Amazing Chicken Quesadillas are crispy on the outside, gooey and satisfying on the inside. Fully loaded and customizable for instant eating.
Whether it’s Chicken Enchiladas, Chicken Tacos or quesadillas, wrapping chicken and cheese in a warm flour tortilla is always a winning Dinner.
Sabrina’s Chicken Quesadilla Recipe
My delicious Chicken Quesadillas are loaded with bite-sized pieces of flavorful taco seasoned chicken, cooked in a skillet until the edges are crispy, and the cheese is perfectly melted. It’s a tasty, fast weeknight dinner your picky eaters will love. Serve with Restaurant Style Salsa, Corn Salsa, or Pico de Gallo, to get the full flavor experience. This quick and simple recipe has room to get creative, so don’t forget to check out how to customize these under the recipe card.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 1 chicken breast , boneless, skinless
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon chili pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Quesadilla:
- 4 tortillas , burrito sized
- 2 cups Mexican blend cheese , shredded
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
Chicken:
- Pound the chicken breast to an even thickness.
- Rub with oil and seasonings.
- Heat a grill pan on medium high heat.
- Cook the chicken for 4 minutes, turn to make an x grill mark and cook for 3 minutes.
- Turn and cook the same way on the second side.
- Set aside and let rest.
Quesadilla:
- Heat a large heavy skillet on medium-low heat.
- Using a brush, brush oil onto your skillet and add a tortilla.
- Top with 1 cup of cheese in an even layer.
- Chop the chicken finely.
- Add half the chicken breast over the cheese.
- Top with second tortilla.
- Brush the top with oil.
- Press down gently with spatula.
- Let cook for 3-4 minutes until the tortilla starts to brown.
- Carefully flip the quesadilla.
- Cook the second side for 3-4 minutes.
- Repeat with second quesadilla.
- Remove from the pan and place on a cutting board.
- Cut with a large sharp knife or a pizza cutter.
- Serve with salsa, sour cream and guacamole.
Nutrition
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Chef’s Note
I love when I have leftover chicken on hand, because it makes this recipe even easier! You can use shredded chicken, rotisserie chicken or baked chicken breasts. Season with a drizzle of oil, toss in spices, then warm on low until hot, being careful not to dry out the meat. If you are using meat with liquid (like slow cooker shredded chicken), drain out as much liquid as you can so your quesadillas aren’t soggy.
Table of contents
Can these be made ahead of time?
These are best served hot and fresh, but they do store well if you’re looking to do some meal prep. Read the How to Store options below for the best results.
How to Store
- Serve: You can keep quesadillas warm in an oven at 200 degrees for about an hour. Don’t leave out more than 2 hours.
- Store: Store in a large storage bag or other airtight container. They will stay good for about 3 days. Reheat in a skillet or air-fryer until hot and crispy again.
- Freeze: Wrap each quesadilla in plastic wrap then aluminum foil, then store in a freezer safe bag. Freeze for up 2 months and reheat in the oven or air-fryer from frozen until heated through.
Variations
- Meat: As long as your meat is cooked, warmed up, and seasoned but not too saucy, you can add it to these instead of chicken. Try ground taco meat, shredded pork, or meat substitutes.
- Cheese: Use Monterey jack, pepper jack, mozzarella, and other lower fat cheeses. Sprinkle some cotija cheese or queso fresco over them to serve.
- Vegetables: Veggies like bell peppers, onions, spinach, diced tomatoes, and zucchini add some healthy, fresh flavors to these quesadillas. Cook the veggies before adding and drain any excess liquid so your filling isn’t soggy.
- Spices: Play with the spices used to flavor your chicken. If you have some Taco Seasoning on hand, that’s a great easy substitute. You can also add chili powder, paprika, or Chipotle powder for a smokier flavor. Garlic powder and onion powder are go-to spices to easily add flavor.
- Bacon Ranch Chicken: Use two tablespoons of dry Ranch Dressing Mix to season the chicken instead of the spices. Add crispy cooked bacon pieces and spread Ranch Dressing on the tortilla before adding the cheese.
- Chicken Club: Spread Thousand Island dressing on the non-oiled side of the tortillas before topping with cheese, chicken, cooked bacon pieces, finely diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, and sour cream.
- Teriyaki Chicken: Marinate chicken breast in your favorite Teriyaki Sauce for 30 minutes, and cook as usual. Load up with cheese, sauteed bell peppers, chicken, and diced green onions.
- Cheeseburger: Brown ground beef or ground chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and finely diced yellow onion then drain fat. Use Thousand Island or Big Mac Sauce on the tortillas and top with shredded cheddar blend, ground meat, diced pickles, tomato, and lettuce.
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