My 30-minute chicken fajita quesadillas are baked in the oven until crisp and sizzling! I sauté some fajita-seasoned chicken breast strips, onions, and bell peppers, then stuff the filling into tortillas and pop it all in the oven. Out comes these deliciously cheesy fajita quesadillas that are perfect for game day snacking!
Top Reader Review
So good!!! Don’t bother going to a restaurant for this. Make it at home. This will be a regular part of my meal rotation.
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Baked Quesadillas with Fajita Chicken and Veggies
These crispy baked quesadillas are stuffed with the most delicious fajita chicken filling! It only takes a few minutes to throw together some fresh chicken breast and veggies with a little bit of seasoning. I sauté everything on the stovetop to give the filling a tender-crisp texture, then layer it into soft tortillas with loads of cheese.
I’ve pretty much perfected my stovetop chicken quesadilla method, but I like using the oven for this recipe so I can make enough for everyone in one go. Throwing these chicken-stuffed quesadillas on a sheet pan means no flipping or waiting by the stove. It’s the best way to do it on game day!
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Chicken Fajita Quesadilla Recipe
Equipment
- 1-2 Baking Sheets
Ingredients
For the Fajita Chicken:
- 1 teaspoon chili powder (*)
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (sliced into thin strips**)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
For the Veggies:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion (sliced)
- 2 pinches kosher salt
- 3 bell peppers (any color; sliced)
For the Quesadillas:
- 6 large flour tortillas
- 2-3 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray and set aside.
- Combine the chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and kosher salt in a small dish.1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Place the sliced chicken breast strips in a bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, add the spice mixture, and toss to coat the chicken.1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1 tablespoons olive oil
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add in the seasoned chicken strips, and cook for a few minutes on each side; until browned and cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate.1 tablespoons olive oil
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the same skillet. Add the sliced onion and a pinch of kosher salt, then sauté for 3-4 minutes; or until softened. Add in the sliced peppers and another pinch of kosher salt. Sauté for an additional 3-4 minutes, until softened. Remove from heat.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 onion, 2 pinches kosher salt, 3 bell peppers
- Spread the tortillas out on 1-2 greased baking sheet(s). Sprinkle the cheese one half of each tortilla (2-3 tablespoons per tortilla half). Then, place an even amount of chicken and peppers over the cheese.6 large flour tortillas, 2-3 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese
- Sprinkle any remaining cheese on top and fold each tortilla in half. Rub 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the tortillas.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Bake for 8-10 minutes; until the cheese is melted and the tops of the tortillas are golden brown.
Notes
- Let the cooked chicken and veggies rest for a few minutes before assembling. This helps excess moisture evaporate.
- You may need to press down gently on the folded quesadillas to get the tops to stay down as they bake.
- Take care not to overfill your quesadillas, as this can cause them to turn out soggy or floppy.
- Don’t add too much oil to the tops of your tortillas, or they’ll turn out greasy.
- Optionally, you can carefully flip the quesadillas with a large spatula halfway through cooking. I didn’t find this necessary with the nonstick spray.
- For extra crunch, broil the quesadillas for the last 1-2 minutes of baking. Just watch closely so they don’t burn.
- Let baked quesadillas rest for 2 minutes before slicing to keep the fillings intact.
- Serve with salsa and sour cream, with a sprinkling of fresh cilantro.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
Avoid Soggy Tortillas!
Piling the hot fajita chicken and veggies straight into the tortillas can make them soggy. Instead, I recommend letting the cooked filling rest for about 5 minutes — preferably on a paper towel–lined plate. This lets excess steam and moisture escape before it goes into the quesadillas. It’s a small step but it really helps the tortillas crisp up in the oven!
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Let baked fajita chicken quesadillas cool before storing in an airtight container, or tightly-wrapped in foil.
- Fridge: Keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheat: For best results, reheat quesadillas in a dry skillet on the stovetop; or in a 350°F oven or air fryer. Warm them for about 5-10 minutes, or until heated through and crisp.
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