The Perfect Chicken Quesadilla has got to be about one of the most comforting dishes we have ever encountered. We had no idea this recipe would eventually become one of our most popular recipes on the blog and one of our all-time favorite dishes. This is Tex-Mex cuisine at its best. Start with a bowl of Tex-Mex queso and chips for the perfect meal!
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🧀 The Ingredients
The simple, flavorful ingredients blend seamlessly to create one of the most delicious and satisfying quesadillas you’ll ever taste. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and variations) below.
🌶️ Substitutions and Variations
- Protein – Chicken breasts (skinless, boneless) work wonderfully, but you can substitute chicken thighs, too. Ground beef is an excellent option.
- Seasoning – Homemade Taco Seasoning is easy to prepare and we think it is significantly better than store-bought. However, packaged seasoning will still produce a delicious quesadilla.
- Flavor enhancers – Green enchilada sauce is optional, but it gives the quesadilla that classic Tex-Mex flavor. You will have some left over. Use it on eggs, or make chicken enchiladas with it! The garlic adds a subtle, but amazing depth of flavor. Chopped onion (red or white) can be substituted for the scallions, or, if you’re not a fan of onion, just omit it!
- Cheese and Tortillas – Any type of good melting cheese will work. Cheddar, Colby, Monterey Jack, or Mexican melting cheese are all great choices. Soft taco-sized flour tortillas will get nice and crispy on the outside, but corn tortillas will work just fine, too.
See the recipe card (with video) below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
👩🏼🍳 How To Make the Perfect Chicken Quesadilla
- Step 1: Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then sauté them in the oil until no longer pink.
- Step 2: Stir in the taco seasoning and flour, cook for 1 minute, and then pour in the broth.
- Step 3: Heat a little oil in a non-stick skillet and add a tortilla. Top with cheese, scallions, and a couple of spoonfuls of the chicken.
- Step 4: Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the enchilada sauce over the top of the chicken.
- Step 5: Add chopped green chiles and pressed garlic (or minced) over the top of the chicken.
- Step 6: Add another handful of cheese and top with a second tortilla.
- Step 7: Once the bottom has become golden, use a spatula and your hand to carefully flip the quesadilla over.
- Step 8: Use a large knife to cut the quesadilla into quarters.
🍽️ How To Serve
- When making multiple quesadillas, after you’ve cooked one, simply place them on a baking sheet lined with a baking rack in a low-temperature oven (225°F). Don’t quarter them until you’re ready to serve them all.
- They are best served piping hot!
- For the ultimate quesadilla feast, be sure to serve them with Restaurant-Style Salsa, Best-Ever Guacamole, and sour cream.
🙋🏽♂️ Frequently Asked Questions
What type of chicken is best for homemade chicken quesadilla?
Sautéed chicken breasts or thighs are excellent. You can also use grilled chicken or rotisserie chicken. Be sure to cut them into bite-sized pieces before simmering in the sauce.
Can I customize the fillings in the perfect chicken quesadilla?
Absolutely! You can add ingredients like sautéed peppers and onions, different cheeses, or even beans and corn to tailor the quesadilla to your taste. We love adding sautéed zucchini and squash!
Can I make the perfect chicken quesadilla in advance and reheat it later?
Although we think they are best freshly made, you can prepare them ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; reheat them in a skillet or oven to keep them crispy and delicious.
🇲🇽 Other Amazing Tex-Mex / Mexican Recipes
Ready to make the best quesadillas in town? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of them, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
The Perfect Chicken Quesadilla
This has been a favorite in our house for so many years. This is great for a weeknight meal, but it's also such a crowd pleaser, serve it at a Mexican-themed dinner party or your next party. And go with the homemade taco seasoning, it's easy to make and is so good!
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Servings: 4 people
Calories: 511kcal
Video
Equipment
- Non-stick skillet large enough to hold a soft-shell sized tortilla
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lbs chicken thighs boneless, skinless, cut into bite-sized pieces
- Salt and pepper
- 4 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 2 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 4 tablespoon vegetable oil or as needed
- 8 flour tortillas soft taco size (medium)
- 4 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 4 scallions chopped
- 1 15 oz. can green enchilada sauce
- 1 4.5 oz. can green chiles chopped, undrained
- 4 garlic cloves (we prefer using a garlic press to add the garlic, if you don’t have one, just mince the garlic)
- Restaurant-style salsa for serving
- sour cream for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 225°F.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Lightly salt and pepper the chicken pieces. Cook the chicken in the oil until no longer pink, about 8 minutes.1 lbs chicken thighs, Salt and pepper
- Add the taco seasoning and flour and stir to coat the chicken pieces. Add the chicken stock and simmer for about 8 minutes, or until slightly thickened.4 tablespoon taco seasoning, 2 tablespoon flour, 1 cup chicken stock
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken from the skillet to a medium bowl, and pour the sauce into another bowl. Set both aside.
- In a non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil, and when hot, add 1 tortilla. To the tortilla, add a handful of cheese, then a pinch of scallions, then about ½ cup cooked chicken.4 tablespoon vegetable oil, 8 flour tortillas, 4 cups cheddar cheese, shredded, 4 scallions
- Moving quickly, spoon over a couple of spoonfuls of the cooked taco sauce and green enchilada sauce. Scatter a small spoonful of the green chiles over the top.1 15 oz. can green enchilada sauce, 1 4.5 oz. can green chiles
- Using a garlic press, press one garlic clove over the top, or if not using a garlic press, sprinkle about ¼ teaspoon of the minced garlic over the top.4 garlic cloves
- Top with another handful of cheese and top with another tortilla.
- Using a spatula and carefully holding the top tortilla, flip the quesadilla.
- Cook until nicely browned on both sides. Remove from the skillet and place on a baking sheet, and place in the oven to keep warm.
- Repeat the process for remaining 3 quesadillas.
- Cut into fourths and serve with salsa and sour cream.Restaurant-style salsa, sour cream
Notes
NOTE: Watch the video near the top of the recipe for visual guidance.
The ingredients for the quesadilla can easily be adapted to your tastes. You will have some green enchilada sauce leftover. Save it to drizzle on scrambled eggs, or make chicken enchiladas!
Leftovers will keep in the fridge (covered) for a couple of days. Reheat in a hot skillet (with a little oil) until heated through. Or, nuke in the microwave until heated through.
Nutrition
Calories: 511kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 642mg | Potassium: 420mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 446IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 4mg
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Trent Brown says
Just made a slight variation as we had a lot of your tinga chicken leftover from the other night.
Our quick diner recipe using leftover chicken tinga
1: flour tortilla crisped both sides (with butter) in a pan, crisp the other tortilla the same.
2: Layer the second one with cheese, chicken tinga, onions, jalepanos, cheese while in the hot pan.
3: Cover with the other crisped tortilla, heat, cover and flip for a second heat
4: Serve with hot sauce of choice and guackamole
So fast and so good! thanks for the recipes!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Trent! YUM!!! We love having leftover tinga chicken!!! Your use of it sounds spectacular! Thanks so much for sharing! You’re making us hungry!!!
Alex says
This is my #1 go-to recipe for quesadillas.. and your taco seasoning too! Absolutely delicious and my husband loves it as well! Thank you so much 🙂
Kris Longwell says
Hi Alex! Yay! We LOVE that you are enjoying our chicken quesadilla recipe (and taco seasoning)! That is one of our all-time favorite dishes! Thank you so so much for sharing and for the GREAT review. That means the world to us! Stay in touch! xoxo Kris & Wesley
Lisa says
Made these many time, sooo yummy!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Lisa! Yay! So so so thrilled you made the quesadillas and had such great success with them! And thank you for letting us know and for the GREAT review! That means the world to us! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Stephanie Lanzalotto says
These were absolutely fabulous. I served with sour cream and chopped cilantro. They were a huge hit. Another fab recipe!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Stephanie! Sorry for the delayed response! Woo hoo! We are so so happy you had such great success with the chicken quesadilla! That is a favorite in our household, for sure! Thank you so much for sharing and as always, the GREAT review!!!! xoxo
Kimberly R Babin says
Super confused….this recipe tells you to preheat the oven but there are no instructions for what the oven is for in this recipe. It is all done in the skillet on the stove top.
Kris Longwell says
Hi Kimberly, not sure if you received our response yesterday (we responded remotely, and not sure if it went through). The low-temp is just to keep completed quesadillas warm while you prepare the others. We double-checked and it does actually say in Step 14 to place the prepared quesadilla in the oven to keep warm while you continue with the remaining quesadillas. We truly hope you give these babies a shot. They have been a favorite of ours for many years! Let us know if you do or if you have any other questions! Best, Kris & Wesley
Jessica says
This is my go to recipe for chicken quesadillas, adding chicken broth instead of just water like taco packets suggest give it so much flavor. I also like to add a little cotija cheese in with the cheddar to bring it to the next level.
Kris Longwell says
Hi Jessica! We are so so thrilled you are loving our chicken quesadilla recipe! That has been one of our all-time favs for many, many years. Thanks so much for sharing and for the GREAT review. That means the world to us! Stay in touch! Kris & Wesley
Martin Eric Osborne says
Awesome!!!! Awesome!!!! Awesome!!!!!
Kris Longwell says
That is music to our ears!! We are sooo happy you loved our chicken quesadilla recipe! That has been a favorite of ours for many years! Thank you for letting us know and for the great review! That is AWESOME!!!! Kris & Wesley
Tom Dobbs says
I’ve never been a big fan of quesadillas, not that I dislike them, just prefer chimichangas or other dishes. I had some left over fried chicken and it just sounded good after reading your recipe. Cooked them for dinner tonight and wow. Nothing bland about these quesadillas.
Thanks for sharing and I’ll be eating and serving these on a weekly basis for a while. I’m just going to prepare extra chicken, steak, or whatever protein I might be making the previous dinner.
Again, thank you so much for giving to the rest of us.
Kris Longwell says
Hi Tom!! You have no idea how happy this makes us!! We love chimichangas a lot, too!!! We are so so thrilled you enjoyed our quesadillas! We have been enjoying them for many, many years and we are so happy that you are enjoying them now, too. Thank you SO MUCH for letting us know and for the fantastic review!! That means the world to us!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Claire says
So delicious! I prefer shredded chicken and will try that next time with thighs. (I’m a convert- used to always choose breasts!)
Kris Longwell says
Hi Claire!! SO so so happy you loved the chicken quesadilla! And shredded chicken is awesome! Thanks so much for letting us know and for the great review! That means the world to us!! Best, Kris & Wesley
Margaretha says
I’ve made this recipe several times now, and it’s delicious!
Kris Longwell says
Margaretha! That is so awesome to hear! That chicken quesadilla has been a home favorite of our for years and we are thrilled you love it, too! Thank you so much for letting us know and for the wonderful review. That means the world to us!! All the very best, Kris & Wesley
Monica says
These are truly delicious. Great weeknight meal for our family. I used both a quesadilla maker and fried some on the stove top. Both are good but it was faster to fry them myself and it def took it up a notch. Thanks!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Monica! We are so glad you and your family enjoyed the quesadillas!! And we have to agree, the quesadilla maker is convenient, but there is something about them when they are fried up on the stove that makes them irresistible. Thanks for letting us know and stay in touch!! All the very best, Kris & Wesley
Gail says
I have some left over grilled flank steak which had a simple marinade: oil, garlic, lemon. Do you think this recipe could work for steak quesadillas?
Kris Longwell says
Hi Gail, not sure if my previous response went through or not. YES!! Grilled flank steak would be great in the quesadilla!! Let us know how it turned out!
Gail says
Yes I did. Thank you. Would you put the seasoning and flour with the steak to warm it up? Any other modifications you might have? Thank you ! This looks delicious!
Andy says
Just made these for Saturday morning late breakfast.
I’ll be making them again for sure, absolutely delicious, especially with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice over the top.
Cheers for sharing.
Andy
Perth, Western Australia
Kris Longwell says
Hey Andy from Perth!! We LOVE Australia!! So so so glad you enjoyed the quesadillas!!! A squeeze of citrus over the top sounds perfect!! Thanks for letting us know and thanks for the GREAT review! Stay safe and stay in touch! Best, Kris & Wesley
Brenda says
What’s the oven for ? Maybe I missed something . I heated it all on my stove top used two pans one for the chicken and one for tortilla .
Kris Longwell says
Hi Brenda, sorry for the delayed response. It’s just to keep the cooked quesadilla’s warm while you prepare the others. We’ll update the recipe to reflect that. Thank you!
Marie A says
My husband is not a quesadilla lover – but you have converted him! These are amazing. With every bite we just kept looking at each other and making “yummy noises”.
The flavor of these quesadillas is so interesting. You can taste every ingredient in every bite. Winner – Winner!!
Thank you again for a fabulous recipe! You guys rock!!!!!
Kris Longwell says
Double Woo Hoo! We love helping to convert non-believers into quesadilla lovers!! This has been a favorite recipe of ours for many, many years, and we are so thrilled that you and your hubby love it, too!! Thank you!!!
Sienna says
Just fed my husband, step son and one of my friends this for dinner and there was not a bit of sauce even left on the plate! BEST quesadillas we’ve ever had
Thanks Kris and Wesley!
Sienna
– Australia
Kris Longwell says
Sienna!!! That is so awesome to hear!! So so so happy that you all love the quesadillas! That recipe is dear to our hearts and we’ve been making it together for years. Thank you so much for letting us know…and we absolutely LOVE Australia!! Some of the greatest friends we’ve ever had in our lives are Australian!! Much love from Texas, Kris & Wesley
Theresa says
These look and sound amazing! will be making these soon! Thanks, for sharing. looking forward to more.
krislongwell says
Thanks, Theresa!! Let us know what you think and if you have any questions!! Kris & Wesley