Slow Cooker Monterey Chicken

This Slow Cooker Monterey Chicken recipe has explosive flavors, using only simple ingredients. The chicken thighs are cooked low and slow in a smokey barbeque sauce and served with a generous helping of melted pepper jack cheese. Set it and forget it until dinner time!

Have you ever ordered the Monterey Chicken from Chili’s? The restaurant chain made a deliciously seasoned chicken breast, served with a savory barbecue sauce and melted cheese on top. It was so good until they removed it from the menu!

Homemade Slow Cooker Monterey Chicken is a family-friendly recipe that is even better than the restaurant version. This recipe will save you time, money, and doesn’t skimp on the flavor! 

I’m using chicken thighs instead of breasts for the most tender and juicy meat possible. When made in the slow cooker, the barbeque sauce and chicken seasoning have hours to get to know each other and infuse into the meat.

Finish the crockpot Monterey chicken off with an extra layer of melted pepper jack cheese, as well as avocado and crispy bacon! There are no complicated ingredients whatsoever in this recipe.

Monterey chicken is an easy dinner recipe that is best served with a wide range of delicious sides. Try the chicken over cooked rice with a broccoli salad on the side.

Why This Recipe Works

This recipe uses chicken thighs, which retain their moisture much more than chicken breasts. They’re the optimal piece of meat when cooking over a long period of time in a slow cooker. The chicken will soak in the wide range of flavors from varying ingredients. The finished result is an overall easy dish with expertly complimented flavors.

What is Monterey Chicken?

Monterey chicken is traditionally made using chicken breasts. The meat seasoned with salt and pepper is cooked in a skillet on the stovetop, then slathered in barbeque sauce. It’s finished with a generous helping of melted cheese on top with bacon and green onions.

It’s a recipe your wallet is going to love. All of the ingredients you need are very common, affordable, and budget-friendly.

No matter how it’s cooked or served, Monterey chicken can be made quickly and with a variety of ingredients to fit your taste. Just like in my recipe, you can include a mix of barbeque sauce and tomatoes, make it smokey by adding smoked paprika, or add a variety of different toppings. 

How To Make Monterey Chicken In A Slow Cooker

Crockpot chicken recipes can be so easy! There are only 5 steps involved when making delicious homemade slow cooker Monterey chicken. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1:

Place the onion, chili powder, barbeque sauce, and dijon mustard into the slow cooker and stir to combine. 

Step 2:

Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides and nestle them into the sauce in the slow cooker. Cover with a lid and cook until the chicken is tender, about 4 to 5 hours on LOW.

Step 3:

After 4 or 5 hours, transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board. Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Next, shred or cut the meat into bite-sized pieces.

Step 4: 

Place the chicken pieces back into the slow cooker, then add in the tomatoes. Stir with the sauce. Sprinkle the cheese over the chicken, cover, and cook on LOW for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Step 5:

Serve the chicken and sauce over cooked rice, topped with the diced avocado and crispy bacon. 

What If I Don’t Have A Crockpot?

You can make Monterey chicken in an oven-safe, nonstick skillet using chicken breasts if you don’t own a slow cooker. To do so, first pound the chicken until it’s mostly flat, then season with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken in the skillet until cooked through and golden brown on both sides.

Preheat your oven to 400ºF. In the skillet, add your sauce and cheese on top of the chicken. Place the skillet in the heated oven until the sauce is hot and the cheese is melted (about 5 minutes).

How To Make Keto Monterey Chicken

Making Monterey chicken keto is easy! The chicken and cheese are already keto-friendly. Just make sure to use a barbeque sauce and dijon mustard with no added sugar.

Monterey chicken with rice is not keto, so enjoy the dish on its own or with steamed veggies. 

Heather's Tips for Recipe Success:

• Use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts. Chicken thighs will retain their moisture and become more tender when cooked for hours in a slow cooker. Chicken breasts are more likely to dry out when cooked for this long.
• Low and slow is the best method for this recipe. The chicken will be the most tender and juicy when cooked on low for 4 to 5 hours in a crockpot.
• Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before cutting into bite-sized pieces. If the meat doesn’t have a chance to rest for 5 to 10 minutes, its natural juices could leak out and you won’t get to enjoy a moist and tender chicken.

More Slow Cooker Recipes You’ll Love

Put your slow cooker to good use and try these other delicious family-friendly recipes:

• Meatloaf and Potatoes with Garlic Butter
• Italian Beef Sandwiches
• BBQ Ribs
• Pizza Chicken

Let's Make This Recipe Together!

Slow Cooker Monterey Chicken

A slow cooked version of saucy bbq flavored chicken topped with avocado, bacon, tomatoes, and lots of melted pepper jack cheese.

By Heather Cheney

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 hours

Total Time: 5 hours 10 minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 red onion halved and sliced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon chili powder
• ▢ ½ cup barbeque sauce
• ▢ 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• ▢ 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs trimmed of excess fat
• ▢ Salt and Pepper
• ▢ 2 fresh tomatoes diced
• ▢ 1 ½ cups shredded pepper jack cheese
• ▢ 4-6 cups cooked rice
• ▢ 1 avocado pitted and cut into chunks
• ▢ 4 slices bacon cooked until crisp and chopped

Instructions

• Place onion, chili powder, barbeque sauce, and dijon mustard into slow cooker and stir to combine.
• Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and nestle into the sauce in the slow cooker.
• Cover and cook until chicken is tender-- about 4-5 hours on low.
• Transfer chicken to a cutting board and shred into bite-sized pieces.
• Put Chicken back into the slow cooker, add in the tomatoes, and stir with the sauce. Sprinkle the cheese over the chicken, cover and cook on low for an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
• Serve chicken and sauce over cooked rice, topped with the diced avocado and crisp bacon.

Chef's Notes:

• Use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts. Chicken thighs will retain their moisture and become more tender when cooked for hours in a slow cooker. Chicken breasts are more likely to dry out when cooked for this long.
• Low and slow is the best method for this recipe. The chicken will be the most tender and juicy when cooked on low for 4 to 5 hours in a crockpot.
• Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before cutting into bite-sized pieces. If the meat doesn’t have a chance to rest for 5 to 10 minutes, its natural juices could leak out and you won’t get to enjoy a moist and tender chicken.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1 g | Calories: 594 kcal | Carbohydrates: 46 g | Protein: 42 g | Fat: 26 g | Saturated Fat: 10 g | Cholesterol: 178 mg | Sodium: 683 mg | Potassium: 779 mg | Fiber: 4 g | Sugar: 10 g | Vitamin A: 923 IU | Vitamin C: 8 mg | Calcium: 257 mg | Iron: 2 mg

Useful Tools For This Recipe

Slow Cooker

Nutrition and Food Safety Disclosure

ARE WE FRIENDS ON INSTAGRAM?Tag me @heatherlikesfood and use #heatherlikesfood so I can see what you're making and enjoying!