Cowboy BBQ Bacon Cheddar Chicken

This Cowboy Chicken is Marinated Grilled Chicken topped with BBQ Sauce, Crispy Bacon, and Cheddar Cheese. Top with Fresh Cilantro and Red Onion. This is the best Monterey Chicken recipe!

Father's Day is coming up this Sunday and I wanted to create a recipe that they will love! This is not your ordinary chicken recipe. I named this Cowboy Chicken! This has smoky BBQ sauce, crispy bacon, and cheddar cheese to give it so much flavor. My family asks for this Cheesy Bacon Chicken all of the time!

This is a variation of the famous Monterey Chicken. I saw the Monterey Chicken recipe in a cookbook and started experimenting with it and making changes until it was perfected.

The chicken is marinated in honey mustard and then grilled until it is cooked through and perfectly golden on the outside. I also recipe tested this in a skillet and it works brilliantly as well. I will list both cooking methods below. 

Cowboy Chicken Ingredients:

• Thin Sliced Chicken Breasts
• Crispy Bacon
• Cheddar Cheese
• BBQ Sauce
• Salt and Pepper
• Honey Mustard Chicken Marinade 
• Red Onion
• Cilantro
• Pickled Jalapeno

How to make Monterey Chicken Recipe:

1. Season and Marinate your Chicken! This is such an important step. We are adding a lot of toppings to the chicken but we want the chicken to be seasoned as well. Marinate the chicken breast in extra-virgin olive oil, honey, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Reserve some of the marinade (before adding it to the chicken) to baste on the chicken as you are finishing up cooking it. You can also marinate the chicken with my FAMOUS CHICKEN MARINADE RECIPE.
2. Use Thin-Sliced Chicken Breasts for the most evenly cooked chicken. It is so much easier to cook chicken when it is the same thickness. If you can't find thin sliced chicken breasts in the store, you can use a mallet or rolling pin to carefully pound the chicken. You can also butterfly the chicken by cutting it in half horizontally. Place the chicken in a bag with the marinade and place it in the refrigerator to marinate for 30 minutes.
3. While the chicken is marinating, cook the bacon until nice and crispy. You can cook the bacon in a skillet or in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. Cut into bite-size pieces.
4. Fire up the grill! I prefer grilling the chicken breast but you can also cook this in a saucepan. Cook the chicken on medium heat until the center of the chicken breast registers 160 degrees. This is how you get perfectly juicy chicken!
5. Once you flip the chicken, baste the chicken with the remaining marinade you set aside. Sprinkle with cheese and let it melt.
6. Remove the chicken from the grill and drizzle with BBQ sauce, crispy bacon, fresh cilantro, and pickled jalapenos.

What to serve with Monterey BBQ Bacon Chicken:

• Best Creamy Mashed Potatoes
• Smashed Potatoes with Sour Cream Cheddar Dip
• Loaded Mashed Potatoes with Bacon

Cowboy BBQ Bacon Cheddar Chicken

Modern Honey® - www.modernhoney.com

This Cowboy Chicken is Marinated Grilled Chicken topped with BBQ Sauce, Crispy Bacon, and Cheddar Cheese. Top with Fresh Cilantro and Red Onion. This is the best Monterey Chicken recipe!

5 from 5 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 13 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Calories 662 kcal

Equipment

• 10 inch cast iron skillet
• measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Chicken Marinade:

• 4 Thinly Sliced Chicken Breasts
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Pepper
• ¼ cup Oil
• ¼ cup Dijon Mustard
• ¼ cup Honey

Toppings:

• 4 to 6 slices Crispy Bacon
• 1 cup BBQ Sauce (plus more for dipping)
• 1 cup Grated Cheddar Cheese (or 4 slices)
• ¼ cup Chopped Red Onion
• Chopped Cilantro
• Pickled Jalapenos

Instructions

 

Chicken Marinade:

• In a bowl, stir together oil, honey, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Reserve ¼ cup of marinade before adding the chicken to baste on the chicken as it is finishing cooking.
• Use Thin-Sliced Chicken Breasts for the most evenly cooked chicken. It is so much easier to cook chicken when it is the same thickness. If you can't find thin-sliced chicken breasts in the store, you can use a mallet or rolling pin to carefully pound the chicken. You can also butterfly the chicken by cutting it in half horizontally. Place the marinade and chicken in a resealable bag and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• While the chicken is marinating, cook the bacon until nice and crispy. You can cook the bacon in a skillet or in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. Cut into bite-size pieces.
• Fire up the grill! I prefer grilling the chicken breast but you can also cook this in a saucepan. Cook the chicken on medium heat until the center of the chicken breast registers 160 degrees. Cook the chicken on both sides for about 6-9 minutes per side. Once you flip the chicken, baste the chicken with the remaining marinade you set aside.
• Sprinkle with cheese and let it melt. Remove the chicken from the grill and drizzle with BBQ sauce, crispy bacon, fresh cilantro, and pickled jalapenos.

Nutrition

Calories: 662kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 35gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 115mgSodium: 1952mgPotassium: 705mgFiber: 2gSugar: 42gVitamin A: 499IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 246mgIron: 1mg

Keyword cowboy bbq bacon cheddar chicken, cowboy chicken, monterey chicken

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!