These are the best chicken quesadillas on the internet, with tender sliced chicken, bell peppers, red onion and tex mex cheese.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – any other neutral cooking oil like canola or avocado oil will work.
- Chicken breasts – use leftover chicken, boneless skinless chicken thighs or even turkey instead.
- Taco seasoning – make your own using a blend of chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
- Minced garlic – fresh minced garlic is best but the jarred variety or even garlic powder will work in a pinch.
- Bell pepper – use any colour bell pepper of your choice. Poblano peppers would also be good if you don’t have any bell peppers.
- Red onion – white or yellow onion can be used instead but have a much milder flavour.
- Pico de gallo or salsa – I like using fresh pico de gallo or salsa (the Garden Fresh variety) but you could also slice up some fresh tomatoes.
- Flour tortillas – feel free to use white or whole-wheat flour tortillas.
- Tex Mex shredded cheese – this is my favourite type to use for quesadillas and has the most authentic taste but you can use any shredded cheese variety of your choice.
- Cilantro – leave this out altogether if you don’t like cilantro.
How to make chicken quesadillas
- Sauté the chicken.
- Add in the taco seasoning and veggies.
- Layer cheese onto each tortilla.
- Add on the chicken mixture and cilantro.
- Top with more cheese and another tortilla.
- Bake until crispy then dig in!
What to serve on the side
These chicken quesadillas are already jam-packed with flavour, but you can serve them with some sour cream on the side for dipping. Here are some more of my favourite side ideas:
- Homemade or store-bought guacamole
- Salsa or hot sauce
- Tortilla chips
- Refried beans
- Coleslaw
Frequently Asked Questions
Making chicken quesadillas at home is definitely healthier than getting them at a restaurant. A lot of restaurants and takeout spots will fry their tortilla shells and use a lot of butter, whereas this recipe bakes the quesadillas and just uses a bit of oil to sauté the chicken.
There are 524 calories per quesadilla – however, each quesadilla is pretty big and you’ll feel pretty full after eating half. You can also cut down on the calorie count by using less cheese or a part-skim blend.
Pretty much whatever you want, as long as there’s cheese! Chicken and cheese are normally the standard but you can fill your quesadilla with beans, veggies and more.
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Storing and reheating
You can store any leftover quesadillas in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in airtight glass containers. I recommend reheating them in the oven so they still have that nice crispy finish. Place them on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake for 5-10 minutes at 375° Fahrenheit.
If you’re in a pinch, you can microwave them for a couple minutes, but the tortillas will likely get soggy and won’t have the same texture.
Freezing this recipe
These quesadillas can definitely be frozen – as long as you’re using fresh or refrigerated leftover chicken. If you’re using defrosted frozen chicken, you won’t be able to freeze your quesadillas, as frozen chicken can’t be re-frozen. But if you’re using fresh chicken, go for it!
To make sure your quesadillas don’t freeze together, I recommend freezing them on a baking sheet first before storing them in a freezer-safe Ziploc or airtight glass container. They’ll last in the freezer for 2-3 months.
When you’re ready to eat, let them thaw in the fridge overnight then reheat in the oven for 10 minutes at 375° Fahrenheit on a foil-lined baking sheet until heated through.
More quesadilla and taco recipes
- Freezer-Friendly Tex Mex Breakfast Quesadillas
- Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos
- Street Corn Cajun Chicken Tacos
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning these quesadillas into your weekly lunches.
- I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
- Get a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken is cooked through.
- Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls for up to 3 months.
Chicken Quesadilla Recipe {Best Ever!!!}
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 chicken breasts diced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 tbsp taco seasoning add salt and pepper if using homemade taco seasoning
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 bell pepper, diced any colour
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1/2 cup store-bought pico de Gallo or salsa
- 8 medium-sized flour tortillas
- 6-8 cups tex mex shredded cheese you can add more or cheese depending on the exact size of your tortillas and your personal preference
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, sautéing for 2 minutes until lightly browned then add in taco seasoning and minced garlic, stirring well until combined. Add in bell pepper and onions, sautéing for another 4-5 minutes until softened. Stir in pico de Gallo then remove from heat.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, then add 2 flour tortillas to each. Add a layer of cheese to each tortilla (about 3/4 cup cheese per tortilla), then add chicken mixture and a bit of cilantro if desired. Finish with a final layer of cheese (about another 3/4 cup), then add remaining tortillas overtop.
- Bake quesadillas for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are crispy. Remove from the oven, slice into quarters with a pizza cutter, then serve and enjoy!
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