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four chicken quesadilla triangles stacked on white plate

The Best Chicken Quesadillas

Yield: 8 quesadillas
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

Seasoning Mix:

  • 1 teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt)
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon paprika, smoked or regular
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper (I use coarsely ground)

Quesadillas:

  • 4 cups cooked, chopped chicken
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 2-3 cups sliced mushrooms (optional - see note)
  • 2 medium bell peppers (any color), cored and sliced into thin strips
  • 1 large onion, sliced into thin half moon strips
  • 2-3 tablespoons broth or water
  • 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1 cup shredded medium or sharp cheddar cheese
  • 8 8-inch flour tortillas

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl, add all the seasoning ingredients. Mix well.
  • Toss the chicken with 1/2 of the seasoning mixture. Set aside.
  • In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms (if using), onions, and bell peppers. Sprinkle the remaining seasoning mixture over the veggies. Cook, stirring often, until the onions start to turn translucent and the vegetables start to soften.
  • Add 2-3 tablespoons water or broth (omit this if there is already liquid in the pan from the mushrooms or other veggies). Continue cooking over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until the veggies are crisp-tender and the liquid has reduced slightly.
  • Assemble the quesadillas by spreading cheese on 1/2 of each tortilla. Top the cheese with chicken, veggies, more cheese, and then fold the tortilla in half over the filling ingredients.
  • Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet (or griddle) over medium or medium-low heat. Add a touch of oil to the pan for a crispier quesadilla. Cook the quesadillas on one side until golden, moderating the heat as needed, pressing lightly with a spatula to compress and flatten a bit, if desired. Carefully flip the quesadillas with the spatula and cook on the other side until the tortilla is golden and the filling and cheese is hot and melted.
  • Cut into triangles and serve immediately. (Or keep the cooked quesadillas warm on a baking sheet in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve.)

Notes

Easily Adapted: this recipe can easily be adapted to change up the veggies, cheese and meat to your liking. 
  • Veggies: any color or variety of bell pepper would work, add jalapenos for some heat, use red onions or yellow onions, add extra mushrooms or leave them out, add corn kernels or zucchini or any other vegetable you like.
  • Cheese: I prefer grating my own Monterey Jack and cheddar, but you can use a pre-shredded Mexican blend or other variety of cheese. Freshly grated cheese melts better than pre-shredded cheese (and Monterey Jack melts better/creamier than mozzarella). 
  • Meat: you could leave the meat out and amp up the veggies for a veggie quesadilla, or switch out the meat and use ground beef or ground turkey (if doing so, add the seasoning mixture while the meat cooks).