up, and said, anything you make from Mel’s kitchen is good, but this was outstanding. Thanks Mel for your hard work, I have given your website to friends
Thank you so much for this one! According to Chili’s gluten-free menu, I should have been able to eat this. However, once I began questioning the server about preparation, I decided it was not safe enough. I’ve been wanting it ever since. I miss eating out more than I ever dreamed possible, but I’m still alive thanks to my gluten-free diet. And now I can make this at home!. I love your blog. Thanks for all you do for your loyal readers.
Thanks, Diane – so happy to help provide a way to eat delicious gluten-free restaurant favorites!
Mel, this dish was amazing! My husband asked me to add it to our regular rotation, and my six-year-old daughter, who is a really picky eater, loved the marinated chicken smothered in cheese and bacon (I left the pico de gallo of hers, as she’s not quite adventurous enough to appreciate it, yet). Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful recipes with us! I don’t know what I’d do without your website to turn to!
I am loving the great response to this recipe! It’s so yummy, huh? Thanks for your sweet comment. 🙂
I’ve made A LOT of Mel recipes and this might be my favorite ever!
Another fantastic recipe! Thank you.
This was amazing! My whole family loved it. Thank you!
Loved this recipe! My 13 year old son said it is “bomblich”. Somewhere between delicious and the bomb.
Haha, that made me laugh!
Made this last night, and it was a hit: “Mom, this might be the best thing you have ever made!” Thanks for another fabulous dinner, Mel!
Wow! That’s super high praise! So happy you loved it!
This was delicious! The chicken was moist and tender and everyone (children included) ate and loved it. My husband balked when I asked him to leave a piece for me while he was packing up the leftovers for his lunch…because I hate leftovers…but this I may feel differently about. We will be making this all summer for sure!
Haha, I’ve been known to be a leftover hoarder myself. 🙂
Made it, devoured it, loved it! We had one leftover that was fought over. Thanks for another easy, yummy weeknight meal.
Yay!
This looks so yummy! Do you think I could cook it on a George Foreman grill? Or should I stick to broiling it in the oven?
Sure! I think you could do that. I haven’t used a foreman grill but if it simulates outdoor grilling, or similar, it should work!
I made a version of this yesterday (I was too lazy to make the bacon), and I made your french dinner rolls as slider buns for meatball sandwiches the day before. Both got rave reviews from my husband (usually he doesn’t say anything, so when he does I know it’s GOOD). Basically, I just need to always cook your recipes! And I love the new look & meal plans
Thanks, Renee!
You weren’t kidding! This is a new favorite in our house!!
Sweet!
Oh man, this looks amazing!! Total rockstar points for a QUICK and YUMMY dish. Thank you!!!!!
Super delicious! My family of 7 all loved it – and I love dishes that can be customized to all palates (I made those who were skeptical of the pico – ie tomatoes – have a little either on one portion of the chicken or on the side and most then took more) and it is going into our summer rotation. Thanks again for another winner, I love your site!
Thanks, Kimberly!
Hi Mel! The new site looks like a breath of fresh air. I am wondering about your CampPro Pellet Grill, which size do you have and would you recommend it? We are a family of six with 3 boys with large appetites. We are in the market for a new grill and like the idea of a pellet grill.
Thanks, Leah! Yes, I definitely recommend the CampChef pellet grill. I have the older model of this one: https://www.campchef.com/smokers-grills/wood-pellet-grills-and-accessories/camp-chef-woodwind-pellet-grill.html
Beautiful job on your re-design Mel! Just want to once again thank you for being so awesome and keeping all the amazing recipes coming! You are seriously my hero and I truly wish we were real life friends! I had to laugh because all 3 of your “quick” recipes featured at the top, I have made in the last 2 weeks! The tacos twice! Spaghetti sauce was tonight, along with your Parmasean Knots from your e-cookbook. My little boy turned 6 today (tears!) and I asked him what he wanted me to make for his special birthday dinner, his first request was quesadillas, and when I suggested something better he asked for grilled cheese! I finally got him on board with choosing spaghetti! It was delicious and we loved the parm knots too! Thanks for everything!
Haha, sounds like my kids’ birthday meal requests! Thanks, Josie…you are always the sweetest.
Can I make the pico de gallo in advance? If so, how far in advance is safe? Thank you!! It looks delicious.
Made this tonight and well all loved it! The only problem was that there was only one chicken breast for leftovers, but too many people wanted it! This one will be a keeper for sure. For some reason the store by us didn’t have Monteray Cheese so I used pepper jack and that turned out great. Thanks, Mel.
WOW! My family loved this. It was sooooo delicious!!!
I’m so happy! I never know when I rave about a recipe if people will love it or hate it and I’ll be left wondering what’s wrong with me. 🙂
Wow! This was delicious!! Rave reviews from the whole family including tween who doesn’t normally like chicken. The salsa was fantastic! Thank you for another great recipe and meal Mel — you never disappoint!!
Glad you loved it, Nicole!
OK. I began with 3 center cut pork chops 2 1/2 thick still with just a smidge of ice in them @ 6 a.m. today, I butterflied them only I cut the all the through into separate chops, pounded them thin & marinated them in Lawry’s Tequila Marinade until noon. Cooked them in my electric skillet on low, (I can’t use my cast iron grill skillet anymore because when my stove died my landlord surprised me with a new glass top; which was a loving gesture from them but I can no longer can I use my cast iron or can because of the weight. ) How can I complain when my landlord only surprised 2 of us with them because both of us take such good care of our appliances. Anyway, I used the bacon on top and the pepper-jack cheese & topped them off with pico de gallo & these were melt in your mouth tender just like the chicken breasts. My husband raved over them . Thanks so much Mel, now if only I was home surf fishing for redfish or snapper & had the peppers & spices to make the fish I had in Mexico City long ago…I’d be a really happy camper~ Come to think of it I’d be a really happy camper if I was just back in Texas permanently! lol
LOVE, your site & your recipes , I always come to you first! You’re the best!!!
Thanks, Margo!
love the new look and this recipe ticks all the boxes, have a great weekend xoxo
Thanks, Beverley!
Love the new design! Pictures look so bright and super easy to find all your yummy recipes!
Thanks, Kathi!
O Sweet Mel, you have outdone yourself! This is a magnificent remake on your site! It is not just “”purty”, it is gorgeous!!
The chicken is absolutely melt in your mouth fabulous! Both of us loved it, being DP Texans we love anything with a Mexican flavor! I had both chicken & pork chops from the store in the fridge late the night before so I opted for the chicken, pounded thin! After tasting the chicken I got to wondering about pork chops. I had purchased the thick center cut boneless , I sliced them like a butterflied chop only cutting all the way through, pounded thin & this time I used a tequila marinade & today we’re going to have them the same way. When I make Pico de Gallo or salsa I always make a big batch . I probably should do two meats the same way two days in a row but I am dying to see if I can duplicate a Mexican cole slaw from a really great restaurant I used to ho to in West Seattle and it would be fantastic with the pork .
I have always been able to find recipes on your site that absolutely blow our taste buds away. While not each & every one has been a 12 on my daughter’s “Orgasmic Cuisine Scale from 1-10 (she’s a chef), this is certainly a 10! Neither of us or our friends that come to dinner has ever been disappointed in any dish prepared from your site, all were considered delicious! Thank you very much for all the hard work and love that you pour in to all that you create & sure your family would agree with me!
Thank you so much, Margo! Your comment was so thoughtful – loved the review of the recipe and your kind words made my day.
You were right– crazy delicious chicken!! My whole family of 4 boys and one man- devoured , praised, thanked me for dinner AND helped with dishes!! What a man-pleasing meal! Thanks mel!! You really do make me feel like a rock star in the kitchen!
Glad you and your boys (big and small!) loved this, Shawnne!
Love the blog design!
Thank you so much!
Your new website is gorgeous! And I love, love the weekly menu feature. I find myself just copying your menu often since most of my recipes now come from you anyway. You are amazing and we are so blessed that you share your talents with us all. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Emy!
Is the brown sugar critical to the marinade? This recipe is completely legal for the low carb diet I’m on except for the sugar. I know there isn’t much of it in the recipe, but I am curious if it would make a big difference in the taste in your opinion. Thanks!
If you are working from a special diet, I think you could leave it out.
The Monterey chicken was a hit at my house. Thanks for all the recipes!
So happy you loved it, Kathi!
Hey! I like the update and my favorite part is the weekly menu, so great!! Thanks for all you do!
Thanks, Rachel!
Loved this meal! It was super, super yummy. My husband isn’t very verbose when it comes to food said “I really like this chicken!” and said “Mmmm” several times (which translates to “This food is totally amazing and awesome”)!
I made the chicken + the suggested avocado romaine salad and it took me about an hour and a half from start to finish. I cooked the chicken on the stovetop as I don’t have a grill so I had to do batches. I first used a cast iron shallow grill pan, but I don’t think I let enough marinade drip off so it kind of charred and stuck to the pan and I wasn’t about to clean off a hot cast iron pan in between each time so I opted for a skillet for the 2nd and 3rd batch, which worked out better and was easier to clean off in between. Note to others: do make sure to let the marinade drip off before cooking as it chars kind of quickly.
As far as ingredients, I found 5-6 sprigs of cilantro = 3 TB, 1/4 medium red onion = 1/4 cup, 1 small jalapeno = 1 TB finely minced.
I am a sissy when it comes to raw onions and garlic so I put each into a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and cooked for about 1 minute before transferring to the pico and that worked out really well for me here.
My son is really picky about spiciness and I was a bit worried that the ground pepper + Dijon + jalapeno + chili powder (the latter from the romaine dressing) would be a tad too much for him, but no complaints at all!
You really don’t need much dressing for the romaine avocado salad (I doubled the dressing recipe just in case but found I only needed about half of what I usually use for vinaigrette). I also roasted the corn for the salad for extra yumminess– a little EVOO and corn in a nonstick pan on medium heat for 2-3 minutes, flip and then 2-3 minutes on the other side.
As for serving, I found I liked the pico right next to the chicken. For my first serving I had it on top but the pico juice kind of got my cheese a bit soggy so for my second helping (and third helping…) I did it on the side and that was perfect. You could even do the chicken/bacon/cheese on it’s own if you don’t have time to do pico de gallo or don’t want the meal to have a Mexican flair, instead with something like noodles & alfredo.
I highly highly recommend the whole meal– it’s gorgeous and delicious 🙂
Thanks for such a detailed review, Chelsea!
Love the new look! Kinda “vintagey” maybe? Just made your chocolate chip cookies … so yummy! (And now off to the treadmill….) Making your smothered pork chops for a potluck on Sunday and making this chicken soon!! Thanks for your hard work that we all benefit from 🙂
Thanks, Nicole!
Very, very nice update! It is fresh and new and easy to read but not so many changes that an “old” reader gets lost 🙂 .
I really like the weekly menu at the bottom – laid out horizontally (on laptop with Edge browser) and BTW layout of all looks good on iPhone and iPad (Safari).
I hope you get to relax this weekend! I have some idea of how much it took to get this done :).
Thank you so much, Liz! Your feedback means a lot to me. I wanted to strike that balance of a fresh new update without a total, crazy overhaul.
Please don’t remove the Notes section — I LOVE that feature. They are so helpful. Maybe an option to print or not print the notes. I feel that we use your recipes because you have tested and tweaked each one and the notes contain the results and rationale behind the recipe you ultimately share.
Thanks, Karen! I won’t take off the notes, promise. 🙂
Like Leah, I REALLY appreciate your adding suggested side dishes to your recipes. No problem, I just generally jot them down and look them up when I see a recipe I want to try. I may find a recipe that sounds awesome, but have no idea what to serve with it. This is most helpful. I also appreciate it when you give a reference to where you found your recipe (and giving props where they belong!).
You are an inspiration and I tell everyone I know who is a foodie that they MUST check out your site.
Thanks, Pauline! It’s important for me to give credit where credit is due, so there should always be a recipe source at the bottom of the recipe unless it’s one I came up with on my own. I’m really glad you love the recipes here. 🙂
Hi Mel! Love the site…have for years 🙂
I make something pretty similar to this recipe so will absolutely have to try this one…may I make a suggestion though?
Each of your recipes has a suggestion as to what to serve it with, I REALLY like that feature…however; it doesn’t print out with the recipe. Is there a way that could be done by your web page designer…say at the end of the printed recipe perhaps?
I’m sure I’m not the only one who would find that super helpful!!
No matter what – thanks for all you do. Your recipes are deelish!! 🙂
Hi Leah – thanks for the suggestion! I’m not sure if/when I’ll add that to the print function – I’ve gotten a lot of requests lately to make my print page have LESS on it (taking off all the notes so the recipes print on a single page). I’m not sure I’ll be able to make everyone happy. 🙂 But I definitely appreciate suggestions and I keep them all on a list that I can refer to when I make changes.
Don’t take off the notes!!! I need them! I love your site.
Don’t worry! I’m not planning on taking off the notes, but I may move them to the bottom of the page so readers can select to only print the recipe page. 🙂
Thanks for even considering my suggestion Mel, I really appreciate it!!
Just thought I’d share how I print your recipes, it that’s OK? I don’t print them to paper, but to .PDF form. That way, all my recipes can be kept on my tablet and in my Dropbox. That allows me to quickly find exactly the one I want, set the tablet up as my cookbook…and cook away! It saves paper, space, time and is really easy on sites that print more detailed recipes because the amount of space being used doesn’t matter. Bless the person who set up this print to PDF idea! 🙂
That’s a GREAT idea, Leah!
Hi Mel & Happy belated Mother’s Day to you :))
My sweet hubby will just love this recipe for Father’s Day this year. I’m so excited about all the fresh, flavorful ingredients & I only eat thin Chicken…so we’ll all be happy!
Thank you for all that you do for all of us…you’re so precious❤️
Thanks, Jules!
Our Chili’s used to serve it with a white gravy that was delish! Did you ever have it like that and if you did, do you have a gravy recipe like that. It’s not the same to us without the gravy. I don’t know why restaurants mess with things. Marie Calendar nixed by taco salad back in the 80’s/90’s, then my Cabo San Lucas salad! We laugh that we shut down restaurants and discontinue food 🙂
Hmmm, I’ve never had it with the gravy!
i remember having this at Chili’s once. I’m happy you have a recipe!
What a great alternate for “taco” Tuesday!
This recipe came at the perfect time. I made pico de gallo two weeks ago for the first time and am hooked. I am so making this tonight. Thanks!!