Easy Smothered On the Border Queso Chicken Recipe
This Copycat On the Border Queso Chicken Recipe features juicy grilled chicken breast cutlets with a smooth, savory cheese sauce and creamy avocado for the perfect Mexican restaurant dinner at home! Pellet grill and standard grilling instructions included (see notes)!
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 6 chicken breast cutlets (about 2.5 lbs) trimmed of excess fat
- 1–2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons garlic salt
- 2 teaspoons mesquite seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
For the Queso
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ small red bell pepper finely diced
- 5 oz Mild Rotel with juices
- 8 oz Velveeta cheese
- 1 ½ cups freshly shredded Monterey Jack cheese (6 oz)
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
Toppings
- 1 avocado thinly sliced
- cilantro for garnish optional
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken and Preheat Your Grill
- Preheat your Traeger pellet grill to 450°F (232°C) using your choice of wood pellets (mesquite or hickory work best).
- Pat your 6 chicken cutlets (about 2.3 lbs) completely dry with paper towels to ensure a great crust.
- Drizzle the cutlets with 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil, rubbing it evenly over all sides to help the seasonings adhere.
- Combine 2 teaspoons garlic salt, 2 teaspoons mesquite seasoning, and 1 teaspoon smoked paprika in a small bowl.
- Add the spice blend to the chicken cutlets and stir to coat, then set them aside to marinate at room temperature while the grill heats.
Start the Cheese Sauce
- On your stovetop, heat a splash of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Add 2 minced garlic cloves and ½ of a finely diced red bell pepper to the oil and saute for 2–3 minutes until fragrant and slightly softened.
- Add 5 oz of mild Rotel (including all the juices from the can) to the pan, stirring to combine with the peppers and garlic.
- Gradually add 8 oz of cubed Velveeta to the pan, stirring continuously for 4–5 minutes until the cubes are completely melted, smooth, and thinned out by the tomato liquids. Keep the heat on low.
Grill the Chicken Cutlets
- When your grill reaches the proper temperature, place the marinated chicken cutlets directly onto the hot grill grates and grill for 7 minutes with the lid closed to lock in that authentic wood smoke.
- After 7 minutes, carefully flip each cutlet and grill for an additional 7 minutes on the second side, or until the internal temperature reaches a safe 165°F (74°C). Remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest on a clean plate for 5 minutes.
Finish the Cheese Sauce
- While the chicken finishes up on the grill, keep working on the sauce. Turn off the direct heat, and gradually add in 6 oz of freshly shredded Monterey Jack cheese to the warm Velveeta base.
- Stir gently, allowing the residual heat of the pan to smoothly melt the shredded cheese into the sauce, creating a glossy texture with a great cheese pull.
- Finish the queso by stirring in 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice.
Combine and Serve
- When the chicken and sauce are done, arrange your rested Traeger-grilled chicken cutlets on a large serving platter or individual dining plates and spoon a generous blanket of the warm, velvet queso sauce right over the center of each chicken breast.
- Top the cheesy chicken with freshly sliced avocado and fresh cilantro (optional). Serve hot alongside Mexican rice and sweet corn or our easy "grilled" Mexican street corn using fire-roasted frozen corn and cotija cheese!
Notes
Standard Grilling Instructions
If you do not have a pellet grill, you can easily replicate this recipe on a standard backyard gas or charcoal grill. Because regular grills cook over direct open flame rather than indirect convection heat, use these adjusted settings to keep your chicken perfectly juicy:
- Set Up the Heat: Preheat your gas grill to medium-high heat, targeting 400°F to 425°F. For a charcoal grill, bank your lit coals to one side of the grill to create a hot direct zone and a cooler indirect zone.
- Adjust the Cooking Time: Because direct flame transfers heat much faster, thin chicken cutlets cook quicker. Place the oiled and seasoned cutlets directly over the flames and grill for 4 to 5 minutes per side with the lid closed.
- The Charcoal Flare-Up Trick: If the sugars in your mesquite seasoning cause a flare-up on a charcoal grill, simply slide the cutlets over to the cooler, indirect side of the grates, close the lid, and let them finish cooking safely away from the flames.
- Check the Temp: Use a digital meat thermometer to pull the chicken off the grates the exact second the thickest part of the cutlet registers 165°F (74°C). Let the meat rest for 5 minutes before slicing and smothering it in your warm velvet queso!