Description
Learn how to make delicious chicken and cheese quesadillas with our easy-to-follow recipe. Perfect for a quick and tasty meal any day of the week!
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons chili powder (10 ml)
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (4 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (2.5 g)
- 2 cups cooked diced or shredded chicken (about 450 g)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (15 ml)
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 orange, yellow, or green bell pepper, diced (or 240 ml chopped veggies of choice: baby spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, etc.)
- Hot sauce, optional
- 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) shredded cheese (pepper Jack or Monterey Jack), divided
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided (or additional pepper/Monterey Jack)
- 4 medium whole wheat tortillas
- Oil, butter, or nonstick spray, optional for cooking the quesadillas
- Prepared salsa
- Guacamole
- Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
Instructions
- In a small container, combine chili powder, salt, and garlic powder. Toss the chicken in a separate bowl with half of this blend. Mix well and set aside.
- In a large frying pan on medium heat, warm the oil until it shimmers. Add the diced onion and bell peppers, along with any other chosen vegetables (except spinach, which should be added later). Sprinkle these with the rest of the spice blend and mix well. Cook while stirring periodically until the onion becomes translucent and the other vegetables are tender-crisp, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Add spinach, if using, in stages until it wilts. For extra heat, add hot sauce to your preference. Combine the cooked vegetables with the chicken.
- To prepare the quesadillas: On half of each tortilla, sprinkle about 2 1/2 tablespoons of pepper Jack and 1 1/2 tablespoons of cheddar. Evenly distribute a quarter of the chicken and vegetable mixture over the cheese (it may appear abundant, but that’s fine). Add another 2 1/2 tablespoons of pepper Jack and 1 1/2 tablespoons of cheddar on top.
- Fold the empty side of each tortilla over the filling and press gently. Repeat this with the remaining tortillas.
- To cook the quesadillas: Gently clean out the skillet with a paper towel. Reheat it on medium to medium-low, adding a bit of oil or butter if you desire crispier tortillas. Place one quesadilla in the pan with the folded side in the center and the open edge outward. Fit a second quesadilla beside it in the opposite direction. Lightly flatten them with a spatula (don’t worry if some cheese spills out; it will turn crispy and delicious). Cook until the bottom is golden and crisp, adjusting the heat to prevent burning, about 4 minutes per your stove.
- Flip them carefully and cook the other side for around 2 more minutes, until both sides are a nice golden brown with a slight crisp.
- Allow the quesadillas to cool on a cutting board for a short time (or keep them warm in a 200°F oven while you finish cooking the rest). When ready to serve, cut them into three triangular slices using a sharp knife or pizza cutter. Serve hot with your choice of toppings.
