These Chicken Quesadillas are a quick and easy meal, perfect for a simple dinner or weekend lunch! I load mine with chicken breast, bell peppers, and lots of melty cheese.
Looking for more easy dinners? Try my Ground Beef Tacos or Tortilla Pizza next!
About This Recipe
I'm back from winter vacation! I spent most of my time lounging around at home, but I did manage to cook (and photograph) a few new recipes, which I'll be posting this week. The first of the batch is these delicious chicken quesadillas.
Chicken Quesadillas are one of the easiest and tastiest weeknight meals you can make. They come together in less than 20 minutes, and with the help of store-bought taco seasoning, they're packed with bold, savory flavor with almost no effort.
Over the years, I've learned a few good tips for making the best quesadillas at home:
- Brush olive oil over the tortilla skins. This will give them a nice flavor and help with browning and crisping up in the pan.
- Grate your own cheese. Pre-grated cheeses typically contain starches, which prevent them from melting as nicely. If you want a nice cheese pull, always grate your own cheese. In terms of the specific type, I recommend something that melts nicely, like cheddar, mozzarella, or Monterey Jack.
- Cook over medium-low heat. If your heat is too aggressive, the cheese on the inside will not melt before the outside is burnt.
Key Ingredients
Olive oil: You'll need olive oil for sauteeing the chicken breast and also brushing it on the outside of the tortilla skins.
Chicken breast: You can either use raw or cooked chicken breasts. If you use cooked chicken breasts, you can skip the first step for cooking the chicken.
Onions & red pepper: These are my favorite toppings to add to quesadillas, but you can really add anything you like. For example, green bell peppers, chili peppers, mushrooms, canned beans, corn, etc.
Taco seasoning: You can also use fajita seasoning. I actually prefer the taste of taco seasoning over fajita seasoning when I make fajitas because it has more chili powder.
Cheese: Truthfully, any type of melty cheese will work. For this recipe, I used Monterey Jack. Other good options are cheddar, mozzarella,
Flour tortillas: This is self-explanatory. We need a tortilla to wrap the toppings with.
Instructions
STEP 1: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer. Cook for 2 minutes on each side until cooked through. Remove to a plate.
STEP 2: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook the onions and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes until softened.
STEP 3: Return the chicken to the pan along with the taco seasoning. Stir to combine and set aside.
STEP 4: Lay out the tortillas. Brush one side of each tortilla with olive oil, then place them oil-side down. Sprinkle ¼ of the chicken mixture and ½ cup of cheese onto one half of each tortilla. Fold the tortillas in half over the filling.
STEP 5: Heat a nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Cook each quesadilla for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown, and the cheese is melted.
Chicken Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- 1 pound chicken breast (cut into small cubes)
- 1 small onion (diced)
- 1 small red bell pepper (diced)
- 1 (1-ounce) packet taco seasoning (or fajita seasoning)
- 2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese (or any cheese blend)
- 4 large flour tortillas
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer. Cook for 2 minutes on each side until cooked through. Remove to a plate.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook the onions and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes until softened.
- Return the chicken to the pan along with the taco seasoning. Stir to combine and set aside.
- Lay out the tortillas. Brush one side of each tortilla with olive oil, then place them oil-side down. Sprinkle ¼ of the chicken mixture and ½ cup of cheese onto one half of each tortilla. Fold the tortillas in half over the filling.
- Heat a nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Cook each quesadilla for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown, and the cheese is melted.
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