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–+ servings
Chicken quesadillas
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4.67 from 30 votes

Homemade Chicken Quesadillas Recipe

Tender chicken, sautéed peppers, and melted cheese come together in these quick and easy homemade chicken and cheese quesadillas. Perfect for lunch, dinner, or game day!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Appetizer, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 2 quesadillas
Calories: 826kcal
Author: Becky Hardin

Equipment

  • Food Processor optional

Ingredients

For the Quesadillas:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion chopped
  • ½ red bell pepper chopped
  • ½ green bell pepper chopped
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter ⅛ stick
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cubed*
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning **
  • 2 (10-inch) flour tortillas
  • 1 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese ***
  • 4 tablespoons canned corn drained

For the Salsa (Optional):

  • 1 tomato chopped
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 pinch kosher salt

Instructions

For the Quesadillas:

  • Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a nonstick pan, sauté the onion and bell peppers for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
    1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 onion, ½ red bell pepper, ½ green bell pepper
    sauteed chopped veggies in a frying pan.
  • In the same pan, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat.
    1 tablespoon unsalted butter
    melting butter in a frying pan.
  • Add the cubed chicken and taco seasoning. Cook for 15 minutes until chicken is fully cooked through.
    2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
    cooking seasoned cubed chicken in a frying pan.
  • In a separate pan over low heat, warm 1 tortilla on each side, until slightly golden.
    2 (10-inch) flour tortillas
    toasting a tortilla in a frying pan.
  • Add half each of the shredded cheddar cheese, cooked chicken, bell pepper and onion mix, and corn.
    1 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese, 4 tablespoons canned corn
    placing cubed chicken and veggies over cheese on half of a toasted tortilla in a frying pan.
  • Flip half of the tortilla over the ingredients, and let it cook on low heat until cheese has completely melted.
    pressing down on a folded chicken quesadilla in a frying pan.
  • Remove from pan. Cut into three triangles.
    slicing a cooked chicken quesadilla with a knife.
  • Repeat the process with the remaining tortilla and ingredients.
  • Serve with salsa and enjoy!
    chicken quesadillas on a wooden cutting board with a bowl of salsa.

For the Salsa (optional):

  • In a food processor, add the tomato, onion, white vinegar, cilantro, and kosher salt.
    1 tomato, 1 onion, 2 tablespoons white vinegar, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, 1 pinch kosher salt
    salsa ingredients in a food processor.
  • Pulse for 1 minute.
    salsa in a food processor.
  • Serve with warm quesadillas.

Video

Notes

*Instead of cooking chicken breasts, you can swap in canned chicken, rotisserie chicken, or any cooked chicken.
**In place of store-bought taco seasoning, you can use 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin, ground paprika, kosher salt, and garlic powder, plus ⅛ teaspoon of chili powder.
***You can use a different cheese, such as Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, Asadero, or Oaxaca.
Tips:
  • Don’t use corn tortillas. They work for tacos, not for quesadillas. You need the pliability of flour tortillas to hold the cheese and the filling together. It needs to withstand the flip.
  • Cook over low heat to allow the cheese to melt fully while crisping the tortilla slowly.
  • Feel free to add whatever veggies you have on hand. Zucchini, mushrooms, and spinach all work well.
  • Reheat in the oven or air fryer to recrisp the quesadillas and evenly melt the cheese.
  • Nutritional information does not include optional salsa.
Storage: Store chicken quesadillas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1quesadilla | Calories: 826kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 70g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 223mg | Sodium: 1147mg | Potassium: 1352mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2484IU | Vitamin C: 78mg | Calcium: 506mg | Iron: 3mg