Chicken Fajita Quesadilla Recipe

up close image of chicken quesadillas sliced

4.43 from 14 votes

These chicken fajita quesadillas are the perfect mash-up of two Tex-Mex favorites! Juicy, boldly seasoned fajita chicken is layered with sautéed peppers, onions, and plenty of melted Monterey Jack cheese, then baked until crispy and golden. This easy fajita quesadilla recipe comes together in 30 minutes, making it a quick weeknight dinner or game-day hit.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: people

Calories: 469kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

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 (sliced into strips) in a bowl. Pour in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the spice mixture and toss to coat the chicken.
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 2 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.
Heat the olive oil in the same skillet. Add the sliced onion and a pinch of kosher salt and 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 the 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.

Video

Notes

*You can swap all of the spices for a store-bought fajita or taco seasoning blend to save time.

**Skip the raw chicken and toss shredded rotisserie chicken with the fajita seasoning for a 10-minute version.

Tips:

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.

Make-Ahead: Assemble and freeze unbaked quesadillas between layers of parchment. Bake straight from frozen at 400°F for 12-15 minutes.

Storage: Store chicken fajita quesadillas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition