Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas
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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.
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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
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- 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.
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Comments
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I really want to make this but I have a question. I like chipotle but I can’t tolerate any kind I can’t do really spicy I can tolerate the chipotle sauce but not actual peppers so is this really spicy? And if it is is there anything else I can substitute the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce with? Thank you
Hi Raya, Unfortunately, there’s no way to avoid the heat with the chipotle peppers, and I can’t think of a good substitute as they are an integral part of the recipe. So sorry!
Smoke flavour could be achieved by using a few drops of liquid smoke or smoked paprika
I made these about a month ago and they were great. I did add the avocado to the top because I love them, but they definitely don’t need it because they are so flavorful. I think I might reduce the honey next time because it tasted strong to me. My son loved them and said they are definitely something he wants again which is a thumbs up from him.
Great recipe! I have found variability in the heat level of adobo peppers, so I add and taste before adding all called for.
I made these last night for my family. My husband, who is very hard to impress, said they were the best quesadillas he has ever had and I totally agree. I boiled my chicken in chicken stock, shredded, and then added to the mixture. They turned out just like the pictures and were amazing.
Wow these Chipotle quesadillas are so amazing, really nice flavor, and my wife really loved them! I will definitely be coming back to your website for more recipes.
Hi Jenn,
I have some leftover chicken from your Grilled Chicken Fajita recipe, do you think I could use that for these quesadillas, or do you think the flavors might be too strong?
Sorry I clicked the stars in error, I haven’t tried the recipe yet but I am sure it will be as delicious as all your others!
Hi Mary, I think the chicken will work fine for this recipe. Hope you enjoy 🙂
Loved them, amazing flavor!
This was the second recipe I tried from your website. These were fantastic and last night I made them again using store-bought shredded chicken and canned tomatoes to cut down on time. I shredded the chicken along with some cumin and ancho chipotle pepper and added queso to the cheese mix. I add avocados to mine and sour cream to my husbands…awesome! Very much looking forward to trying additional recipes
I made these for my daughters graduation party where we served a variety of hearty appetizers. this recipe was a HIT! I made a double batch of the sauce in advance and refrigerated it. Only needed one batch of sauce for the part so I did freeze the other batch. Using it about a month later with shredded chicken thighs and it was just as wonderful. Black beans and roasted sweet potato are also a great addition.
These were so good! The chicken filling was just delicious. I probably used half the amount of chipotle peppers. I had a very small , 3.5 oz can and it was perfect. It only had 3 peppers in it, and I used all the sauce. I took some of the seeds out, but I think I’ll leave them in next time. The filling was smoky but not spicy. My entire family loved them. I think I will double the recipe and freeze half in the future since there’s a lot of chopping involved. Having a prepared batch of the chicken will make for a really quick meal. Great recipe!
Added a can of diced green chillies to quesadilla recipe. Improved an already great recipe.
These were fantastic. My husband described them as “fluffy” and “way better than anything you get out there”, meaning most restaurants. One question…I used 6 small peppers, de-seeded 4 of 6 to reduce heat, was short the 1/3 cup due to the size of the peppers, so I added more sauce from the jar to make up the difference. Yikes, they were almost inedibly spicy for my taste and almost my husband’s who loves heat. Did I go wrong when I added the extra sauce? Should I have just stuck to the 6 peppers, despite being under the 1/3 cup? I’m guessing so. Will definitely make again, so your advice would be very much appreciated. Thanks for another great one!
Hi Kelly, Glad you enjoyed! It’s hard to say…the sauce is spicy but there is always some variance with the spiciness of the peppers too. Next time, I would stick with just the peppers (not the sauce) and remove all the seeds — if the filling mixture needs more heat, you can always add some of the seeds back in.
I really liked these! I added extra chipotle because I love the taste and spice. Would recommend trying these — so flavorful.
Great recipe. Have been missing my Mexican food since moving from Houston and this is fitting the bill nicely. Also used the filling in hard shell tacos. Thanks for sharing!
Stellar!!
can this be frozen @ any point?
Hi Lala, I do you think you could freeze these after they are cooked.
LOVE this recipe! I live in Arizona and this recipe was a great new way for me to use Chipotle chilies! As with all of your recipes, this one was very easy to follow and the pictures are a perfect additional tool to help novice and seasoned cooks alike.
The quesadillas had just the right amount of smokey heat – and my family loved them as well!
Thanks so much for posting this yummy recipe!
I followed the recipe as written, it was another recipe that pleased the entire family (the seven that were home), including my picky 9 year old son and my “vegetarian” daughter! 😉 Thanks for sharing!
We have this basically once or twice a month, it’s delicious. We cut down on the number of chipotle peppers, find it to be a bit too spicy but aside from that, another perfect recipe!
Thank you!!!!
This is such a hit! Sometimes you just need more punch in your quesadilla! Thanks!
Delicious and very easy to make!
These were juicy and flavorful. I ended up eating them with a fork because the contents fell out. Delicious nonetheless!
Made this for dinner last night following the instructions, and family LOVED it
This recipe is AWESOME! It has so many amazing flavors. Definitely a keeper!
Made this recipe with shrimp – outstanding!!
Substitutd canned diced tomatos, and 1/2 and 1/2 mix of sharp cheddar and 4 cheese Mexican mix. Everyone loved them.
Guess what’s for dinner @ my house tonight? This will be easy and GREAT!!
Off to the market!!
Thanks Jenn-Keep them coming!!
I made these tonight, and myself and my husband loved them! Our 9yr old said they were good, and she is picky. I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
Living in Arizona I eat a lot of mexican food and these Quesadillas were delicious and easy to make.
Yet another wonderful recipe from this site! I now love cooking with chipotle thanks to Jenn! Any suggestions for how to make a vegetarian version?
Hi Blair, So glad you enjoyed the quesadillas. For a vegetarian version, you could try replacing the chicken with black beans. Please let me know how it turns out 🙂
We made this last weekend when entertaining some old friends (we made it along with the Black Bean & Corn Salad with Chipotle-Honey Vinaigrette!) and while it was a little more time consuming than I expected ~ the results were well worth it: everything was divine and devoured!
Aside: I think the addition of HONEY in both of these recipes is a stroke of genius!
We love this! And we are not typically fans of heat. But the smoky heat and well balanced flavors were really yummy and with a relatively quick prep and cook time I was happy. The bonus was, with a couple of slight mods (increasing chicken/tomatoes and decreasing filling size slightly) this made 9 quesadillas resulting in 3 meals for me and my daughters – talk about budget pleasing!
We added more chicken (3/4 C), more tomatoes (2 more) and more cilantro because I wanted to stretch it … sides of rice and beans along with some sour cream and home made limeade made it the perfect meal!
Love these quesadillas! The chiles in adobo have such great flavor! I wouldnt change anything with the recipe! We love the so much I pulled out my copy of the recipe to take with on vacation!! Thanks for all the great recipes.
First of many recipes I have tried from this site and another huge hit with my family. Great flavor, fast easy meal to prepare and even great leftovers. This is a recipe I go back to time and time again. You can’t miss with this step by step recipe. Great Tex -mex flavor and not to spicy.
I made this for supper. Love it. Easy to make. Thanks for showing me how to fold over the tortilla so it looks nice too. I’m obsessed with your site. I’ve made several recipes over the past week and all are delicious.
Thank you, Suzan! So glad you are enjoying the recipes 🙂
I love this recipe! I’m a working mom so the best part for me was that I could make the chicken mixture ahead of time which made it much easier to come home from work and get dinner on the table. The recipe called for vine-ripened tomatoes but they didn’t look very good so I substituted plum tomatoes. They were fine, but I would have preferred the juiciness of the other tomatoes…oh well, next time. I agree with the previous reviewer that the most time consuming part was shredding the chicken.
Perfect as is 🙂 Loved these!
I like this recipe to use leftover roasted chicken. I find it is a little too spicy for my toddler kids but my husband loves it, as do I. The most time-consuming step is shredding the chicken but it’s otherwise a pretty simple dish to make.
Delicious! The first time I tried this I made it with leftovers from the Peruvian-style roast chicken. I gotten so many compliments from this recipe, it’s my husband’s favorite quesadilla.
Huge hit with my family! Did not change a thing. Wonderful recipe!
Your recipes are FABULOUS! They are a hit every time!
So easy to follow with the pictures showing step by step. I am in love with your site!
Thank you so much!
Can’t wait to try this one! Did the baja fish with the chipotle, they were amazing!
So nice to read, Addie. Glad you are enjoying the recipes!
Made these last night for dinner and my son couldn’t stop raving about them. The chicken filling is even delicious on its own. Definitely going in the keeper file. Thank you for all the wonderful recipes!
Made this last night, my husband was drooling. We both loved it and it is also great for lunch the next day too. Great smokey flavour with a bit of heat. I will definitely be doing this again!
What kind of cheese did you use here, thanks.
Hi Charlene, I used sharp cheddar.
Love the clearcut directions on constructing a great looking quesadilla – something I had attempted, but not figured out. Mine looked great, but more importantly, tasted delicious. Much better than what you get at most restaurants. Will definitely make them again. Thank you, Jenn!
I made this recipe for a second time this weekend with shredded pork. I think it may have been better than the chicken! We added black beans and corn to some and they came out great.
Great idea, Kim. I look forward to trying it!
I made it & yet again it was a hit , just like the the other recipes I had made from your blog. Keep up the good work .
Thanks
Just finished devouring this meal! Very easy prep, though lots of chopping. Next time I will do the prep hours or a day inadvance. The flavor was WONDERFUL. It was a tad spicier than we like, but so , so good. I will cut back on the peppers next time.
Very good, great instructions and supporting pics. This will go in our rotation of favorite meals!
Next time, it would be more helpful if you repeated the quantity of the items within the instructions. I followed along on my iPad and spent a lot of time scrolling down to the quantity and then back to the instructions.
I tried this today. I liked the amount of heat and the rich taste. It was a hit at home. Thank you!
Wonder if this could be made as a stacked pie?
Hi Judy, I think it would work well. Please let me know how it turns out if you try it.
I live in the Southwest and I’m always looking for new recipes like this. I’m really glad that I can pick up a roasted chicken from my grocer for this recipe, and that most of these ingredients are already in my kitchen. This shall be tonight’s dinner! Thank you.