Having a recipe for quesadillas up your sleeve is always a good idea because they’re such a midweek saviour. And while you can really customise the whole thing to suit what you love / have in the cupboard, this simple Chicken Quesadilla recipe will guide the way if you’re not familiar with how to make them. These have been my go-to no-trouble dinner since my children were toddlers, and I often make them with tuna or ham too. For this recipe we’re using chicken (cooked, leftovers or make your own), plus beans for fibre, and – obviously – cheese to melt.Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas are perfect for a quick lunch, a no-fuss dinner or for when you need a meal on the go – you can make them ahead of time and wrap up for picnics or lunch boxes.
Why you’ll love this Chicken Quesadillas recipe
⭐️ Versatile for different kinds of meals and flavours ⭐️ So easy, so quick (ready in 15) ⭐️ Ideal for using up leftover chicken Tortillas with a cheese filling (plus other ingredients usually), sandwiched together and then fried or grilled until it’s melted, gooey, golden and crispy. My way of cooking a Chicken Quesadilla is to use two pans to get that golden finish, which is really quick and less messy. This is my take on how to make a quesadilla, with speed and convenience in mind. If you’re looking for something a little more authentic-to-its-roots, try out this recipe from the Hispanic Food Network. A note on the chicken – we’re using precooked chicken here for speed. You can either buy this in a packet or use leftovers from a roast chicken or air fryer chicken (win!) But you also have the option of cooking your own for this recipe. It will just slightly alter the cooking time. Aim for about 300g for this recipe (approximately 2-3 breasts). Or, use something completely different if you prefer, like ham!
Chicken Quesadillas Ingredients
Cooked chicken – Leftover, shop-bought or cook your own Black beans – Drained and rinsed Sweetcorn – Tinned Red onion Fajita seasoning – From a jar rather than packet Sunflower oil – Or olive oil Large flour tortillas Grated mozzarella
Substitutions
Vegetarian quesadilla recipe – You can omit the chicken and make this a veggie meal no problem. Use whatever fillings you prefer instead – roasted vegetables work well. Wraps – I am using large flour tortillas here because they’re easy to get hold of and work really well, however if you’d prefer to use corn (which are more authentic to this recipe) then go ahead.
In the freezer I wouldn’t recommend freezing this recipe as they will go soggy after defrosting. If you do, make sure you pop them in the oven to crisp them back up. Honestly? It sounds like a bit of a faff and I think it is. It’s messy and the ingredients don’t heat evenly and in my opinion it’s just not necessary. So in my version, no folding is needed. Simply sandwich your filling between two wraps and fry. Done! The world really is your oyster. You can use beef, ham, bacon, tuna, turkey, different cheeses and vegetables… give anything a go! If you’d prefer to make this in the oven instead, I have created a GIANT quesadilla recipe, which basically involves laying all of the wraps together on a baking tray, adding all of the filling inside, then folding the wraps to cover it all up. Then you bake it in the oven for 25 minutes and slice into squares to serve. See the recipe for my Oven-Baked Quesadilla here. Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
