Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas
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A smoky-sweet chipotle sauce takes these quesadillas from simple to next-level delicious, and they’re still easy enough for a weeknight.
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. They’re like a grown-up twist on my classic chicken quesadillas: just as cheesy and satisfying, but with a bold, saucy flavor that makes them feel a little more special. The recipe is adapted from Curtis Stone, one of my favorite chefs and cookbook authors.
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. If you’ve got leftover quesadillas, they can be frozen for up to three months.
“Sweet Lord these were amazing!”
What You’ll Need To Make Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas
- Red onion, garlic, and scallions: These aromatics build the flavor base, adding depth and just a hint of sweetness to balance the heat.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo: Smoky, spicy, and rich, these canned peppers (usually smoked red jalapeños) are packed in a tangy tomato sauce and bring the signature flavor to these quesadillas. Look for them in the Latin section of most supermarkets. Want more ways to use them? Try my chipotle honey vinaigrette and black bean and corn salad.
- Tomatoes: Fresh and slightly sweet, they add brightness and a little juiciness to the sauce.
- Honey: A touch of sweetness to round out the heat from the chipotles and the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Cooked shredded chicken: The hearty protein here; leftover or rotisserie chicken works great, and you can use white or dark meat.
- Cilantro: Fresh and herby, it brightens everything up and ties the flavors together. Feel free to omit it if you’re not a fan.
- Flour tortillas: The crispy golden shell that holds it all together.
- Sharp cheddar cheese: Melty, creamy, and tangy; balances the smoky spice and makes the quesadillas irresistibly gooey.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cook the aromatics. Begin by cooking the red onions and garlic in olive oil.
Step 2: Add the tomatoes and peppers. Cook, stirring often, until the mixture has thickened and most of the liquid has cooked off.
Step 3: Finish the filling. Stir in the shredded chicken, salt, honey, green onions, and cilantro. Keep the mixture warm while you prep the quesadillas. (At this point, you can store the filling for up to two days.)
Step 4: Build the quesadillas. Heat a tortilla on a griddle or in a skillet. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the whole surface, then spoon the filling onto one half.
Step 5: Flip and crisp. Once the cheese has mostly melted, fold the tortilla over the filling to form a half-moon. Cook until the quesadilla is golden and crisp on both sides, a few minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
Step 6: Cut and serve. Transfer the quesadillas to a cutting board, let them cool for a bit, then slice into wedges. Serve warm with sour cream, guacamole, lime wedges, or whatever you like.
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Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large red onion, chopped (about 1½ cups)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (you'll need about 6 chilis)
- 4 vine-ripened tomatoes, (about 1¼ lbs/567 g), 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 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.
Notes
- 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 off 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 oven to heat them up, but they won’t be as crisp and gooey as they are fresh.
- 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
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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I’ve made quite alot of your recipes since following your facebook page, but this one is a keeper and my “go to meal” when all else fails. Easily have all ingredients in the cupboard and everyone is 100% satisfied after having usually more than two! And the recipe is always asked for but I just tell them to follow you on FB!
These quesadillas are sooo good. And a great way to use up chicken/turkey leftovers.
The filling was excellent and we enjoyed the honey and pepper combo. Not sure at which point I faltered but the underside of my tortillas became oily. Might i have used more oil at the start, not simmered down far enough, or could it have been going straight onto a foil lined, preheated cookie sheet in a 250° oven. All 3? I hope to nail it next time and would love your thoughts. Thanks for all the great, kid friendly but still fun recipes!
Hi Joy, Glad you like the recipes! If the oil wasn’t quite hot enough when you cooked the quesadillas, it may have kept the bottoms from crisping up. Also, the bottom of the quesadillas will inevitably get a bit soft/soggy when heated on the cookie sheet.
Thanks, Jen, for your support. I have to admit, i ran up here to post before i had my own (we have two toddler girls, almost 2 and just turned 3), so my husband and I eat relatively later. The success for us was that about 45 to 60 min later, we were able to enjoy the most fantastic quesadillas we had yet to try. Patience is key, i suppose is the new mantra here lol
Best to you and thanks for your thoughts
Joy
😊
Just to add– my girls are now almost 5, just turned 6, (and #3 will be 1 in a couple months!) — And I just made these for about the 20th time since my initial comment. What a keeper, this recipe and your whole site in general. I’ve made many of your recipes and have always been blown away by how well they turn out and how easy they are to execute. Looking forward to many more (and all the little ladies do, too!)
Best,
Joy
So glad you’ve had success with the recipes on the blog (and it sounds like you have your hands full with 3 little ladies)!
I just couldn’t resist writing tonight after now, probably the 30th time this recipe has hit our table. We dial down the peppers and our now 7, 5, almost 2 year old girls love them. And from the occasional pop inside I feel, our soon to be “grand finale”, a baby boy due in just under a month, likes it, too! LOL Best to you, Joy
Second time making these and second time totally enjoying! Hubby and Babbas LOVE them!!! I do too!! THANK YOU for your simple and tasty recipes! I am yet to come across anything bland! Coming from the Caribbean I look for spice and flavor and you give both in your delicious recipes!! Keep them coming! I can’t wait to get your cook book!!!!
This is by far one of my favorite recipes! Make sure there are enough tomatoes or the dish turns out dry. And, if you don’t like too much heat, try only 2 peppers and remove the seeds.
These quesadillas were tasty alright, but my oh my all of those chipotle peppers made it, as my 12-year so correctly said, VERY ‘burny’! Unless you’re a huge fan of super hot food take my advice and reduce the number of peppers from 6 to three.
This dish is certainly worthy of another try but with the heat turned down to medium…
Wow, these are so good! Thanks for another fantastic recipe!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5 STARS
I used 2 chipole peppers
Not a surprise, this is another winner! Followed the recipe exactly and, ermahgerd, it’s spicy. Next time I’ll cut down on the peppers by at least half. We are in the middle of a snowstorm and I was out of flour tortillas so I made my own. Seriously delicious.
This recipe is very flavorful but a little hot for my taste buds. I plan to increase tomatoes & decrease the peppers to even it out. Otherwise, it’s wonderful.