Air Fryer Monterey Chicken is moist, tender chicken breast topped with BBQ sauce, bacon, Monterey Jack and cheddar. The dish takes under 30 minutes to make.
Air Fryer Monterey Chicken
What do you get when you combine chicken, bacon, cheese and barbeque sauce? Heaven! A local restaurant used to serve this dish and I ordered it probably 75% of the time I went there.
Air Fryer Monterey Chicken is moist, tender chicken breast topped with BBQ sauce, bacon, Monterey Jack and cheddar. The dish takes under 30 minutes to make.
Air Fryer Monterey Chicken is really easy to make. By air frying the chicken, you get a moist and tender chicken breast. Top it with your favorite sassy barbeque sauce and melty cheese and you have a simple but flavorful dish your family will fall in love with and ask for again and again. Here’s how I make it.
This recipe makes 3-6 servings.
Equipment Needed
- air fryer
- tongs
- basting brush
- measuring spoons
- measuring cup
Ingredients
- 3 generously sized chicken breasts (mine had a total weight of just under 1.5 pounds and took up the entire basket, as shown in the photo below)
- 1/2-3/4 cup BBQ sauce
- 3-6 slices cooked bacon
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
- 1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- olive oil spray (If you don’t have spray you can use regular olive oil. If using this brush a thin coat of it onto the chicken.)
Instructions
Plug in the air fryer.
Spray both sides of the chicken with the olive oil spray.
Sprinkle the seasonings onto one side of the chicken you just sprayed.
Use tongs to place the chicken into the air fryer’s basket.
Season the other side of the chicken.
Close the air fryer and set it to cook for 22 minutes on 350 degrees.
After 10-11 minutes of cooking time has passed, open the air fryer’s basket and turn the chicken over.
Close the air fryer and allow the chicken to cook until there’s 5 minutes left on the timer.
Open the air fryer and brush the barbeque sauce onto the chicken.
Place the strips of bacon on top of the chicken.
Sprinkle the cheese on top of the bacon.
Close the air fryer and let it finish cooking.
Once the chicken has finished cooking, be sure to remove the basket from the air fryer right away. The air fryer basket will be messy but it is super easy to clean.
Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes before cutting in order to have the juiciest, moistest chicken possible.
Serve and enjoy!
FAQ
What can I serve with Air Fryer Monterey Chicken?
Sides that work well with this dish include mashed potatoes, french fries, rice and mac and cheese. Alternatively, you could serve a green salad.
CAN I DOUBLE THIS MONTEREY JACK CHICKEN RECIPE EASILY?
You bet! You’ll just need to figure out the timing to add it to your air fryer since you don’t want to overcrowd.
HOW DO I MAKE THIS WITHOUT AN AIR FRYER?
You can use your grill during the summer months or even fry up the chicken and then finish it under the broiler in the oven! So many great ways to cook this dish.