Chicken dinners · Mexican
Chicken Quesadillas in 15 Minutes
Quesadillas are the dinner I make when the fridge is mostly empty but everyone still expects to be fed. Tortillas, leftover chicken, cheese, and about ten minutes at the stove. That is the whole trick.
The 15 minute version starts with cooked chicken: last night's roast, a store rotisserie bird, or meal prep chicken. If you only have raw chicken, the first FAQ has a quick cooked option, and it adds about 6 minutes.
These are not gluten free as written, flour tortillas are the point of the thing. There is a corn tortilla swap in the variations if you need one.
By the TasteBoard team. Timed in a home kitchen, with total time added up and safe temperatures checked.
Photo: @Geoff Peters from Vancouver, BC, Canada / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
- 30 min promise
- 15 min total
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 15 min
- Servings
- 4
- Course
- Chicken dinners
- Calories, about
- 480 per serving
Instructions
Tap a step to mark it done, saved on this device only. Timer buttons count down right here and beep when time is up.
Cook mode keeps your screen awake while you cook. Your browser does not support it, sorry, so keep the screen from sleeping the usual way.
Why you will love it
15 minutes total from cutting board to plate, using chicken you already have.
About 35 grams of protein per serving, thanks to the chicken and the double layer of cheese.
Kid friendly by default: mild seasoning, melty cheese, dinner you can hold.
Budget wise, because a little cooked chicken and a handful of cheese stretch a long way.
One skillet, and cleanup is a paper towel plus one pan.
Tips
Medium heat, not high. On high the tortilla scorches before the cheese in the middle melts.
Keep the filling about half an inch from the edges so nothing spills and the fold seals.
Dice everything small. Big chunks of chicken or pepper tear the tortilla when you cut it.
Press gently with the spatula while the first side cooks. Contact with the hot pan is what makes it crisp.
Swaps and variations
Gluten free: use 8 six inch corn tortillas instead of the 4 flour ones, two per serving. What changes: heat each corn tortilla 15 seconds per side first so it folds without cracking, and use less filling per tortilla.
No chicken: use the same weight of canned black beans, drained and patted dry, mashed lightly with the same spices. What changes: it becomes vegetarian, and the protein drops a bit.
Spice it up: add 0.25 tsp chili powder to the chicken and put hot sauce on the table. What changes: kid friendly turns into grown up.
Pepper jack cheese instead of Jack or cheddar. What changes: a gentle heat in every bite.
What to serve
Salsa and sour cream on the side for dunking.
A quick bowl of rice and beans, canned beans plus microwave rice, if you want the meal to stretch further.
Tortilla chips and guacamole when it is game day.
Storage and reheating
Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. The tortillas soften in the fridge, that is normal. Reheat in a dry skillet over medium heat, 2 to 3 minutes per side, until crisp again and steaming hot, 165 F (74 C). Skip the microwave for reheating, it turns the tortilla chewy and the filling watery. To freeze, assemble the quesadillas raw and freeze them flat between layers of parchment for up to 2 months, then cook from frozen about 2 minutes longer per side, covering the pan for the last 2 minutes so the cheese melts through.
Calories shown are an estimate from standard ingredients, not medical advice. Brands and amounts change the number.
Questions cooks actually ask
Can I start with raw chicken?
Yes. Dice 12 oz (340 g) boneless skinless chicken breast into small pieces. Heat 1 tsp of the oil in the skillet over medium high heat, add the chicken, and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until it reaches 165 F (74 C) in the thickest piece. Cool it for a minute, then season and carry on with the recipe. That adds about 6 minutes, so plan on 21 minutes total instead of 15.
Are these spicy?
No, cumin and garlic powder are warm, not hot. If you want heat, the chili powder swap in the variations is the easy move, or just put hot sauce on the table and let everyone decide.
What cheese should I use?
Monterey Jack is the melty champion here, and sharp cheddar brings more flavor but a slightly looser melt. Pre shredded is fine in quesadillas, the anti caking starch barely matters under a folded tortilla.
Can I make quesadillas ahead for a crowd?
Sort of. You can assemble them up to 4 hours ahead and keep them covered in the fridge, then cook right before serving. Cooked quesadillas hold in a 200 F (93 C) oven for up to 30 minutes, but they lose their crisp, so cook fresh if you can.
Cook something similar next
Keep exploring
All chicken dinners recipes
More dishes like this, with honest times and how to choose.
Mexican recipes
The same flavours, more ways to cook them.
High protein recipes
Recipes that fit the same way of eating, checked for hidden ingredients.
Kid friendly recipes
Recipes that fit the same way of eating, checked for hidden ingredients.
Weeknight recipes
For the same kind of day or table.
Game day recipes
For the same kind of day or table.