Monterey Chicken Breasts are cooked sous vide and then finished on a charcoal grill. This results in some of the juiciest, most flavorful chicken breasts you’ll ever have. Pair that with the bbq sauce, crispy bacon, melted Monterey Jack cheese, and freshly made Pico de Gallo; this is just as beautiful as it tastes.

Recipe for Monterey Chicken

Ingredients

Chicken Breasts: I prefer organic chicken, but that’s not necessary. Just be sure that you get boneless skinless chicken breasts.

Seasoning: Before vacuum-sealing the chicken breasts, I season mine with blackened seasoning.

Butter: If you ask me, butter makes everything better. Once I have the chicken breasts in the vacuum seal bags, I place two pats of butter on each piece of chicken.

BBQ Sauce: I wanted a thick bbq sauce for this Monterey Chicken Recipe. The thicker, the better because it helps the cheese stick to the chicken when melted. I recommend using Rufus Teague BBQ sauce. There are many different flavors, but I went with Touch O’ Heat.

Bacon: I highly recommend using thick-cut smoked bacon, such as Wright bacon. It’s so flavorful and smokey. Plus, it cooks perfectly on a griddle, cast iron skillet, or in the oven.

Cheese: The obvious choice here is Monterey Jack Cheese. However, Pepper jack, Colby jack, or Cheddar Jack will all work perfectly. Each of these cheeses is a mix of Monterey, leaving plenty of options for different flavor profiles. I prefer Pepper Jack as it adds another level of subtle spiciness.

Topping: You’ll find many Monterey Chicken recipes that top their chicken with diced tomatoes. I recommend making a Fresh Pico de Gallo for the topping. This adds extra color, texture, and flavor that kick the dish up.

Directions

Sous Vide Chicken Breast

The first step is to Sous Vide the Chicken breasts. One of the biggest questions around this process is what the perfect sous vide chicken breast temp should be. I recommend setting your sous vide circulator to 145°f for two and a half hours. This will keep the juices in the chicken, spend less time on the grill, and produce the juiciest chicken breast you’ll ever have!

To prepare the chicken for the sous vide cook, season all sides with Cajun Blackened Seasoning.

Next, place the chicken in Vacuum Seal Bags and top each chicken breast with two pats of butter.

Now Vacuum Seal the bags and once the water has reached 145°f place them in the water to cook for two to two and a half hours.

Grilled Monterey Chicken

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the bacon and Pico de Gallo.

Preheat a charcoal or gas grill to 400°f.

Once the chicken is done cooking in the sous vide bath, remove it from its bags and brush the top side with BBQ Sauce.

Place the chicken breasts top down on the hot grill and brush the other side with BBQ Sauce.

The grilling portion of this process is mainly to add a smokey flavor and color and to melt the cheese beautifully.

That said, flip the chicken over as soon as you have grate marks and the BBQ sauce is turning sticky with a deep burgundy color. This takes about 4 minutes on each side if you’re using a charcoal grill with the fire licking the Monterey chicken breasts.

Top the breasts with one slice of bacon each, then a slice or two of cheese (depending on the size), close the lid, and let the cheese melt over the top.

Once the cheese has melted and is sticking, remove them from the grill, top it with fresh Pico de Gallo, and serve hot.

What to Serve with Monterey Chicken

I like to serve Monterey Chicken over a bed of Spanish Style Rice. However, plenty of other sides would pair well. Check out these recipes for additional options and inspiration.

Mashed Potatoes

In Conclusion

To achieve a perfectly textured, juicy chicken breast for these Monterey Chicken Breasts, starting with a Sous Vide cook is the key. Finishing them off on a charcoal grill gives them the color and iconic grilled flavor that we’ve all come to love. You’ve got a fantastic dinner paired with the sweet and spicy bbq sauce, smokey bacon, Monterey Cheese, and fresh Pico de Gallo.

I truly appreciate you stopping in at Chicken Fried Kitchen, and as usual…

Happy Cooking!

-Jeremy