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:
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- 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.
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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