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Not just your average chicken quesadilla recipe! Stuffed with sweet corn, zesty black beans, and sauteed peppers and onions, the cheesy, flavorful, Mexican-inspired meal is a family-friendly dinner for any night of the week. Garnish each plate with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, or pickled red onions, and serve the quesadillas with a side of tortilla chips, pico de gallo, and summer corn salad. It’s a fast, fresh, and tasty supper!
Chicken Quesadillas Recipe
A simple chicken quesadilla is one of those great lunch, snack, or dinner options that seems to appeal to kids and adults of any age. With this jazzed up version, we’re putting a simple-yet-flavorful spin on the most basic recipe — by stuffing traditional chicken quesadillas with veggies like sweet bell peppers, onions, and corn, as well as hearty black beans, and a handful of smoky, zesty spices. Best of all, the restaurant-quality dish comes together quickly and easily in your own kitchen!
What is chicken quesadilla made of?
At its most basic, a quesadilla is a Mexican dish consisting of a tortilla that is filled with cheese. Quesadillas sometimes include additional ingredients such as meats, veggies, beans, or spices. A chicken quesadilla obviously includes chicken, in addition to the tortilla and cheese. Cook the tortilla on a griddle to melt the cheese and crisp up the exterior and you’ve got an inexpensive and satisfying meal ready in minutes!
A full quesadilla is made with two tortillas that hold a layer of cheese between them. A half quesadilla is a single tortilla filled with cheese and folded into a half-moon shape. This recipe uses the “full quesadilla” method, which might serve two smaller appetites each. That said, you can certainly take the same ingredients and make yours into half chicken quesadillas.
What’s the difference between chicken fajitas and chicken quesadillas?
While they include many of the same ingredients, chicken quesadillas and chicken fajitas differ in a few ways:
- Cuisine. Quesadilla is a traditional Mexican food, while fajitas are a Tex-Mex dish (or “Texan American”). Fajitas aren’t considered an authentic food of Mexico.
- Ingredients. Cheese is the primary ingredient in quesadillas, since it’s the “glue” that holds together the tortillas. By contrast, chicken, beef, or other meat is the primary ingredient in fajitas.
- Presentation. While fajitas are typically served on a platter, to be assembled and wrapped at the table in warm, soft tortillas, quesadillas are usually cooked on the stovetop and then sliced into triangles and served warm.
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for the best quesadilla. As always, specific measurements and complete step-by-step cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Olive oil: to sauté the vegetables.
- Onion and sweet red bell pepper: savory veggies that add great flavor to the quesadillas.
- Garlic: for even more flavor in the vegetable filling.
- Chicken: you’ll need cooked chicken for this dish, so leftovers from another meal, a rotisserie chicken, or boiled chicken will all work well. If you prefer to cook your own chicken at home, you’ll need about ½ lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts to yield about 1 cup of cooked, shredded meat.
- Black beans: use a can of beans that you drain and rinse.
- Corn: fresh corn is best when it’s in season, but frozen corn kernels are also fine. If using frozen corn, do not thaw it before adding it to the skillet.
- Kosher salt, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, ground black pepper or cayenne: zesty seasoning that flavors the vegetables, chicken, and beans. The cayenne makes it spicy, or just use a dash of black pepper to keep it mild. If you want a shortcut, you can season the filling with a packet of taco seasoning mix (rather than these individual spices).
- Cilantro or parsley: fresh herbs brighten up the quesadillas.
- Flour tortillas: I use the larger (8-inch) tortillas here. Corn tortillas will also work as a fine substitute if you prefer.
- Monterey Jack cheese and cheddar cheese: grate the cheese from blocks by hand, or take a shortcut and purchase a pre-shredded Mexican cheese blend like this one.
How to Make Chicken Quesadillas
The beauty of quesadillas is that you can customize each individual serving to suit your family members’ tastes. For instance, omit the chicken and black bean mixture altogether for picky little eaters, or make plain chicken quesadillas by using a little bit of chicken with the cheese and tortillas. The veggies and beans add so much great flavor and texture, though — for a grown-up version of the simple dinner!
- Saute the onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, and then stir in the chicken, beans, corn, and seasoning.
- Cook over medium-low heat for about 5-6 minutes. Stir in the cilantro or parsley.
- Assemble the quesadillas with the tortillas, cheese, and chicken filling.
- Cook the quesadillas in batches in a large skillet or griddle over medium heat, just until they’re golden brown on both sides and the cheese is melted. This will take about 2-3 minutes per side.
- Let the quesadillas rest on a cutting board, and then slice into wedges and serve with toppings and dips. Sprinkle with additional chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, if desired.
What to Serve with a Chicken Quesadilla
I like to offer a variety of toppings to garnish the chicken quesadillas, including salsa, guacamole or diced avocado, pickled red onions, sour cream, hot sauce, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, olives, fresh cilantro, or sliced green onion.
To round out the meal, pair the quesadillas with any of these easy Mexican-inspired sides:
- A bowl of tortilla chips with guacamole, salsa, 3-ingredient queso dip, or 7-layer bean dip on the side for dipping
- Pico de Gallo
- Ranch style beans, refried beans, or seasoned black beans
- Rice
- Black Bean and Corn Salad
How to Reheat these Easy Chicken Quesadillas
Quesadillas are best when served warm from the frying pan or griddle. If you have leftovers, the chicken quesadillas will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat, warm the quesadillas in a skillet over low heat or on a baking sheet in a 375°F oven for 8-10 minutes (or until heated through). This will help crisp up the tortillas again. I do not recommend reheating in the microwave, since the tortillas will get soggy.
Prep Ahead
If you’d like to cut down on the cooking time when your family is hungry at the end of the day, you can make the chicken and black bean filling in advance and keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Microwave the chicken mixture just to warm it through before adding it to the quesadillas. You can also grate the cheese ahead of time to eliminate a little bit of the extra prep work!
Recipe Variations
- For smaller servings, make “half quesadillas” by using just one tortilla and folding it over on itself.
- Try different types of shredded cheese, such as a Mexican Four Cheese blend, just cheddar, Pepper Jack (for spicy kick), or Colby Jack.
- Use pinto beans instead of black beans.
- Omit the beans altogether and use an extra cup or so of cooked chicken instead.
- Use cooked, shredded turkey, ground beef, or pulled pork in lieu of the chicken.
Tips for the Best Chicken Quesadilla Recipe
- Use two different types of cheese (or more) for a variety of textures and flavors.
- Keep the skillet over medium heat while cooking the quesadillas, or reduce the temperature to prevent the tortillas from burning. You don’t want the pan too hot or the tortillas will get too dark before the cheese melts inside.
- Let the quesadillas rest on a cutting board for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
- Garnish with your favorite fresh toppings for a bright, cool contrast to the ooey, gooey, melty, cheesy quesadilla filling.
More Mexican-Inspired Recipes to Try
- Taco Quesadillas
- Easy Chicken Enchiladas
- Slow Cooker Carnitas {Mexican Pulled Pork}
- Doritos Taco Salad
- Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Taco Bake Casserole
- Crock Pot Mexican Chicken {Chicken Tacos}
- Mexican Shrimp with Fresh Tomato Salad
- Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
Chicken Quesadilla with Corn and Black Beans
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ of a medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
- ½ of a sweet red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 cup cooked, chopped (or shredded) chicken
- 1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cooked corn kernels (from about 1 large ear), or use frozen corn kernels (not thawed)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Dash of ground black pepper, to taste (or use a dash of cayenne pepper if you like it spicy)
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
- 8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
- 1 cup (about 4 ounces) grated Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese
- 1 cup (about 4 ounces) grated Cheddar cheese
- Optional, for serving: salsa, sour cream, guacamole, sliced green onions, pickled red onions, fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic; cook until lightly browned, about 1-2 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the chicken, beans, and corn. Season with salt, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and pepper (or cayenne). Cook over medium-low heat until the chicken and corn are heated through, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in the cilantro or parsley.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium heat.
- While the skillet or griddle heats up, arrange 4 of the tortillas flat on a counter. Sprinkle about ¼ cup of cheese on each of the 4 tortillas. Spoon ¼ cup of the chicken and bean mixture over the cheese. Top with another ¼ cup of cheese. Place each of the 4 remaining tortillas on top of the chicken and cheese mixture.
- Working in batches, cook the quesadillas in the hot skillet or on the hot griddle until golden on the bottom and the cheese has started to melt, 2-3 minutes. Use a spatula to flip the quesadillas, and cook until golden on the other side, 2-3 more minutes. Repeat with the remaining quesadillas.
- Let the quesadillas rest on a cutting board for a minute or two, and then cut each quesadilla into triangles. Serve with optional toppings and salsa or guacamole for dipping.
Notes
- For smaller servings, make “half quesadillas” by using just one tortilla and folding it over on itself.
- Try different types of shredded cheese, such as a Mexican Four Cheese blend, just cheddar, Pepper Jack (for spicy kick), or Colby Jack.
- Use pinto beans instead of black beans.
- Omit the beans altogether and use an extra cup or so of cooked chicken instead.
- Use cooked, shredded turkey, ground beef, or pulled pork in lieu of the chicken.
- Use two different types of cheese (or more) for a variety of textures and flavors.
- Keep the skillet over medium heat while cooking the quesadillas, or reduce the temperature to prevent the tortillas from burning. You don’t want the pan too hot or the tortillas will get too dark before the cheese melts inside.
- Let the quesadillas rest on a cutting board for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
- Garnish with your favorite fresh toppings for a bright, cool contrast to the ooey, gooey, melty, cheesy quesadilla filling.
Ooh. Definitely drool-worthy and so flexible!
Thank you!