Say hello to these chicken quesadillas! They are made with shredded chicken that is tossed in a white cheese sauce and veggies and served in a delicious toasted tortilla.
We have A LOT of amazing quesadilla recipes over here on The Cheese Knees (ahem, air fryer quesadillas, ground beef quesadillas, and a classic cheese ‘dilla), but these smothered chicken quesadillas officially take the top spot for fave quesadilla recipe of mine.
We absolutely love the creamy cheesy flavor of the smothered chicken + the perfectly sautéed peppers and onions to round out a truly amazing quesadilla recipe.
PS: our recipe for the chicken quesadillas is definitely Mexican-inspired, but not authentic as we’re using shredded cheddar cheese instead of authentic Mexican cheese.
What is in Chicken Quesadillas
- Shredded chicken: we used rotisserie chicken to save time but you can prepare chicken or use leftovers.
- Yellow onion: red onion will also work.
- Red and yellow bell peppers: the color pop of red and yellow bell peppers looks really nice in these quesadillas, but feel free to use any color bell pepper you have on hand.
- Salsa: choose your favorite variety. Keep in mind that the flavor of the salsa will directly impact the flavor of the entire dish.
- Monterey jack cheese: the flavor of Monterey jack cheese offers a little heat while melting really well. Feel free to sub for any other shredded cheese that melts well.
- 10-inch flour tortillas: we love using large tortillas for quesadillas because you can pack in all the filling ingredients really well! But any size tortilla will work, just be mindful it will impact the size of your quesadillas.
Substitutions & Variations
Quesadillas are an easy dish to make your own. Feel free to add more vegetables like mushrooms, jalapenos, or tomatoes. You can also add black beans or pinto beans to add extra fiber and protein.
Simple
Cheese Quesadilla
Sometimes simple is best. Here’s a quick recipe for a cheese quesadilla. In this post, we’ll teach you how to make a cheese quesadilla, plus how to stuff it and make it your own!
FAQs
What is a quesadilla?
A quesadilla is a Mexican dish that is made with a tortilla filled with cheese and other ingredients that is fried in oil or butter.
What goes with chicken quesadillas?
Anything your heart desires! We love serving our chicken quesadillas with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and lettuce.
How do you make chicken quesadillas crispy?
Pan-fry your quesadillas over medium/high heat using olive or avocado oil.
Storage
While we recommend eating your quesadillas fresh, you can absolutely make them for later.
Transfer leftover quesadillas into a large, gallon-size bag and store in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Can you freeze quesadillas?
Quesadillas can easily be frozen.
- Let your chicken quesadillas cool completely.
- Then, wrap with tin foil. Remove as much air as possible and seal tightly.
- Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
We recommend serving these quesadillas with our white queso and homemade queso fresco.
Chicken Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 1 lb. shredded chicken we used rotisserie chicken
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup 2% milk
- 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt separated
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil separated
- 1 small yellow onion thinly sliced
- 1 large red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 large yellow bell pepper thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 3 tablespoons salsa
- 1 cup monteray jack cheese shredded
- 4 large 10-inch flour tortillas
Instructions
- First, prepare your chicken. If you are using pre-shredded chicken, set the chicken aside. If you are baking your chicken or preparing it in the Instant Pot, do that now. When the chicken is shredded, place it into a large bowl and set aside.
- Next, create a roux. Heat a medium saucepan over medium/high heat and add butter. Once melted, add the flour to the butter and whisk the two ingredients together. Cook the roux over heat for 1-2 minutes
- Slowly add the milk to the saucepan, whisking constantly. Whisk until the cheese sauce has thickened.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and add the pepper jack cheese to the saucepan and whisk the cheese into the sauce until melted. Add the cumin and ½ teaspoon of salt to the sauce and whisk to combine.
- Pour the pepper jack cheese sauce over the shredded chicken and toss.
- Next, heat a large skillet over medium/high heat and add one tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. When the oil is fragrant, add the onion to the skillet and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the sliced peppers and salsa to the skillet and season with the rest of the salt. Toss the ingredients together and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until the peppers are cooked but not mushy. Remove from heat and add the peppers to a mixing bowl.
- Carefully wipe the skillet out with a paper towel and heat the skillet again over medium heat and add 1-2 teaspoons of oil to the pan. Place one tortilla in a skillet and add ¼ cup of shredded monterey jack cheese to the bottom of half of the tortilla. Place ⅓ cup of shredded chicken on top of the cheese, and then ¼ cup of peppers and onions over the chicken. Fold the other half of the quesadilla over all of the ingredients and press the quesadilla down with a spatula. Cook the quesadilla for 3-4 minutes or until the quesadilla is browned. Carefully flip the quesadilla over to the other side and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until brown.
- Repeat step 7 until all of the quesadillas are made.
- Top your quesadillas with your favorite fixings.
Tips & Notes
- You can use any shredded meat that you would like for this recipe.
- If you don’t have 2% milk, any type of unsweetened milk will work.
- We used large 10-inch flour tortillas but large burrito tortillas or medium sized tortillas will work, too.
