Chicken Quesadillas
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Winner, winner, weeknight dinner! These chicken quesadillas are packed with bold flavor and melty cheese, and they come together fast. They’re fun to make, even better to eat, and always a hit with the whole family.
I love a good semi-homemade recipe, and these chicken quesadillas fit the bill perfectly. You’ll 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 splash of water for a quick, flavorful sauce. Shred the chicken, mix it with the sauce, and your filling’s ready (bonus: there’s enough to freeze for later!). Cook the quesadillas until crispy and gooey, then 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!
“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): Bring a mix of smokiness, warmth, and herby flavors to the filling.
- Chicken Tenderloins: Super tender and quick to cook. Sliced chicken breasts work too, but they won’t be quite as tender and juicy. Or, if you prefer dark meat, chicken thighs also work and will provide extra juiciness—just note they take a few more minutes to cook.
- Salsa: Adds a tangy, slightly spicy kick with lots of flavor from tomatoes, onions, and jalapeño peppers.
- Flour Tortillas: Crisp up nicely on the outside while staying soft inside. Use the burrito-size (10-inch) ones for the best fold and fill. Corn tortillas aren’t a great fit here since they tend to tear and don’t get as crispy.
- Shredded Cheese: A thick-cut Mexican blend or Monterey Jack works great—pre-shredded is fine as long as you use a good brand like Tillamook.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Blend the seasonings. In a small bowl, stir together the salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, oregano, and cumin.
Step 2: Season the chicken. Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over the chicken. Pro Tip: Before coating the chicken with seasoning, remove the white tendon running through the tenders—it can be tough to chew. Just use kitchen shears to snip it off where it meets the chicken.
Step 3: Cook the chicken. Heat 1½ tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden on the first side, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a plate or cutting board. Pro tip: Starting over high heat gives the chicken a flavorful sear. Lowering the heat after flipping ensures it cooks through without drying out.
Step 4: Make the sauce. Add the salsa and water to the skillet. Simmer over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 7 to 9 minutes. (Simmering the salsa concentrates the flavor and creates a clingy sauce that won’t make the quesadillas soggy.)
Step 5: Shred the chicken. Meanwhile, shred the chicken with two forks. (If the sauce finishes before you’re done shredding, just take it off the heat.)
Step 6: Combine chicken and sauce. Off the heat, add the shredded chicken and any juices to the sauce and stir until evenly combined. Transfer the chicken mixture to a plate, reserving half to refrigerate or freeze for another meal.
Step 7: Assemble and cook the quesadillas. Heat ½ tablespoon of oil in the skillet over medium heat. Place 1 tortilla in the pan and swirl it around to coat the bottom with oil. Sprinkle ¾ cup of cheese over the tortilla, leaving a ½-inch border. Melting the cheese before folding helps “glue” the quesadilla shut and keeps the filling from falling out. Spread about ⅓ cup of the chicken mixture over half the tortilla.
Once the cheese is mostly melted, fold the tortilla over to form a half-moon. Cook until crispy and golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
Step 8: Cut and serve. 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. Letting the quesadillas rest before slicing keeps the cheesy filling from spilling out and gives them cleaner edges. Quesadillas are best served fresh, but leftovers and the filling mixture can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. The filling can be frozen for up to 3 months.
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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Hi Jenn,
Could you cook the chicken in the crockpot instead of in a pan? Thank you!
Yep that’s fine, Theresa – please LMK how it turns out!
Your spice mix is perfect! I used the recipe as inspiration for shrimp quesadillas, thanks so much!!
these were sooooo good..i didn’t have any salsa, so i chopped up some tomatoes and sauted with green onions in the juices from the chicken..ty for this..oh i used little 6″ tortillas and we had with rice on the side..huggzz
Perfection! Made these last night for Cinco de Mayo. Followed recipe exactly except doubled. Since I had more sauce it took longer to reduce but kept simmering until it looked like your photo. Kept sauce and chicken warm in the pan and used my double cast iron griddle for quesadillas. This worked great and could make two at a time. My family said this meal was incredible! Thanks Jenn for another delicious recipe 💕
I commented on this a few months ago – we really enjoyed the recipe as written. I want to mention that it is just as delicious made with a corn tortilla! We had some really good locally made proper corn tortillas left over so I decided to try this. Yum! So good either way!
Another delicious recipe! Thank you.
We were looking for a quick dinner so decided to give this a try. We were surprised how good this was and it was so easy to make. This will certainly become part of our rotation.
I followed the recipe exactly and it was such a hit. Reducing the salsa was the trick to these restaurant quality quesadillas!! Fantastic. Thanks for making a simple food taste gourmet.
Winner! I guess this review is more for the technique than the actual recipe. I’d found a similar recipe that we liked using butter instead of olive oil, but love that this healthier alternative is just as flavorful. We are in meatless mode so made these tonight with cheese, cilantro, and fresh jalapeños (seeded and diced, a stray seed here and there in the adult’s quesadillas). They were so good we are making more tomorrow night. Served with your black bean soup which was also amazing according to our 7 y/o daughter who has officially named it “Chili’s cousin soup” which is a huge compliment from someone who loves chili. =)
Absolutely amazing!! I followed your recipe verbatim. I did add a little more garlic powder and i did have to cook my tenderloins a little bit more. My super picky, never wants to try anything new, 4 year old even loved it. I felt so proud putting something of great flavor and crispness on the table. This is the 3rd recipe of yours i have tried and I’m here to stay! Thank you!
💗