Last updated on March 7th, 2022 at 12:09 pm
Easy Chicken Quesadilla Recipe – A really simple yet so satisfying and filling wrap that can be had for breakfast or lunch or even as a snack. The crisped tortillas on the outside with molten bits of cheese with chicken filling is all oh-so -delicious!
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One of the easiest and crazy good ways to use up tortillas is by making this Easy Chicken Quesadilla Recipe. These Chicken Quesadillas are so easy to make and you can get the chicken ready and stocked in the fridge. Whenever you need quesadillas you only have to assemble it and cook them up.
Easy Chicken Quesadilla Recipe
What goes into this:
Tortillas: Homemade or store-bought tortillas can be used for this recipe. I like to use whole wheat tortillas or corn tortillas for this. But I mostly end up making flour tortillas and using them up.
Chicken: Chicken breasts go best for this easy chicken quesadilla recipe. However, you can use a mix of chicken thighs and breasts. Quesadilla seasoning is used as a marinade and it will be good if you let it marinate for about 1-2 hours. I usually slice the chicken into long strips so that the marinade really gets into the chicken. And it also gets easier when we chop it up later.
Quesadilla Seasoning: A mix of pantry spices and herbs will give you this quesadilla seasoning. Onion powder, garlic powder, cumin powder, paprika powder/chilli powder, a bit of black pepper powder along with some dried oregano makes this spice mix.
If you don’t have oregano you can use mixed herbs. The paprika powder adds mild hotness to the chicken, if using Indian chili powder though you need to reduce the quantity. Onion powder, garlic powder, and cumin powder are for flavor and they add some much need flavor to the chicken filling.
Serving Suggestions:
I like usually to just squeeze some lemon over the crisp freshly made tortillas and I’m always happy. But when I’m serving it to my husband and/or friends, I make some tomato salsa, corn salsa, and guacamole to go with these along with some sour cream. It isn’t easy to find sour cream here so I make it at home or just use extra lemons, but if you can find it easily definitely use it!
Storing these chicken quesadillas:
There are 3 ways you can do make-ahead like work with this Chicken Quesadillas.
- First way is: Slice the chicken and mix with the quesadilla seasoning. Put them in a ziploc and freeze it for later. When needed thaw it in refrigerator for a few hours or in the microwave.
- The second way is to make the filling and store it an airtight container in the refrigerator for upto 2 days or in the freezer. When you need these Chicken Quesadillas, you can fill them up inside the tortillas and you’ll be set. If you’ve frozen it, you might want to thaw it. The bell pepper will lose its color when stored like this, you can either skip this altogether or saute it on the skillet just before making the quesadilla.
- Third way is to assemble the quesadillas with the filling inside the tortillas and topped with cheese. Wrap them up individually in mini ziploc bags; thaw and cook them up until crisp. This could get tricky if the cheese you pick doesn’t freeze well. If that’s the case, sprinkle the cheese only before cooking.
Notes:
- Use store bought or homemade tortillas for this easy chicken quesadilla recipe.
- The filling mentioned here would fill up 8 medium sized tortillas. If you’re going with large size, divide the filling up into 6 portions.
- Do not over fill the tortillas, or else the tortillas won’t hold the filling.
- Also ensure that you sprinkle some cheese over the edges, so that they stick together and keep everything neatly inside.
- everything neatly inside.
- Maintain the heat at medium flame so that the cheese melts and at the same time letting tortillas crisp up nicely.
- To serve, get some guac, sour cream, salsa, or lime wedges ready.
- Corn Kernels: If using frozen corn, warm them up in hot water for 5 minutes and then pat them completely dry. If using fresh corn, cook the ears of corn for 20 minutes in salted water or 10 minutes in a pressure cooker. Remove the kernels once it has cooled down and pat them completely dry.
More recipes you might like:
Recipe for Whole Wheat Tortillas
Homemade Flour tortillas recipe
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Easy Chicken Quesadilla Recipe | Chicken Quesadilla Recipe Simple
Ingredients
- 1 lb Chicken Breast , 450g approx.
For the quesadilla seasoning:
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Oregano / Basil / Mixed Herbs
- 1 tsp Cumin Powder
- 1.5 tsp Paprika , (sub. with 1 tsp chilli powder)
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
For the filling:
- 4 tbsp Olive Oil
- 5 medium Garlic Cloves , finely minced
- 1 medium Red or Yellow Onion , finely chopped
- 1 small Bell Pepper , diced
For the assembling:
- 1 cup Corn Kernels , see notes*
- 7 oz Mozarella Cheese , (200 g)
- 1/4 cup Cilantro Leaves , chopped
Instructions
For the Chicken:
- Thaw and cut the chicken breasts into thin strips. Put them in a mixing bowl.
- Mix the spices listed under "quesadilla seasoning" together and put it over the chicken. Mix it thoroughly using a spatula and cover the bowl with cling film or lid. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Heat a skillet with 2 tbsp Olive Oil. Once it is hot, add the marinated chicken and reduce the flame to medium. Cook one side of the chicken pieces and then flip to cook it all thoroughly.
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a chopping board and let it cool down. Once cold enough to handle, using a serrated knife, chop the strips into pieces. Transfer it a mixing bowl and set it aside.
For the filling:
- Wash the same skillet (just a quick wash to get the spices out), add 2 tbsp olive oil to it and heat it up. Once hot, add the chopped onions and garlic and saute until the onions turn translucent. Transfer it to the mixing bowl with chicken.
- Add the bell peppers/ capsicum to the skillet and sauté in high heat for a minute or two, not letting them char. Transfer it to the mixing bowl. Add the corn kernels to the mixing bowl along with the cilantro leaves. Mix it all together and divide them up into 8 equal portions.
Cooking the quesadillas:
- Shred the cheese onto a plate and divide into 8 portions. Lay the tortillas out on a clean counter.
- From each portion of the shredded cheese, sprinkle half of it on one half of the tortillas. Spread the chicken filling over it. Add the remaining half of the cheese.
- Fold the tortillas over to close the filling. Ensure that you have enough cheese on the edges so that they act like a seal. Repeat the same with all the other tortillas.
- Heat a clean skillet and cook the quesadillas 2 at a time on low-medium heat for 5 minutes. Carefully flip to the other side and cook for 5 more minutes or until the tortillas are browned up nicely, have crisped up and the cheese has melted.
- Transfer to a chopping board, cut in the middle and serve it immediately.
Notes
- Use store-bought or homemade tortillas.
- The filling mentioned here would fill up 8 medium-sized tortillas. If you’re going with a large size, divide the filling up into 6 portions.
- Do not overfill the tortillas, or else the tortillas won’t hold the filling.
- Also, ensure that you sprinkle some cheese over the edges so that they stick together and keep everything neatly inside.
- everything is neatly inside.
- Maintain the heat at medium flame so that the cheese melts and at the same time the tortillas crisp up nicely.
- To serve, get some guac, sour cream, salsa, or lime wedges ready.
- Corn Kernels: If using frozen corn, warm them up in hot water for 5 minutes and then pat them completely dry. If using fresh corn, cook the ears of corn for 20 minutes in salted water or 10 minutes in a pressure cooker. Remove the kernels once it has cooled down and pat them completely dry.
Made this? Got doubts? Let me know what you think in the comments below!
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