Chicken Quesadilla Recipe

Ingredients

• The Chicken
• 500 gChicken breast or thighs, boneless and skinlessThighs stay juicier than breast during cooking and have more flavor
• 1 tspSmoked paprika
• 1 tspGround cumin
• 1/2 tspGarlic powder
• 1/2 tspOnion powder
• 1/2 tspDried oregano
• 1/2 tspSalt
• 1 tbspOlive oil for cooking
• The Filling
• 1Red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1Yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 largeRed onion, thinly sliced
• 200 gCheddar cheese, freshly grated
• 150 gMonterey Jack or mozzarella, freshly grated
• The Quesadilla
• 4 largeFlour tortillas (25 to 30cm)Large tortillas are easier to fold and hold more filling
• 1 tbspButter or neutral oil for toasting
• To Serve
• As desiredSour cream, guacamole, fresh salsa and lime wedges

Equipment

Method for This Chicken Quesadilla Recipe

1. 1 Season and cook the chicken: Mix all the spices and salt together in a bowl. Toss the chicken in the spice mix until evenly coated. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Cook the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes per side until cooked through and lightly charred on the surface. Remove and rest for 3 minutes. Then shred using two forks or roughly chop into small pieces. Furthermore, resting the chicken before shredding keeps it juicy and prevents the moisture from escaping all at once.
2. 2 Saute the peppers and onion: In the same pan over medium high heat, cook the sliced peppers and red onion for 6 to 8 minutes until softened and lightly charred at the edges. Stir occasionally but not constantly. Moreover, leaving them to sit undisturbed for 1 to 2 minutes between stirs allows the natural sugars to caramelize and develop a much deeper flavor.
3. 3 Assemble the quesadillas: Lay a tortilla flat. Spread a generous layer of grated cheese over one half of the tortilla. Add a quarter of the shredded chicken on top of the cheese. Add a quarter of the sauteed peppers and onion. Finish with another layer of cheese over the filling. Fold the empty half of the tortilla over the filling to create a half moon shape. Furthermore, the cheese on both sides of the filling acts as glue that holds everything together when toasted.
4. 4 Toast until crispy: Heat a small amount of butter or oil in the pan over medium heat. Place the folded quesadilla in the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on the first side without pressing down too hard. The bottom should be deeply golden and crispy. Carefully flip and cook for a further 2 minutes on the second side. Moreover, the cheese should be completely melted and beginning to ooze slightly at the edges when done.
5. 5 Cut and serve: Remove from the pan and rest for 1 minute. Cut into three equal triangles using a sharp knife or pizza cutter. The 1 minute rest allows the cheese to settle slightly so it does not flow out immediately when cut. Serve immediately with sour cream, guacamole, fresh salsa and lime wedges on the side. Consequently, the quesadillas are at their very best eaten within 2 minutes of leaving the pan.

Nutrition (Per Serving - 1 quesadilla without dips)

* Nutritional values are estimates per quesadilla without dipping sauces. Adding sour cream and guacamole adds approximately 120 kcal per serving.

Notes

• Use cheese on both sides of the filling. Spreading cheese directly on the tortilla and on top of the filling before folding creates two layers of cheese. Furthermore, both layers melt and fuse together during toasting. Consequently, the filling is sealed inside and every single bite has cheese in it.
• Do not overfill the quesadilla. A generous but contained amount of filling allows the quesadilla to fold neatly and toast evenly. Furthermore, overfilling causes the filling to spill out during toasting and prevents the tortilla from pressing flat against the pan.
• Rest for 1 minute before cutting. Cutting immediately causes the melted cheese to flow out completely. Furthermore, a 1 minute rest allows the cheese to set slightly. Consequently, each triangle holds its shape and the filling stays inside rather than pooling on the plate.
• This Chicken Quesadilla Recipe makes 4 quesadillas. To serve 6, increase the chicken to 750g and make 6 quesadillas. Furthermore, cook in batches and keep warm in a low oven at 100 degrees C while the remaining quesadillas are toasted.
• Leftover cooked chicken, rotisserie chicken or even leftover pulled pork all work superbly in this recipe. Moreover, using pre cooked protein reduces the total time to under 10 minutes.

Tips for the Perfect Chicken Quesadilla Recipe Every Time

• Always grate your own cheese. Pre shredded cheese contains anti caking starch that prevents proper melting. Furthermore, freshly grated cheese melts smoothly into a gorgeous gooey pool that pre shredded cheese simply cannot replicate. Consequently, the cheese pull is dramatically more satisfying.
• Cook the quesadilla over medium not high heat. High heat burns the tortilla before the cheese has time to melt fully. Furthermore, medium heat allows the tortilla to turn golden evenly while giving the cheese time to melt into a smooth, fully melted filling.
• Use a cast iron pan if available. Cast iron retains heat more evenly than non stick. Furthermore, it produces a more uniformly golden and crispy tortilla surface. Consequently, every part of the quesadilla is equally crispy rather than having soft patches.
• Warm the tortillas for 10 seconds before filling if they crack when folded. Slightly warm tortillas are more pliable and less likely to tear at the fold. Moreover, a torn fold allows the filling to escape during toasting and ruins the presentation of the finished quesadilla.
• Cut with a pizza cutter for the cleanest slices. A pizza cutter rolls through the quesadilla without dragging the filling or tearing the tortilla. Furthermore, it produces cleaner, more even triangles than a standard kitchen knife pressing down through the layers.