Sheet Pan Chicken Quesadillas With Chicken Tikka

As a mom, I always look for easy and healthy recipes to feed the whole family. As a foodie, I love to get creative and transform simple, classic recipes into meals my family’s Pakistani taste buds will love. This recipe is my adaptation of Ree Drummond’s Chicken Chili Sheet Pan Quesadillas. The chicken tikka, spicy taco sauce, and jalapenos add the perfect kick to this recipe, while the flour tortillas and cheese stay true to an authentic quesadilla recipe. For an added Pakistani touch, serve these with my raw mango chutney or a Pakistani cilantro sauce known as Raita, a lighter version of cilantro lime crema.

Why you’ll love these sheet-pan chicken quesadillas

Easy to customize - Tailoring this recipe to your taste is so easy. Use your favorite tortillas, use a different marinade on the chicken, or change the protein altogether. Try different vegetables and cheeses. The options are endless. Feeds a crowd - This method of making quesadillas is very efficient for feeding a crowd. Add a mango salad to make it a perfect summer meal with friends. Great way to repurpose leftovers - This recipe is perfect for using leftover chicken from recipes like chicken tikka boti, chicken tikka masala, or even butter chicken. Similarly, you can toss in any leftover vegetables in your fridge. Perfect for school lunch - Leftover quesadillas are ideal for school and even work lunches. I often make extra for the next day.

Ingredient notes

Chicken - For this recipe, I use the marinade from my chicken tikka boti recipe on some chicken tenderloins and air fry them for 15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Taco sauce - Any store-bought taco sauce will work for this recipe. I like to use a spicy one, but you can use something milder. Cheese - For convenience, I use a store-bought Mexican cheese blend. These typically consist of Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Queso Quesadilla, and Asadero. Jalapenos - I like the flavor of pickled jalapenos in this recipe. They add lots of flavor without making the quesadillas too spicy. Tortillas - I use large-sized soft tacos for this recipe. This allows for perfect layering without any gaps.

Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and recipe instructions.

Substitutions & variations

Use a different protein—These sheet pan chicken quesadillas taste great with any protein. Try them with your favorite ground meat cooked in taco seasoning, black beans, or seafood. Try a different cooking method—make the tortillas in a skillet using the traditional stovetop method or in an air fryer. For the air fryer, cook the quesadillas at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 6-8 minutes, flipping them halfway through the cooking time. Make a gluten-free version - Store-bought gluten-free tortillas or corn tortillas are perfect for people with dietary restrictions. If you opt for the latter, layer one corn tortilla on top of the other in a single layer and weigh them down with a heavy cooking sheet before baking. Vary the tortillas—Use tortillas that complement your dietary needs, like low-carb or whole wheat. For a fun twist, try spinach or sundried tomato tortillas. Use freshly grated cheese - A storebought Mexican cheese blend is more convenient, but a fresh block of cheese has more moisture and melts better. Get your favorite cheeses and grate them at home for cheesier quesadillas. Make a picky eater variation—If you are feeding picky eaters or a group of people with different preferences, add various toppings to each half or quarter of the sheet pan chicken quesadillas to create a variety for everyone to choose from.

How to make sheet pan chicken quesadillas

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit before assembling the quesadillas, as shown below.

First step - For this recipe, Use a 12"x 8" baking sheet with raised sides. Brush the bottom generously with cooking oil with a high smoke point, like avocado or canola. Layer the flour tortillas as illustrated, with part of them hanging over the edges. Make sure the tortillas overlap and there are no gaps in between. Second step - Spread a thin layer of the taco sauce on the bottom. Don’t use too much, or the tortillas will get soggy. Third step - Sprinkle half of the cheese evenly over the sauce. Fourth step - Add the cooked and chopped chicken tikka and jalapenos.

Fifth step - Drizzle four to six more tablespoons of the sauce over these ingredients. Sixth step - Add the remaining cheese, distributing it as evenly as possible. Seventh step - Add three tortillas to the middle of the pan lengthwise, overlapping them slightly. Fold the rest of the tortillas over these, using toothpicks to secure them so the filling is securely packed. Eighth step - Brush the tops of the tortillas with oil and gently remove the toothpicks. Press the tortillas down with a second baking sheet and place everything in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes and use a broiler on high for 2-3 minutes, if needed, to brown the surface of the quesadillas.

Note: Let the sheet-pan chicken quesadillas (with chicken tikka) sit for a few minutes before cutting them into squares with a pizza cutter.