A simple recipe for Chicken Quesadillas that will still knock your socks off. Chicken, red onion, bell peppers, cheese and cilantro are a fantastic mix!
Mix it up, add whatever fillings you like, you are in charge of this delicious and easy meal.
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This is one of my favorite ways to use up leftover chicken, and serve a very tasty meal to my family.
Cheesy melty goodness tucked into a tortilla is my idea of heaven. Served as a snack, an appetizer or a light meal, this is the quintessential “simple is best” kind of meal.
You can get as fancy or as basic as you like, you’re in charge!
This recipe is great for any sized family, because you can easily scale up or down based on how hungry everyone is, and how many people need to eat.
A fun party idea is to have a quesadilla bar – lay out all the potential fillings, a pile of different tortillas and let everyone choose their own! This will make it easy for picky eaters, and for those who love to add their own flair to a meal.
What is a quesadilla?
It’s a flour tortilla, filled with cheese and other fillings, then cooked on a griddle or skillet until the cheese melts. It’s a type of Southern/Central Mexican dish, that is also very common in the Southwest parts of the United States as well.
Is this an authentic chicken quesadillas recipe?
Honestly? No. I am not Mexican, I just live in Arizona where this is a very common type of meal!
How do you pronounce “quesadilla”?
It sounds like “kay-suh-dee-yah”
Southwestern recipes are my jam! Try this amazing creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup, or this Queso Dip Recipe (made in a skillet!), or this fantastic Southwest Pasta Salad.
Why this recipe works
- 6 ingredients. Nothing fancy over here!
- Easy to adapt for your tastes, and make a lot of!
- Budget and family friendly. This one serves everyone!
Kylee’s Notes & FAQs
You can make these differently to me. Simply add a tortilla to the skillet, spread with the filling and top with another tortilla, instead of folding over.
You can also cook these in the oven. Just lay out the tortillas on a baking sheet, and the chicken mixture, and top with more tortillas. Bake until the cheese is melted, and the quesadillas are golden brown.
Substitutions/Additions
- You can use any kind of tortilla. I like using the spinach kind, as well as the sundried tomato kind!
- Like it spicy? Add some chopped jalapeños to the mix!
What can you put in a quesadilla?
Anything your heart desires! Add some corn, black beans and a little salsa. Add mushrooms, or don’t! I like to sometimes add a little taco seasoning, or chili powder and cumin to mine as well.
What kind of cheese goes best in quesadillas?
I like the Mexican blend cheeses you can buy pre shredded at the grocery store. But a mix of mozzarella and jack (Monterey jack or pepper jack) will do well, and so will cheddar cheese.
What to serve with quesadillas
I like to sprinkle a little extra cilantro, a dash of hot sauce and a little sour cream.
Other yummy things to add are homemade pico de gallo and guacamole.
Key Recipe Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and amounts is found in the printable recipe card below.
How to make the yummiest Chicken Quesadillas:
The full list of ingredients and quantities is found in the printable recipe card below.
Get prepped
Heat a skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray.
Make the filling
Combine the bell peppers, onion, cilantro, diced or shredded chicken and shredded cheese in a large bowl. Season with a little salt and pepper.
Cook quesadillas
Divide mixture into 4, and spread 1/4 on each tortilla, folding the top over in half.
Cook until cheese begins to melt, then flip quesadilla (cook a few minutes per side)
Remove from skillet, slice into 3 or 4, and serve.
Repeat until you run out of tortillas and ingredients.
Devour.
More easy snack recipes:
- Baked Chicken Taquitos. These creamy chicken taquitos are the real deal. Baked in the oven, not fried – easy to make, super delicious, and freezer friendly.
- Flatbread Pizza. Simple ingredients, with big flavors – this is one you’ll want to make a lot of!
- Ham and Cheese Savory Palmiers. Easy to make, and fast to disappear, these Savory Palmiers will be the star of any table! Make ahead, and bake as your guests arrive –yummy!
- Tortilla Pizza Minis. A super simple lunch, that is so fast to assemble and cook! These mini tortilla pizza snacks are a hit with the whole family!
- Hawaiian Sliders. These easy to make hot Ham & Cheese Sliders (aka Hawaiian Sliders in my house) are perfect for parties. Make a double batch to feed a crowd!
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Chicken Quesadillas
Video
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup diced red bell peppers
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 cup cooked and diced chicken
- 1 cup grated cheese
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 4 flour tortillas
Optional (for serving)
- hot sauce
- Sour cream
Directions
- Combine the 1/2 cup diced red bell peppers, 1/2 cup diced red onion, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1 cup cooked and diced chicken and 1 cup grated cheese in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Heat a skillet and spray with cooking spray.
- Divide mixture into 4, and spread 1/4 on 4 flour tortillas, folding the top over in half.
- Cook until cheese begins to melt, then flip quesadilla.
- Remove from skillet, slice into 3 or 4, and serve.
- Repeat until you run out of tortillas and ingredients.
- Devour with hot sauce and Sour cream.
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Notes
Nutrition Facts
Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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