Chicken Quesadillas

Quick Weeknight Dinner Serves 4 20 Minutes

Chicken quesadillas are the Swiss army knife of weeknight cooking. Fast, endlessly customizable, and loved by adults and kids alike. Crispy golden tortillas, melted cheese pulling in long strings, and seasoned chicken in every bite. This is the dinner you make when you need something good on the table in 20 minutes flat.

The secret to a great quesadilla is simple: butter in the pan for a crispy shell, cheese on both sides of the filling so it acts as glue, and medium heat so the tortilla gets golden without burning before the cheese melts. Use leftover rotisserie chicken and this goes even faster.

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked shredded chicken (rotisserie works great)
• 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese (or Monterey Jack)
• 4 large flour tortillas (10-inch burrito size)
• 1 bell pepper (any color), diced small
• 1/2 medium onion, diced small
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons butter (or neutral oil)
• Salt and pepper to taste

For Dipping

• Salsa
• Sour cream
• Guacamole

Instructions

1. Cook the filling. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced bell pepper and onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the shredded chicken, cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder. Toss everything together and cook for 2 minutes until the spices are fragrant and the chicken is warmed through. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the filling to a bowl and wipe out the skillet.
2. Assemble. Lay a tortilla flat on a clean surface. Spread a layer of cheese on one half of the tortilla. Spoon a quarter of the chicken filling over the cheese. Top with another layer of cheese (this is important — cheese on both sides helps everything stick together). Fold the tortilla in half.
3. Cook. Melt a small pat of butter in the skillet over medium heat. Place the folded quesadilla in the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until the bottom is golden brown and crispy. Carefully flip and cook the other side for another 2-3 minutes until equally golden and the cheese is fully melted.
4. Repeat. Continue with the remaining tortillas and filling, adding a bit more butter to the pan for each one.
5. Rest and cut. Let each quesadilla rest on a cutting board for about 1 minute before cutting into wedges. This brief rest lets the cheese set slightly so it does not all ooze out when you cut.
6. Serve. Arrange wedges on a platter with bowls of salsa, sour cream, and guacamole for dipping.

Tips for Crispy Quesadillas

Variations

• BBQ chicken: Toss the chicken with BBQ sauce instead of spices. Add pickled red onion and cilantro.
• Breakfast quesadilla: Fill with scrambled eggs, cheese, and cooked bacon or sausage.
• Spinach and mushroom: Skip the chicken. Saute mushrooms and spinach with garlic for a vegetarian version.
• Buffalo chicken: Toss chicken in buffalo sauce, use blue cheese crumbles, and serve with ranch.
• Black bean and corn: Add drained black beans and corn to the filling for extra substance.

Nutrition Information

Per serving (1 quesadilla):

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