Chicken Quesadilla with Cheese (Printable)

Crispy tortilla layered with grilled chicken, sautéed peppers, onions, and melted cheese.

# Ingredient List:

→ Filling

01 - 2 cups cooked grilled chicken breast, sliced or shredded
02 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
03 - 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
04 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
05 - 1 small onion, thinly sliced
06 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
07 - ½ teaspoon ground cumin
08 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
09 - ¼ teaspoon salt
10 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

→ Assembly

11 - 4 large flour tortillas (10-inch)
12 - 1 tablespoon butter or additional olive oil (for cooking)

# How to Make:

01 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the red bell pepper and onion; cook for 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Stir in ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Remove the mixture from the pan and set aside.
02 - Wipe the skillet clean to ensure no residual flavor transfer.
03 - Place one tortilla on a flat surface. On half of the tortilla, layer ½ cup grilled chicken, a quarter of the sautéed vegetables, ¼ cup shredded cheddar, and ¼ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Fold the tortilla to enclose the filling. Repeat for remaining tortillas and fillings.
04 - Melt butter or drizzle olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Cook each quesadilla for 2 to 3 minutes per side, pressing gently, until golden brown and cheese is melted.
05 - Transfer quesadillas to a cutting board, let rest for 1 minute, then slice into wedges. Serve warm.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Ready in 30 minutes but tastes like you've been cooking all afternoon.
  • Crispy outside, melted and tender inside, with flavors that actually complement each other instead of competing.
  • Works for lunch, dinner, or even breakfast if you're feeling adventurous.
02 -
  • Don't skip wiping the skillet between cooking the vegetables and cooking the quesadillas, leftover bits will burn and taste bitter.
  • The cheese needs direct contact with the hot pan to melt properly, so pressing down gently while cooking makes all the difference between melted and gooey versus clumpy and separated.
03 -
  • Let your cooked chicken come to room temperature before assembling so it doesn't cool down the cheese and make it harder to melt.
  • If you want extra heat without overwhelming the dish, mince a jalapeño and add it to the vegetable sauté, or swap Monterey Jack for pepper jack for a gentler kick that builds on you.
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