Monterrey Chicken

These days I'm all about doing everything on the grill and what a gorgeous weekend it was to do just that.

I found this recipe for Monterrey Chicken on the blog All Things Simple. The recipe calls for cooking the chicken on a George Foreman grill and then finishing it in the oven, but I decided to do it all outdoors on our grill. I put foil under the chicken for the "top and melt" portion of the recipe and it worked really well.

I followed the author's recommendation to marinate the chicken. One ingredient in her marinade was Montreal Steak Seasoning, but I haven't used that blend in years due to how salty it is. I looked up the ingredients and found this Montreal Steak Seasoning Recipe on Food.com. I omitted the salt from the mixture and instead seasoned the chicken with a touch of salt just before putting it on the grill. Below is my adaptation of the recipe.

Marinade for 2 chicken breasts:

• 1/4 c olive oil
• 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• I added a few shakes each the spices found in Montreal Steak Seasoning - garlic powder, coriander, black pepper, paprika, dried dill week, and red pepper flakes.

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless chicken breasts
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp barbecue sauce
• 2 tbsp Rotel, or canned diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 2 tbsp sliced green onions
• 2 tbsp real bacon bits or crumbled bacon
• 2 tbsp shredded cheese; I used cheddar

Directions:

• Marinate the chicken for a few hours (if you use the actual Montreal Steak Seasoning, don't marinate it as long due to the high amount of salt in the seasoning)
• Heat the grill to 400 degrees. Season the chicken with a pinch of salt and grill until cooked through (internal temperature of 170)
• Put foil under the chicken on the grill
• Top chicken with 1 tbsp each of barbecue sauce, tomatoes, green onions, bacon, and cheese.
• Close lid and let the ingredients "melt" together for about 4 minutes.

This chicken had so much going on, so many different flavors (I was actually wary about it at first) but surprisingly they all worked so well together. It sounds corny but each bite was like a bunch of flavors bursting in my mouth. Sweet, spicy, and tangy. I loved it!