Copycat Bonanza Chicken Monterey
My first job was as a Bonanza Restaurant drink girl, other than a newspaper route and babysitting. I spent many times after shift enjoying the salad bar and my favourite Chicken Monterey. I remember my job interview, I was so nervous but I landed the job. Since then I don’t go to Bonanza often but I crave my favourite chicken recipe and when I do I make my version of Copycat Bonanza Chicken Monterey.
This recipe is not directly from Bonanza but having eaten enough Chicken Monterey to know, I have taste tested this recipe and it’s pretty darn close.
Here are some other delicious chicken recipes to try:
- Chicken and Bean Bake
- Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
- Crockpot Lime Chicken Chili
- Parmesan Chicken Bites
- Ginger-Lime Grilled Chicken
- Ground Chicken Lentil Soup
If you like this recipe, I’d love if you’d pin it on Pinterest or follow along for other great recipes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Ingredients
- 6 chicken breasts
- 8 drops Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp soya sauce
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 cup Catalina Salad Dressing
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside a small amount for basting while grilling.
- Cover thawed chicken with marinade in a sealed container.
- Place in fridge overnight to marinade.
- Grill marinaded chicken until thoroughly cooked, brushing with marinade you set aside right before taking off the grill. The chicken will have a slight pink colour from the marinade.
- Serve hot.
I miss Bonanza — I loved going there when I lived in the Midwest.
The Copycat Bonanza Chicken Monterey recipe looks great. I love how the ingredients are ones that I have in my pantry (score!). I’ve booked marked the recipe and hope to give it a try soon. Thanks for sharing it!
I make it with bacon and Monterey Jack cheese on top broil for 35 seconds also bbq sauce on chick
Yum, this chicken recipe sounds delicious! We eat a ton of chicken and are always looking for new recipes! Thanks
This looks absolutely DELISH!!
This looks very good, and yes grilling with Catalina dressing is the best, I also like using it on my potatoes too, we use that more than the bbq sauce!
Oh Catalina dressing, that used to be my fav back in the day when we didn’t have many to choice from. I’m interested in the pasta salad is you use itaian dressing for it, that’s what I use when I make mine.
Russian was my favourite but Catalina is similar. For the pasta salad, I make my dressing from scratch with oil, vinegar, herbs, salt and pepper but when I just want it done quickly, I use Italian.
that looks amazing. May have to give it a try!
This looks so delicious. would love to give it a try. Chicken is my favorite dish to do so always looking for different ways to do it 🙂
We eat A LOT of chicken in this house and I am always on the lookout for new recipes. This one sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Always looking for new chicken recipes! This sounds like something my family would enjoy, thanks for sharing!
This chicken sounds delicious. I will have to make it for supper tonight.
wow that looks so good!
Thank you so much for sharing The chicken looks delicious, I printed the recipe and will try it!
Thanks for the recipe! It looks so yummy!
Looks delicious and easy!
excited to give it a try – always looking for new ways to prepare chicken in our house 🙂
This looks delicious!!
This looks like a delicious recipe. We eat a lot of chicken and I love discovering new ways to cook it.
This is a lovely combination of flavours looks wonderful
I’ve never been to Bonanza, but your recipe for chicken monterey looks delicious! It looks fresh and colourful – perfect for summer eating!!
This looks delicious! I think I will have to make this tonight. Catalina dressing is one of my favorites!! Thank you for sharing!
This looks so delicious!
This looks so good. I want it for dinner tonight!
This sounds so yummy! I love the tang of Catalina dressing and often will use it as a simple marinade in a pinch.
This looks really good! I have all the ingredients here so this will be supper today!
This recipe has me drooling! Sounds/looks so delicious. On my list for the weekend! Is that a homemade pasta salad as well?
They don’t have Bonanza restaraunts around here but this looks delisous . I’m going to have to try it.
Back when I worked the grill at Bonanza we topped the chicken with Catalina dressing just prior to removing from the grill and plating. The chicken came from Sysco in the marinating sauce (thawed and stored in a fridge behind the grill (with all the other meat).
Don’t know if the few remaining restaurants still make it the same or not. That was 1988-89.
Been replicating it my self for 20+ years, but just marinating/basting with Catalina.
Maybe not an exact match, but close enough.
I worked there too and my bf worked the grill (also 1988-89) and that is exactly how I recall it too, in individual little portions. Chicken was never pink when served. I tried this recipe and it does not taste like a Bonanza clone. I seriously miss that chicken! It was delicious!!!
The recipe is not shown on this page????
Apologies; it was a recipe plugin issue. I’ve fixed the problem and it should be working now.
I worked at Bonanza from 1984-86. We marinated the chicken ourselves in big clear tubs of Catalina dressing and nothing else was added that I can remember. They stayed in there 2-3 days though. Unfortunately I can’t remember the brand name on the giant Catalina dressing containers.
But the employees at Bonanza had an item for our lunch breaks that was not on the menu – crew only – and it was to die for!!!!
Chicken Monterey GRILLED CHEESE STYLE!!!!
It was just chicken Monterey on Texas toast with some cheese – but it was the BEST THING EVER!!!!
When I worked in the broiler room at Bonanza, the “secret” was. French dressing and Catalina dressing mixed together. I’ve made the mix myself. Sorry to take all the romance out of it.
M.
I don’t have a grill but am going to make it anyways