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 loved every recipe of Jenn’s that I’ve tried. This one is great, too. I tried it with five chipotles and it was too spicy — we ate it all, but everyone requested a bit less spice. I’ll try three next time and work up from there if needed. I successfully used corn tortillas (we’re gluten free) and they worked great. I buttered and browned them on both sides, then added toppings. Thanks for another great recipe! You are a trusted cooking adviser!! 😉
These quesadillas are DELICIOUS!! I have been making homemade chicken quesadillas for years and always felt they were somewhat bland. I tried different ways of adding more flavor, but felt I never quite got it right. Then I tried your recipe and WOW so much flavor! My husband insists that I only make quesadillas this way from now on. We have also made the filling for this recipe and used it to make burrito bowls which is also delicious. (This recipe is too spicy for my girls, however, they don’t eat spicy well at all.) Thanks Jen for solving our bland quesadilla problem!
This looks amazing will definitely try this tonight. By any chance is there nutrion favts on the recipe?
Hi Anh, I just added the nutritional info. (They’re a bit of an indulgence :). Hope you enjoy!
These were delicious!! Thank you so much!!
This is one of my all-time favorite recipes. I think they are so so so delicious!
I used to make them with chicken and then stopped eating meat and now make them with 1-2 cans of black beans and they are just as delicious.
Highly recommend this recipe. I try 4-5 different recipes a week from a variety of blogs and this is still one of my favorites.
Does the 1/3 cup chipotle peppers include the sauce too in it? Also are you supposed to use the seeds in the sauce or discard the seeds?
Yes, the sauce will naturally cling to the peppers, so the 1/3 cup will be a combination of peppers and sauce. And yes, you do include the seeds. Hope you enjoy!
This recipe is AMAZING! A definite keeper…. restaurant quality quesadillas.
This is fantastic. Left out 2 peppers for the picky 14 year old, otherwise made as published and will add it to the rotation. Thank you as always!
Delicious!
Thank you for a great recipe! I made some small changes: only used about a half an onion, and instead of honey I used agave (1Tbsp.) My boyfriend always thanks me for cooking dinner but tonight he would not stop talking about how much he liked this! Definitely a keeper. I may use the leftover chicken filling for enchiladas.