Homemade Chicken Quesadilla
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This Chicken Quesadilla recipe is the meal everyone will beg for with its crispy, golden shell giving way to ooey gooey cheese, juicy seasoned chicken, bell peppers, onions, and black beans. Top the handheld heroes with guacamole, sour cream and/or salsa for the ultimate flavor explosion. Best of all, the chicken filling can be prepped 100% ahead of time for a heat-and-eat lunch or dinner, perfect for bustling school nights. Serve your quesadillas up with Cilantro Lime Rice and Pina Colada Fruit Salad for a complete meal!
Ingredients
Instructions
Cook Chicken
Whisk the Spice Mix together in a small bowl.
Pat chicken dry with paper towels, then lightly rub with a drizzle of olive oil. Season chicken with 1 1/2 tablespoons Spice Mix (reserve the rest for the vegetables).
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet or indoor grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for 3-4 minutes per side, until it reaches 165 degrees F on an instant read thermometer (this is my favorite).
Transfer chicken to cutting board; let rest for 5 minutes before dicing.
Cook Vegetables
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the now empty skillet. Add onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add bell pepper and remaining Spice Mix and cook for 2 minutes.
Add black beans, green chilies and garlic and cook an additional 1-2 minutes, or until onions are tender and bell peppers reach desired crisp-tenderness.
Remove from heat and stir in the diced chicken.
Assemble
Toss the cheeses together in a large bowl for easy assembly.
Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add one tortilla to the skillet and top one side with some of the cheeses (about 1/3-1/2 cup). Top the cheese with chicken/vegetable mixture, then sprinkle with cilantro. Fold the empty tortilla half over the filling to create a half moon.
Cook
Lightly press down with a spatula. Cook until the bottom is golden and crispy, about 2-3 minutes.
Flip the quesadilla over the folded edge (use the folded edge as a hinge, see video) with a spatula. Press down lightly and cook an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the tortilla is golden and crispy and the cheese is completely melted.
Serve
Transfer to a cutting board and cut into triangles using a pizza cutter. Serve immediately with guacamole, sour cream, salsa, avocado crema. etc.
To keep warm: Alternatively, keep the cooked quesadillas warm on a baking sheet in a 200 degrees F oven until all the quesadillas are done and you’re ready to serve.
