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Grilled chicken breasts topped with pico de gallo on a white plate with a bowl of chopped bacon and a half of a lime in the background.

Monterey Chicken with Pico de Gallo {Chili's Copycat}

Yield: 6 Servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken:

  • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons coarse, kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 6 thin-cut boneless skinless chicken breasts (see note)

Toppings:

  • 6 strips bacon (thick cut or regular), chopped
  • 1 ½ cups shredded pepper jack or Monterey jack cheese
  • 1 ½ cups diced tomatoes
  • ¼ cup finely diced red onion
  • 2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced jalapeno
  • 1 to 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, a thin coating is fine. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours).
  • In skillet set over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate to drain the grease. 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 to medium-high. I use a pellet grill set to 375 degrees F.
  • Cook the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes per side until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F at the thickest part.
  • Without removing the chicken from the grill pan/grill, top each chicken breast with shredded cheese and bacon - the amounts don't have to be exact, just divide evenly on the chicken.
  • Cover the grill or grill pan and heat until the cheese melts, 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Serve the chicken warm with the pico de gallo spooned on top or on the side. Prepare to be wowed - so delicious!

Notes

Chicken: I prefer using thin-cut chicken breasts; however, you can use regular chicken breasts. If you want to use thinner cutlets of chicken but only have thick chicken breasts, pound them to an even thickness or slice them in half lengthwise to form thiner cutlets.