Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
These quesadillas are filled with gooey melted cheddar, shredded chicken and a smoky chipotle-tomato sauce.
Crisp flour tortillas stuffed with gooey melted cheddar and tender shredded chicken, all smothered in a sweet, smoky, and savory chipotle sauce—these could easily claim the title of the world’s best quesadillas! Think of them a gourmet twist on my classic chicken quesadillas—I’m a fan of those too, particularly for kids, but these are truly in their own league. The recipe is adapted from Curtis Stone, one of my favorite chefs and cookbook authors.
“Sweet Lord these were amazing!”
What You’ll Need To Make Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas
- Red onion, garlic, and scallions: These aromatics form the flavor base, adding depth and a slight sweetness to counter the heat of the peppers.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: Provide a smoky, spicy flavor that is the signature of these quesadillas. They add heat and a rich, complex taste. See the FAQs to learn more about these peppers.
- Tomatoes: Offer a fresh, acidic, and slightly sweet component that balances the smokiness of the chipotle peppers and also adds moisture to the sauce.
- Honey: Adds sweetness to balance the heat from the chipotle peppers and the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Cooked shredded chicken: Serves as the protein base; you can use leftover or rotisserie chicken and either white or dark meat based on your preference.
- Cilantro: Brings a fresh, herbal element that brightens the dish and pairs well with the other flavors.
- Flour tortillas: Act as the casing for the quesadillas, holding all the ingredients together. They crisp up when cooked, adding a satisfying texture.
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese: Melts into the quesadillas, adding a rich, creamy texture and a tangy flavor that complements the spicy and smoky elements.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by cooking the red onions and garlic in olive oil.
Add the diced tomatoes and minced chipotle peppers.
Cook until the liquid is gone and the mixture is thickened.
Stir in the shredded chicken, salt, honey, green onions and cilantro. Keep the filling warm while you prepare the quesadillas. (Note: the chicken mixture can be made up to two days ahead of time.)
Heat a flour tortilla on a griddle or in a sauté pan. Cover the entire tortilla with cheese and spread the filling over one side.
When the cheese is mostly melted, fold the tortilla over the filling into a half-moon shape.
Cook until crisp and golden, a few minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Serve immediately with sour cream and lime wedges, if desired.
Frequently Asked Questions
Canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are typically small peppers, often red jalapeños, that have been dried, smoked, and then preserved in a spicy, smoky tomato sauce. You can usually find them in the Latin section of most supermarkets. If you’re looking for more ways to use them, try my chipotle honey vinaigrette and black bean and corn salad.
This recipe uses six peppers, including the seeds, which might sound like a lot, but it doesn’t make the quesadillas overly spicy. However, if you are sensitive to heat or making these quesadillas for kids, you might want to use fewer peppers.
For the crispiest texture, quesadillas should be assembled and cooked just before serving. However, the chicken mixture can be prepared up to two days in advance, cooled, covered, and stored in the refrigerator.
Yes, the cooked quesadillas can be frozen for up to three months. To serve, defrost them in the refrigerator and then reheat, wrapped in foil, in an oven preheated to 350°F (175°C) until hot, which should take 15 to 20 minutes.
You May Also Like
Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas
These quesadillas are filled with gooey melted cheddar, shredded chicken and a smoky chipotle-tomato sauce.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large red onion, chopped (about 1½ cups)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ⅓ cup minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (you'll need about 6 chilis)
- 4 vine-ripened tomatoes (about 1¼ pounds), seeded and diced
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2½ cups cooked shredded chicken (white and/or dark meat)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 6 10-inch diameter flour tortillas
- 4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Sour cream, for serving (optional)
- Lime wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir in the chipotle peppers and tomatoes. Cook until most of the liquid from the tomatoes has evaporated and the mixture is thickened, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Stir in the scallions, honey, chicken, salt and cilantro. Keep warm.
- Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Lay a tortilla in the pan and heat until hot to the touch but not crisp (air pockets may form). Flip the tortilla over, then sprinkle ⅔ cup of the cheese evenly overtop, being careful to keep it off the pan. Spread a generous ½ 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, a few minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Let the quesadillas rest a few minutes to allow the filling to set, then cut into wedges. Serve with sour cream and lime wedges, if desired.
- Note: If you have a large griddle, use that to make the quesadillas so you can make a few at a time. Also, be sure to serve your quesadillas hot of the pan (or off the griddle), otherwise, they’ll get soggy and the cheese will harden. If this does happen, you can pop them in a 350°F degree oven to heat them up, but they won’t be as crisp and gooey as they are fresh.
- Note: The nutritional information does not include the optional ingredients.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: For the crispiest texture, the quesadillas should be assembled and cooked just before serving. However, the chicken mixture can be prepared up to two days in advance, cooled, covered, and stored in the refrigerator. Leftover quesadillas can be frozen for up to three months. To serve, defrost them in the refrigerator and then reheat, wrapped in foil, in an oven preheated to 350°F (175°C) until hot, which should take 15 to 20 minutes.
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Serving size: 1 quesadilla
- Calories: 694
- Fat: 45 g
- Saturated fat: 19 g
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Sugar: 11 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 34 g
- Sodium: 1383 mg
- Cholesterol: 121 mg
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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
These are the most delicious quesadillas I have ever had. My whole family devoured them. I did reduce the chipotle by half, and they had just the right amount of smoky flavor without too much heat for our tastes. I also used a can of diced tomatoes (well drained) because that’s what I had on hand, and it worked just fine. I do want to try fresh tomatoes next time because I’m sure they will be even better. Thanks Jenn for another winning recipe. You never disappoint!
Have you tried this with corn tortillas?
No J, but I think it’d work.
Hi Jen. How many canned diced tomatoes would be equivalent to the 1-1/4 lbs of fresh in this recipe? It’s allI have on hand. Can’t wait to try this. Thanks!
Hi Lori, I’ve never used canned tomatoes for this, but I would guesstimate that you’d need about 2 14 to 15 oz. cans of diced tomatoes (drained). Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
Hello Jen
My family and friends Love these quesadillas! I am hosting a party for 40 this coming weekend and am hoping for some advice to keep them warm for an hour or so without them sticking together. I plan to use a warming tray to keep them warm for an hour or so-would you separate layers with parchment paper or would baking the quesadillas in the oven be a better method ? Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Nicole, so glad you enjoy these! Yes, I do think you could keep these in a warming tray for an hour, and separating them with some parchment or foil is a great idea. Hope everyone enjoys!
This recipe was incredible!! My husband and I initially worried about the filling being potentially too “smoky” with the 6 chipotle peppers, but the flavors were fantastic. These are by far the best quesadillas we’ve ever had! After a quick Internet search, we decided to cook the quesadillas in the oven, rather than cooking then one by one on the stove top. We heated the oven to precisely 430F, lightly oiled a cookie sheet with olive oil, placed the filled half-moon-shape tortillas on the cookie sheet, and brushed the top of each tortilla very lightly with olive oil using a pastry brush. We cooked them for eight minutes on one side, and carefully flipped them over and cooked them for another eight minutes on the other side. They turned out perfectly!! Thanks Jenn for sharing all these wonderful recipes – you’ve made cooking so enjoyable for us!
Made these tonight. I thought they were great myself though the wife felt they were a little overpowering. Will def make again if I have to eat them all myself lol. But I could have messed up for her because …..I minced up the chipotle peppers and also poured all the juices from the can into my chicken mixture. Should I have omitted the liquid from the can?
Hi James, Glad you enjoyed them! This recipe does not include the sauce/liquid from the can (unless you like your food super spicy!).
The only thing I would change with this recipe is the butter or oil used on the exterior of the tortilla. We always add a little bit of garlic salt to the butter, not just with quesadillas, but also with grilled cheese, or even breadsticks and rolls. It gives you a very distinct garlic bread flavor before you even get to the good stuff in the middle.
This recipe was the BEST recipe ever! I did add chopped jalapeños to the mix but left out the honey. It was fantastic!!! Will definitely be making again!
In order to keep them warm while making many, can u place them in the oven before serving? If so what temp? Also, can u pair this with your bean salad.
Sure, Sandy – I’d keep the oven at about 250°F.
Once again!! This is delicious! I was so skeptical but Jennifer has yet to fail me or my husband.
I used pre-roasted chicken from the grocery store and just happened to have the rest of the ingredients from another of Jennifer’s recipes.
Easy!
Hi,
I would love to try this recipe but my husband does not care for the chilies in adobe sauce. Can you please recommend a substitute? Thank you so much. I love your recipes and share them often with friends and family!
Hi Laurie, so glad you like the recipes! Unfortunately, I don’t know of a good substitute for the chipotles in adobo and they are an integral part of the recipe. So sorry!