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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Wonderful recipe. Picky eaters in the family wolfed it down. Works well with leftover rotisserie chicken – mixing the salsa mixture in with the chicken keeps the meat from getting too dry. A winner!
These are so good Jenn! But I’m not surprised because all of your recipes are wonderful. Thank you!
These quesadillas were excellent. So much flavor and really pretty simple for delicious leveled up weeknight dinner. I’ll definitely make these again.
How many quesadillas does it make?
Hi Eileen, It makes 2 large quesadillas, which serves 4.
It was really tasty, I ran out of Chicken Broth so used Vegetable Broth. My 88 year old Mom who criticizes everything loved it and said it tasted like a professional Chef made it.
Loved this recipe! Just what I was looking for. Husband was crazy about them. I put 4 of them on a cookie sheet folded in half on parchment paper and crisped them under broiler at a lower temp, to speed up the heating process. Loooking forward to trying more of your recipes
Could I use rotisserie chicken instead? And use the shredded up chicken to mix into salsa mixture? Possibly season the rotisserie meat?
Sure, Stephanie, that should work. And I’d season the chicken with everything but the salt. I’d love to hear how they turn out!
I have made quesadillas for years but never read a recipe. Huh – I learned many improvements in minutes! The real reason I’m writing you is to tell you I just visited my Japanese sister-in-law in another state for the first time. I complimented her on a dish and she said it was from Once Upon a Chef!! Imagine my surprise since I always turn to your site first when looking for a recipe/technique. It was a nice bonding moment:)
💜
Excellent and easy recipe. I have also made these smaller, as an appetizer, using 8-inch flour tortillas. After the fold-over, I cut in 3 pieces that were the perfect finger-food size. Made in advance, then just before company arrived I popped in a 350 oven for 12 min, moved to a platter and placed on a warming tray for serving.
I make simple quesadillas all the time but decided to try Jenn’s recipe (I have both her cookbooks and have never been disappointed in a recipe).
These were amazing. I made them for a family gathering. Every single person that tried one took one bite, paused, and then said -“These are REALLY good.” Added to my go to recipes.