Delicious chicken quesadilla filled with flavorful chicken, lots of veggies, mushrooms and melty cheese. Perfect snack/appetizer for any party or a delicious quick weeknight dinner.
What are quesadillas?
Quesadillas are a Mexican dish consisting of tortillas with a cheese filling (queso is Spanish for cheese). Often vegetables or meat are added (but basic recipe has only cheese in it).
How to make great quesadillas:
- The key to a good quesadilla is a proper amount of cheese that holds the filling together. I like them the most with cheddar cheese but every other melting cheese will work. It’s also important to mix the filling with the cheese so that the cheese is evenly distributed through the filling and holds it nicely together.
- Make sure your filling has cooled down before adding the cheese or you will end up with big clumps of melted cheese instead of a filling with evenly distributed cheese.
- Make sure to season tortillas on the outside with salt directly after cooking them so that the salt can stick to the tortillas. They should be seasoned on the inside and on the outside!
- How to easily flip the quesadillas: I really like to make quesadillas from a single large tortilla, not two, because it’s easier to flip over. If you have small tortillas you can make one quesadilla from 2 tortillas (in this post for broccoli cheddar quesadillas you can see that on the photos).
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How to make chicken quesadilla step by step:
Prepare all the ingredients. Dice the chicken and rub with the spice mix. Chop the mushrooms and bell pepper. Grate the cheese. Cook the chicken. Cook the mushrooms and bell pepper. Combine the chicken with bell pepper, mushrooms and cheese. Spread the filling over the tortillas. Cook the quesadillas on a frying pan until the tortillas are browned on both sides and the cheese is melted.
What to serve this dish with:
- tomato salsa
- refreshing dip made of sour cream, yogurt, and lime juice (the recipe is in the recipe card)
- guacamole
- pico de gallo (fresh tomato and onion salsa)
Storage / how to make it ahead / freezing:
Storage: You can store these chicken quesadillas in the fridge, in a tightly closed container or wrapped in plastic foil for up to 3 days. You can reheat them on a pan – just cook them on a dry non-stick pan on both sides until warm. You can also warm them up in an oven preheated to 320-350°F (160-180°C).
Chicken quesadillas also taste good cold, but when left for too long they’re becoming soft, losing its crunchiness. Alternatively, they can be reheated, but taste best freshly cooked.
Make it ahead: the filling can be made ahead. You can store it in the fridge for up to 3 days and cook it with the tortillas just before serving. Tastes as freshly made!
Freezing: wrap each quesadilla in plastic wrap or place it in a tightly closed container (but separate each quesadilla with a piece of baking paper so they won’t stick to each other) and freeze for up to 6 months. Defrost in the fridge then warm up on the stove or in the oven or defrost directly in the oven.
Other Mexican / Tex-Mex dishes you may like:
More quesadilla recipes
- BBQ Chicken Quesadillas
- Mushroom quesadilla with caramelized onions
- Easy breakfast quesadilla recipe
- The Best Vegetarian Quesadillas (sweet potato and black bean quesadilla)
- Chicken fajita quesadillas
- Broccoli cheddar quesadillas
- Zucchini Quesadilla
Check out all my quesadilla recipes here.
Chicken quesadilla recipe with mushroom, bell pepper and corn
Ingredients
the chicken:
- 2 small chicken breasts 300g / 11 oz or 1 large chicken breast
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoons paprika powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons frying oil
the other ingredients:
- 1 red bell pepper
- 200 g / 7 oz cremini mushrooms or button mushrooms
- 2 heaped tablespoons canned corn 60g
- 200 g cheese cheddar, emmentaler or other melting cheese
- 4 large tortillas
dipping sauce:
- 3 tablespoons sour cream 12%
- 2 tablespoons yogurt
- 1 teaspoon lime juice or lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into small cubes. In a small bowl, mix the spices together and rub the chicken with the spice mix, season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a large frying pan, heat a tablespoon of oil over high heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 3 minutes without stirring. Then cook, stirring for a few more minutes until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
- While the chicken is cooking, cut the mushrooms into ½ cm / ¼ inch half-slices and the bell pepper into small cubes. When the chicken is ready, add to the pan, spread out in an even layer. Cook without stirring for about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, cook, stirring from time to time, for another 5 minutes, until browned and tender. Transfer to a plate.
- Leave the chicken, mushrooms and bell pepper to cool slightly, then add the corn and grated cheese, mix together and season with salt and pepper.
- Divide the filling into 4 parts and spread each part evenly over half of each tortilla. Press the filling slightly to make it more compact.
- Fold tortillas in half, pressing gently. Lightly oil a big frying pan and cook the tortillas over medium heat, two at a time, on both sides. They’re ready when lightly browned on both sides and the cheese is melted.
- Transfer the tortillas on a plate. Sprinkle with a little salt, while still warm and cut each tortilla into 4 parts.
- Mix the ingredients for the sauce together and serve with quesadillas.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Make it ahead: the filling can be made ahead. You can store it in the fridge for up to 3 days and cook it with the tortillas just before serving. Tastes as freshly made!
- Storage: You can store these chicken quesadillas in the fridge, in a tightly closed container or wrapped in plastic foil for up to 3 days. You can reheat them on a pan – just cook them on a dry non-stick pan on both sides until warm. You can also warm them up in an oven preheated to 320-350°F (160-180°C). Quesadillas also taste good cold, but when left for too long they’re becoming soft, losing its crunchiness. Alternatively, they can be reheated, but taste best freshly cooked.
- Freezing: wrap each quesadilla in plastic wrap or place it in a tightly closed container (but separate each quesadilla with a piece of baking paper so they won’t stick to each other) and freeze for up to 6 months. Defrost in the fridge then warm up on the stove or in the oven or defrost directly in the oven.
- Calories = 1 large serving (1/2 of the recipe). This is only an estimate!
Did you make this recipe? RATE THE RECIPE or tell me in the COMMENTS how you liked it! You can also add a photo of your dish. It would make me very happy and will help other readers. Thank you!!
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