Name: Chicken and Cheese Quesadilla
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Ingredients: 2 teaspoons chili powder; ¾ teaspoon kosher salt; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; 2 cups cooked diced or shredded chicken (about 2 medium breasts or 2-3 thighs); 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; ½ yellow onion, diced; 1 red bell pepper, diced; 1 orange, yellow, or green bell pepper, diced (or 1 cup chopped veggies); Hot sauce, optional; 1¼ cups shredded pepper Jack or Monterey Jack cheese, divided; ¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided; 4 medium whole wheat tortillas; Oil, butter, or nonstick spray, optional for cooking; Prepared salsa; Guacamole; Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

Description

Tender cooked chicken and colorful diced bell peppers and onions seasoned with chili powder, salt, and garlic powder, layered with melted pepper Jack and sharp cheddar cheese inside whole wheat tortillas for crispy perfection.

Ingredients

Scale

Quesadillas:
2 teaspoons chili powder
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups cooked diced or shredded chicken (about 2 medium breasts or 2–3 thighs)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 orange, yellow, or green bell pepper, diced (or 1 cup chopped veggies)
Hot sauce, optional
1¼ cups shredded pepper Jack or Monterey Jack cheese, divided
¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
4 medium whole wheat tortillas
Oil, butter, or nonstick spray, optional for cooking
Serving:
Prepared salsa
Guacamole
Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

Instructions

Mix chili powder, salt, and garlic powder. Toss half with chicken; set aside.

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion and bell peppers 6-8 minutes until crisp-tender. Add remaining spices, stir, wilt spinach if using, add hot sauce. Combine with chicken.

On half of each tortilla, layer ⅛ pepper Jack (2½ tbsp), ⅛ cheddar (1½ tbsp), ¼ veggies and chicken, then another ⅛ each cheese. Fold over.

Heat skillet over medium-low with optional butter/oil. Cook 2 quesadillas, folded edge down, 4 minutes per side until golden and melty. Press with spatula.

Cool slightly, slice into wedges, serve with salsa, guacamole, sour cream.

Notes

Use cooked rotisserie chicken for convenience.

Don’t overfill to prevent bursting.

Medium-low heat ensures melty cheese without burning.

Freshly shredded cheese melts smoother.

Press while cooking for even crispiness.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: Main Dish
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Mexican-American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 quesadilla
Calories: 550
Fat: 28
Saturated Fat: 14
Carbohydrates: 38
Fiber: 6
Protein: 35
Cholesterol: 100

Keywords: chicken quesadilla, cheesy chicken quesadilla, veggie chicken quesadilla, whole wheat quesadilla, easy quesadilla recipe