Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas
Crispy tortillas filled with seasoned chicken and melty cheese for a fast lunch or easy dinner.
- Measurements grams + cups
- Cuisine Mexican-American
Why You'll Like This Recipe
- Built for leftover chicken — rotisserie, roast or whatever is in the fridge.
- Twenty minutes start to finish, and the filling can be made ahead.
- Folded rather than stacked, so nothing slides out when you flip them.
Recipe
Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas
Crispy chicken quesadillas ready in 20 minutes.
Ingredients
Ingredients scaled. The method below still refers to the original quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the bell pepper and onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
- Step 2. Stir in the chicken, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, and salt. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until hot.
- Step 3. Place a tortilla in a clean skillet over medium-low heat. Sprinkle cheese over one half, add a layer of chicken mixture, and top with a little more cheese.
- Step 4. Fold the tortilla over the filling and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until golden underneath.
- Step 5. Flip carefully and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes until the second side is golden and the cheese is melted.
- Step 6. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
- Step 7. Rest for 1 minute, slice into wedges, and serve with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Keep the heat at medium-low so the tortilla becomes crisp without burning before the cheese melts.
- Medium-low heat throughout. Hot enough to crisp the tortilla but slow enough for the cheese to melt through — a hot pan gives a browned tortilla around cold filling.
- Do not overfill. Too much filling stops the tortilla closing properly and the quesadilla comes apart when flipped.
- Rest for a minute before cutting. Straight off the heat the cheese is liquid and runs out of the cut edge.
Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas — Simple Table Recipes · https://simpletablerecipes.com/recipes/cheesy-chicken-quesadillas/
Ingredient Notes
- Cheddar or Monterey Jack
- Grate it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in starch to stop it clumping in the bag, and that coating stops it melting into the smooth layer you want. Monterey Jack melts more readily; cheddar brings more flavour.
- Cooked chicken
- Any cooked chicken works — rotisserie, roasted, poached or leftover. The seasoning step in the pan is what makes it taste deliberate rather than reheated.
- Cheese on both sides of the filling
- Not an accident. The cheese melts against the tortilla and glues the filling in place, which is what stops everything falling out when you cut it.
Equipment
- Skillet
- Spatula
- Sharp knife or pizza wheel
Substitutions
- Cooked chicken
- Black beans make it vegetarian in the same quantity. Leftover taco beef, pulled pork or steak all work.
- Flour tortillas
- Corn tortillas work and are naturally gluten-free, though they are smaller and more brittle — warm them first so they fold without cracking.
- Bell pepper and onion
- Sweetcorn, spinach, mushrooms or jalapeno all work. Cook out any wet vegetables first, since moisture makes the tortilla soggy.
Storage & Freezing
Storing: Refrigerate cooked quesadillas for up to 3 days. Reheat in a dry skillet rather than a microwave, which turns the tortilla limp.
Freezing: Freeze cooked and cooled quesadillas separated by parchment for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen in a skillet over low heat.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you keep quesadillas from falling apart?
Cheese on both sides of the filling and a fold rather than a stack. The melted cheese sticks the filling to the tortilla, and folding one tortilla in half is far easier to flip than two stacked with filling between them.
Why is my quesadilla soggy?
Wet filling, or heat that was too low for too long. Cook vegetables until their moisture has gone, drain anything saucy, and add salsa or sour cream at the table rather than inside.
What cheese melts best in quesadillas?
Monterey Jack, mozzarella or a mild cheddar. Grate it yourself — the anti-caking starch on pre-shredded cheese keeps it from melting smoothly. Very aged cheeses can turn oily.
Can I make quesadillas ahead of time?
Make the filling up to three days ahead and assemble to order — that is the part that takes time anyway. Fully cooked quesadillas can be refrigerated and crisped up again in a dry skillet.
What heat should I cook quesadillas on?
Medium-low. It looks slow, but the cheese needs time to melt through before the tortilla is done. On high heat the outside browns in a minute and the middle is still cold.
Can I make these in the oven for a crowd?
Yes. Lay folded quesadillas on a baking sheet and bake at 200 C / 400 F for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway. Less crisp than a skillet, but you can do eight at once.
Did you make this?
Let other people know how it went. One tap, nothing to fill in.
Thanks — that helps.
