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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.
Complete the Meal
SERVE WITH
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Desserts
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’ll give this recipe 3 stars for the simplicity. However, in my opinion it lacked flavor. I made for a friend that was taking the quesadillas to work to share. She said that she could only taste the mayo so I tried one and all I could taste was the cheese. I will probably keep this recipe and go stronger on the spices next time. And next time I’ll sample it before making the whole batch.
Thanks for the feedback and for giving the recipe a try!!
Made these but cooked chicken tenders seasoned with taco seasoning in pan with little oil and then shredding. Family totally loved and will be in meal rotation
That sounds delicious! So glad you enjoyed the quesadillas.
Great
Made these on the fly with some extra chicken and those little street taco soft tortillas. Definitely a hit and super easy, super fast. Another winner in my house. Packing a few for my husband to heat up at lunch as well (added onion and peppers to his.)
Oh yummy!! And that’s a great idea to make a few extras for lunches. So glad they were a hit with the fam!
Very good even for seniors
Delicious! Too lazy to go to the store, had two tortillas and a can of shredded chicken and voila, this recipe. This was simple and very tasty. It’s now in the rotation. Thanks for saving a hungry girls life 🥰
Very simple, delicious and ready for dinner. Great to get the dinner ready after a long day of work and not spend too much time in the kitchen. Do not have to used the oven which is a plus for warm days. My boys loved it.
That was the most disgusting quesadilla I have ever had. I knew a cup of mayo was a trash recipe just like ketchup is not an actual cooking ingredient. It was sour and not creamy, a waste of my time and money for the ingrediants.
Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy. Thanks for the feedback and for giving the recipe a try.
I love love love the mayo sauce!! I use just the taco seasoning and the mayo and its perfect for me, my family, and my friends!
I searched and read so many recipes looking for a quesadilla sauce and I finally found the one! ThnX LilLuna
Seems like a lot of unnecessary anger over a quesadilla recipe
Agreed! It was very good. The mayo recipe was a surprisingly good with the seasonings. It added flavor.
So true! It was a lot of anger over a simple recipe. Lil’ Luna is known for her exceptional recipes and videos… If you didn’t enjoy the recipe, you could’ve simply said it wasn’t for you, and what you would have done like Comments from Other testers.
“Lose the Hate,& Learn to appreciate!”
Darn auto-correct. I meant to type,,,,, ,P. Anderson,…Disgusting quesadilla ??? To each his own I guess. I thought it was VERY yummy !
Hey you can probably always switch the mayo out for sour cream. What works for some doesn’t always work for others but it’s about innovation and integrity. You never know to swap in one ingredient I’ll make it one of the best quesadillas you’ve ever had.
That was very rude. If you didn’t like something then you have the option of never making it again. It’s very unnecessary leave this kind of comment on someone’s recipe. Obviously other people enjoy it. Have the day you deserve.
Very good and best of all the ingredients are basic and it’s easy to make. I used leftover rotisserie chicken, but made the mistake of adding Mexican seasoning which was way too salty. However, I microwaved them as directed, but then pan fried about 4 minutes per side because I like a crispier tortilla. Also used a smaller tortilla and then just cut it in half, so it was easier for me to flip in the pan. Topped it with salsa, shredded lettuce & sour cream. Delicious!!
Can I dice the chicken up instead of using shredded? Would consistency work?
I used a leftover rotisserie chicken, so diced my meat kind of small, and it worked out really well.