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    Home » Recipes » Sous Vide

    Published: Nov 11, 2022 · Modified: Feb 16, 2023 by Jeremy Klae · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Sous Vide Grilled Monterey Chicken Breasts

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Monterey Chicken Breasts are cooked sous vide and 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.

    If you want other great grilling ideas, try this recipe for a Churrasco Italiano with Guacamole!

    Monterey Chicken served on a wood board.
    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love This Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • Expert Tips
    • Recipe FAQs
    • More Recipes You'll Love
    • 📖 Recipe

    Why You'll Love This Recipe

    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.

    Ingredients

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

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

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

    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 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.

    See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    Sous vide circulator set to 145°f for two hours.

    Step 1: 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, season all sides with Cajun Blackened Seasoning.

    Seasoned chicken breast vacuum sealed with two pats of butter.

    Step 2: 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.

    Bacon frying on a Blackstone Griddle.

    Step 3: While the chicken is cooking, prepare the bacon and Pico de Gallo.

    Preheat a charcoal or gas grill to 400°f.

    BBQ Sauce being brushed over grilled chicken breasts.

    Step 4: 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.

    Chicken breasts on the grill with cross hatched grill marks.

    Step 5: The grilling portion of this process mainly adds a smokey flavor and color and melts the cheese beautifully.

    Flip the chicken over when you have grate marks, and the BBQ sauce turns 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.

    Grilled chicken breasts topped with crispy bacon strips and melted Monterey Jack Cheese.

    Step 6: 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 it from the grill, top it with fresh Pico de Gallo, and serve hot.

    Expert Tips

    • Using the butter during the sous vide process is essential to getting the perfect texture from this chicken. Don't skip that ingredient.
    • Be sure to cook your bacon beforehand so it's ready to go.
    • Don't overcook the chicken on the grill. The grilling portion of this recipe is to add color to the chicken, seal on the BBQ sauce, and melt the cheese. None of this should take long at all, especially at 400°f.

    Recipe FAQs

    How many carbs are in Monterey Chicken?

    One serving of Monterey Chicken has approximately 30g of Carbohydrates.

    How do you keep chicken breasts moist?

    By cooking chicken breasts sous vide before searing them on the grill or in a skillet, you retain almost all of the juices, leaving you with a very juicy and tender chicken breast.

    What is the best way to cook chicken breasts so they don't dry out?

    The best way to cook chicken breast is to sous vide the poultry and finish them off in a skillet or on the grill.

    What is the best temperature and time to sous vide chicken breast?

    For a very tender and juicy chicken breast, I recommend cooking sous vide at 145°f for two and a half hours.

    How long should you sous vide chicken breasts?

    Depending on the thickness of the chicken breast, you should plan to sous vide tour chicken breasts for anywhere from 1-4 hours. The minimum is one hour for food safety purposes.

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    Four Monterey Chicken breasts served on a wooden serving board.

    If you made this Monterey Chicken recipe or any other of my recipes, please leave a Star Rating and let me know your thoughts in the comments below. 

    Don't forget to tag @chickenfriedkitchen on Instagram, Subscribe on YouTube, and Follow on Pinterest and Facebook! I'll see you there!

    📖 Recipe

    Sous Vide Grilled Monterey Chicken Breasts Served with Pico de Gallo on a live edge wooden platter.

    Sous Vide Grilled Monterey Chicken Breasts

    Monterey Chicken Breasts cooked sous vide, layered with bbq sauce, bacon, and Monterey jack cheese, then finished on the grill and topped with fresh Pico de Gallo.
    3.50 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 578kcal
    Author: Jeremy Klae

    Ingredients

    • 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
    • Blackened Seasoning
    • 8 Pats Salted Butter
    • 1 Cup BBQ Sauce
    • 4 Slices Thick Cut Bacon
    • 4-8 Slices Monterey Jack Cheese
    • Pico de Gallo for topping

    Instructions

    • Set the Sous Vide Circulator to 145°f for two and a half hours.
    • Season the chicken breast with Cajun Blackened Seasoning
    • Place Chicken Breasts in Vacuum Seal bags, top each breast with two pats of butter, and vacuum seal the bags.
    • Once the water has come to temperature, place the chicken in the Sous Vide bath.
    • Preheat the grill to 400°f.
    • Remove the chicken from its bags and brush the top side with BBQ Sauce.
    • Place the chicken breasts top down on the hot grill grate.
    • As soon as you see grill marks and the bbq sauce begins turning sticky and dark burgundy, flip the chicken over. About 4 minutes on each side is all this should take.
    • Top each chicken breast with one whole slice of bacon and 1-2 slices of Monterey Jack Cheese. Close the grill lid and let the cheese melt.
    • Remove the Monterey Chicken from the grill and serve topped with Pico de Gallo.

    Video

    YouTube video

    Notes

    • Using the butter during the sous vide process is essential to getting the perfect texture from this chicken. Don't skip that ingredient.
    • Be sure to cook your bacon ahead of time so it's ready to go.
    • Don't overcook the chicken on the grill. The grilling portion of this recipe is to add color to the chicken, seal on the BBQ sauce, and melt the cheese. None of this should take long at all, especially at 400°f.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 578kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 1338mg | Potassium: 680mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 673IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 242mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @ChickenFriedKitchen or tag #chickenfriedkitchen!

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    3.50 from 6 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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