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This easy, cheesy chicken quesadilla recipe is a crowd favorite. Filled with a delicious homemade sauce, these hand-held bites are irresistible!
Our Favorite Quesadilla!
One of our go-to dinner recipes are these quesadillas!
SO often we find ourselves needing a quick but yummy dinner idea, and these quesadillas have saved the day so many times.
Not only are they very simple and quick, but the kids now know how to make them and they are so easy to customize based on preference.
Why we love theM:
- Beyond simple. Just a few ingredients and whipped in minutes (perfect for lunch, dinner or even a snack).
- Versatile. This recipe is a great base for any classic quesadilla. Include the sauce, omit it, add shredded chicken, shredded beef, or your favorite veggies.
- Great appetizer too! Just cut into bite-sized triangles and they will be devoured in minutes.
IngredientS
- Tortillas (homemade or store bought) – both work great, but we prefer homemade.
- Shredded Chicken – you will need about 2 cups for this recipe.
- Sauce Mixture: mayonnaise, taco seasoning, hot sauce, garlic salt
- Cheese – We recommend using a combination of Oaxaca and Chihuahua cheese for the perfect melty cheese (pre-packaged cheese has a wax over it and does not melt as well, so we do not recommend it), but other cheeses that can be used include:
- Monterey Jack cheese, Mozzarella cheese, Cheddar cheese, Fontina cheese, Gruyere cheese, Havarti cheese, Provolone cheese, Swiss cheese, Pepper Jack cheese
How to Make Chicken Quesadillas
- SAUCE. Whisk together the taco seasoning, mayo, hot sauce, and garlic salt in a bowl. Spread the mixture onto one side of a tortilla.
- LAYER. Add your desired amount of shredded chicken and cheese to the tortilla. Add a layer of the sauce onto another tortilla and place that on top (or you can use one tortilla and fold it over).
- COOK.
- Microwave. Cook your quesadilla in the microwave first for about 20 seconds. This will help the cheese get extra melty.
- Stovetop. Then place the quesadilla in a large pan or skillet on the stove until it gets brown and crispy.
Just omit the chicken and sauce for a classic Cheese Quesadilla.
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Chicken Quesadilla Recipe
This easy, cheesy chicken quesadilla is a crowd favorite. Filled with a delicious homemade sauce, these hand-held bites are irresistible!
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon taco seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon garlic salt (with parsley flakes)
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 6 tortillas
- 2 cups Mexican cheese
- 2 cups shredded chicken seasoned
Instructions
- Whisk together mayo, taco seasoning, garlic salt, and hot sauce. NOTE: You can use whatever hot sauce you prefer. We love to keep around the mild sauce from Taco Bell, so I always use that plus my husband's favorite, Valentino.
- Spread mixture on one side of tortilla. Sprinkle desired amount of shredded chicken on top, then cheese. Add sauce to a second tortilla and place on top.
- Heat in the microwave for about 20 seconds, then put on the stove, until nice a crisp. If you have sauce left over, use for dipping!
Video
Notes
STORE leftover shredded chicken quesadillas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat. The best way to reheat it and still keep the outside crispy is to use a nonstick pan over medium heat.
- When the pan is hot place the quesadilla in the pan. Heat for 1-2 minutes on each side until the cheese has melted and the tortilla is crispy once again.
- Transfer to a nonstick pan and finish cooking over medium heat until cheese is melted and the tortilla is crispy.
Nutrition
Calories: 478kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 41g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 51mg, Sodium: 836mg, Potassium: 85mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 270IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 281mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Best Variations for this recipe?
- Vegetables. cooked mushrooms, baby spinach, fresh corn, diced green chilies, red bell peppers, red onions or shallots, and diced tomato
- Toppings. cilantro, avocado or Guacamole, sour cream, or Pico de Gallo
- Fillings. black beans or sliced olives
- Protein. grilled steak, shredded beef, ground beef or pork
- Spices. sprinkle on smoked paprika, and add a bit of heat with crushed red peppers
Best dips for Quesadillas?
How to store?
- STORE leftover shredded chicken quesadillas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat. No one likes a soggy quesadilla. The best way to reheat it and still keep the outside crispy is to use a nonstick pan over medium heat.
- Make ahead and freeze. Follow the recipe for chicken quesadilla as usual. Once you have heated the quesadillas in the microwave, place them on a cookie sheet. Flash-freeze them until firm. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months.
I don’t have taco seasoning. Can I substitute something else or omit it?
You could omit or you could make your own taco seasoning mix. Here is a recipe for that: https://lilluna.com/taco-seasoning/
I want to try this recipe but have a question. What can I replace the hot sauce with? Hot sauce too hot for me.
This recipe is amazing!!! My son was wanting Taco Bell for supper so I thought I’ll try to make my own. This was perfect!! Ended up making one for myself also! ☺️ Thank you
Really easy and delicious. We loved every bite.
Love this. I used leftover fried chicken breast and it was so yummy and easy. Thanks for this recioe
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed the quesadillas! Thanks for sharing what you did.
Would not use the microwave but place on a sheet pan under broiler and flip. The microwave made them soft and then on the stovetop it fell apart and made a big mess.
Thanks for the feedback and for giving the recipe a try!
There are very good but how long should I cook them before flipping them. I have made them twice now and both times they are soft.
can you do half mayo and half sour cream?
I’m sure you could!
Hi…can you use rotisserie chicken in this?…
Absolutely!!
Way way too salty!! Would have been great if not for all the salt and I used unsalted butter to fry! Supper was really ruined!
Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy the recipe. You can always reduce the amount of garlic salt or use low-sodium taco seasoning if you feel it is too salty as is. Thanks for giving the recipe a try!
A lite more explanation would be hpful. Like do you fry them in oil or butter. You don’t explain what to do after you take them out of the microwave. We are not all experts some of us are rookies.