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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This is a delicious spin on a chicken quesadilla. I followed recipe as written and added corn and sliced black olives. Definitely a keeper!
I wanted to make the quesadillas this weekend. How do I make the shredded chicken? Thanks
Hi Amreeta, but if you’d prefer to cook your own chicken, I’d suggest roasting the chicken as described in this recipe. Hope you enjoy!
These quesadillas are the most delicious ones I have ever made or eaten! There is a nice heat, with the honey offsetting some of the spiciness (and I like spicy). I initially thought 4 cloves of garlic would be too much, but the blending of all of the ingredients works so well together, and not one ingredient is overpowering. I used a mix of half white and half dark chicken, and left out the cilantro since I did not have any. My husband and I thought they were fantastic and I will definitely be making these again and again. I served them with tortilla chips, sour cream and salsa (the salsa more for the chips than the quesadillas). I thought about serving with a side of refried beans but I did not, which was fine because we could eat more of the quesadillas! These would make a fantastic appetizer also.
The best quesadilla! Next time I will add more vegetables because the meat and cheese needed a little something. I was thinking grilled onion/pepper. That is why I didn’t give all stars.
The basic recipe was very easy. I used a griddle covering two burners for the tortillas, and I made the chicken mix in a cast iron and put it on low. I put one 1/2 cup measuring cup with the chicken mix and a cup measuring cup (with lines on it) for the cheese, scooped, plopped and spread. Couldn’t be easier! PS I made the recipe TO THE LETTER, but my daughter said it was too spicy. I added a PLAIN chicken breast, shredded, to the two others and it came out flavorful also.
Hubby approved…delicious!
Hey Jen,
I’d like to make this for my parents, but my dad has a strong dislike for the “smoked” taste associated with chipotle peppers in adobe. Can you offer a recommendation as to a substitute for this ingredient, one which won’t alter the overall flavour significantly?
Looking forward to attending your book event in Toronto!
Thank you.
Hi Alan, I might try finely minced sun-dried tomatoes. You could also try a not-sweet barbecue sauce. Hope that helps! I’ll be at Indigo Books at Eaton Centre on May 16th from 5-6:30PM for a very casual drop-in book-signing. Hope you can come and say hi!
This is an amazing recipe that is so easy to make. I tried it with both chicken and black beans and it’s amazing both ways!! I actually prefer it with the black beans.
The whole family loved these, just a little spicy for the littlest one. They were so good, I had been craving *something* that I couldn’t pinpoint for days and these totally satisfied that!
This was way too sweet for us. We are used to pretty spicy Mexican food, so I decreased the amount of honey to just a little over a tablespoon. Wish I’d have tasted it first then add a little honey at a time. I’d think 1/2 tablespoon would’ve been plenty for us.
I made these quesadillas last night and they were just delicious. I especially loved the layering of flavors, without any one in particular dominating the dish. I did use the recommended amount of the chilis, and the other reviewers were correct in that this dish is not spicy. I did not need to cook the mixture for the full 20 minutes after adding the peppers and tomatoes-perhaps tomatoes are a little less juicy in the mid-west in April! We enjoyed your Best Ever Rice Krispie Treats for dessert. Another home run, Jenn. I can’t wait for my cookbook to arrive :-).
Glad you enjoyed it and thank you for your support with the cookbook! 🙂