Chicken Quesadillas
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Winner, winner, weeknight dinner! These melty, crispy chicken quesadillas deserve a spot in your rotation.
I love a good semi-homemade recipe, and these chicken quesadillas fit the bill perfectly. Start by seasoning the chicken with a smoky spice blend and sautéing it in olive oil—it takes just 15 minutes. While that’s cooking, simmer store-bought salsa with a little water for a quick sauce. Shred the chicken, mix it with the sauce, and your filling is ready (bonus: you’ll have enough to freeze for later!). Cook the quesadillas until crispy and gooey, and serve with Mexican rice and guacamole.
Heads up: A large skillet typically fits one quesadilla at a time, so if you’re in a rush, use two skillets. Either way, this Tex-Mex chicken quesadilla recipe is quick, easy, and always a crowd-pleaser!
Table of Contents
“Reducing the salsa was the trick to these restaurant quality quesadillas!! Fantastic. Thanks for making a simple food taste gourmet.”
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Quesadillas
- Spices (Smoked Paprika, Garlic Powder, Oregano, Cumin): Adds smokiness, warmth, and a touch of herbal freshness.
- Chicken Tenderloins: Used for their tenderness and quick cooking time. Pro tip: Trim the tendons for the best texture (see FAQs below). Sliced chicken breasts can also be used, but they won’t be quite as tender.
- Salsa: Made with a blend of onions, tomatoes, and peppers, salsa adds a tangy, slightly spicy kick that enhances the flavor of the quesadilla filling.
- Flour Tortillas: Crisp up beautifully, offering a satisfying crunch with every bite. Use the burrito-size (10-inch).
- Shredded Cheese: A Mexican blend or monterey jack cheese melts into stretchy, gooey perfection, creating a delightful contrast with the crispy tortilla. It’s fine to use pre-shredded cheese from a bag, but be sure to use a good-quality brand, like Tillamook thick-cut Mexican blend.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a small bowl, combine the salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, oregano, and cumin. Stir to combine.
Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly all over the chicken.
In a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat, heat 1½ tablespoons of oil until shimmering. Add the chicken and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown on the first side, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the chicken, reduce the heat to medium, and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a plate or cutting board.
Add the salsa and water to the skillet. Cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat until most of the liquid is evaporated and the sauce has a thick consistency, 7 to 9 minutes.
Meanwhile, shred the chicken. (If the sauce is done before you’ve finished shredding the chicken, remove it from the heat.)
Off the heat, add the shredded chicken and any juices that have accumulated on the plate/cutting board to the finished sauce and stir until evenly combined. Transfer the chicken mixture to a plate, reserving half to refrigerate or freeze for another meal. Clean the skillet and return to the stove.
Heat ½ tablespoon of oil in the skillet over medium heat. Place 1 tortilla in the skillet and use your hand to swirl it around to coat the bottom evenly with the oil.
Sprinkle ¾ cup of the cheese evenly over top, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges. Spread about ⅓ cup of the chicken mixture over half of the tortilla.
When the cheese is mostly melted, fold the tortilla over to cover the filling and form a half-moon shape. Cook until the tortilla is crisp and golden and the cheese is melted, adjusting the heat as necessary, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
Repeat with the remaining oil, tortillas, cheese, and filling, adjusting the heat as necessary. (Cover the cooked quesadillas lightly with foil to keep them warm.) Let the quesadillas rest a few minutes to allow the filling to set, then cut into wedges and serve with sour cream and lime wedges, if desired.
Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions
Quesadillas are best served fresh from the skillet for the crispiest texture, but leftovers reheat nicely. Store leftover quesadillas in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, place them in a skillet over medium heat to re-crisp the tortillas, or wrap them in foil and warm in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes. The filling mixture can also be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated in a covered container, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, chicken tenderloins typically have a white tendon attached to them and they can be a little tough to chew. It’s easiest to remove them using kitchen shears. Simply pinch the tip of the tendon with your finger and snip where the tendon meets the chicken.
Yes, boneless skinless chicken thighs can be used for a juicier flavor, but keep in mind they will take a bit longer to cook.
Video Tutorial
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Chicken Quesadillas
Ingredients
- Olive oil for cooking
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 pound chicken tenderloins, tendons trimmed (see note), or boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1½ strips
- 1 cup thick and chunky salsa, such as Chi-Chi's Medium
- ½ cup water
- 4 large burrito-size 10-inch flour tortillas
- 3 cups shredded Mexican Blend or Monterey Jack cheese (see note)
For Serving (optional)
- Sour cream
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, oregano, and cumin. Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly all over the chicken.
- In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1½ tablespoons of oil until shimmering. Add the chicken and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown on the first side, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the chicken, reduce the heat to medium, and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a plate or cutting board.
- Add the salsa and water to the skillet. Cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat until most of the liquid is evaporated and the sauce has a thick consistency, 7 to 9 minutes.
- Meanwhile, shred the chicken. (If the sauce is done before you've finished shredding the chicken, remove it from the heat.)
- Off the heat, add the shredded chicken and any juices that have accumulated on the plate/cutting board to the finished sauce and stir until evenly combined. Transfer the chicken mixture to a plate, reserving half to refrigerate or freeze for another meal. Clean the skillet and return to the stove.
- Heat ½ tablespoon of oil in the skillet over medium heat. Place 1 tortilla in the skillet and swirl it around with your hand to coat the bottom evenly with the oil. Sprinkle ¾ cup of the cheese evenly over top, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges. Spread about ⅓ cup of the chicken mixture over half of the tortilla. When the cheese is mostly melted, fold the tortilla over to cover the filling and form a half-moon shape. Cook until the tortilla is crisp and golden and the cheese is melted, adjusting the heat as necessary, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining oil, tortillas, cheese, and filling, adjusting the heat as necessary. (Cover the cooked quesadillas lightly with foil to keep them warm.) Let the quesadillas rest a few minutes to allow the filling to set, then cut into wedges and serve with sour cream and lime wedges, if desired.
Notes
- Chicken tenderloins typically have a white tendon attached to them. They can be a little tough to chew, so I like to remove them with kitchen shears before cooking. Just pinch the tip of the tendon with your finger and snip where the tendon meets the chicken.
- It’s perfectly fine to use pre-shredded cheese from a bag, but be sure to use a good-quality brand, like Tillamook thick-cut Mexican blend.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The filling mixture can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated in a covered container or frozen for up to 3 months.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Comments
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This was excellent. Once a month or so I buy a couple roasted chickens to shred and then use the carcasses for broth. Instead of chicken tenders I thawed and heated a pound of the chicken, spiced it and followed the recipe. It turned out great and saved a bit of time.
This was delicious and easy!! Thanks for yet another winner!
This recipe is delicious! I added mushrooms and black beans which made it even better. I will definitely make this for dinner. A big hit with my family.
My husband often orders chicken quesadillas when we go to the local pub. Having now made yours, he no longer has to wait until we go out. They were delicious and easy to make. I highly recommend them! Question: our little grandchildren don’t care for spicy food. How can I adjust this spice mix, so it still tastes authentic but less spicy? Thanks!
Hi Barbara, Unless you are using a hot smoked paprika, none of the spices in the mix are actually “spicy” so to reduce the heat level, I would use a mild salsa. If your grandkids don’t like highly seasoned food, you could reduce all of the spices a bit (but keep the salt the same). Hope that helps and the kids enjoy them! 🙂
Adding another one of your recipes to the regular rotation! Sooo good!
These were fantastic! A very simple dish, but the secret is in reducing the salsa. Who knew? Just amazing. Going into our regular rotation for sure! Love your recipes, Jenn!
We just loved these! Easy recipe with lots of flavor. I sautéed some red onion and garlic and added it on top of the chicken. Very DELISH on our Football Sunday!
Thank you!!
Delicious and easy.
I made this a couple days ago and it was wonderful. It gets better with age so any leftovers are really good.
The one change I made was to use shredded chicken from a rotisserie chicken. We buy one or two rotisserie chickens every couple weeks. I take the meat off and use the leftovers to make chicken broth.
In this case I used a pound of the shredded chicken meat, still added the spices, and reheated it in a skillet. Beyond that I followed the recipe. It turned out great and cut a bit of the cooking time
Good flavor, but the pulled chicken seemed somewhat grainy in texture. Not sure how to remedy that!
Hi Mike, Did you use chicken tenderloins?