Ground Chicken Quesadilla
Chicken Quesadillas – The answer to “What’s for dinner?” that no one can resist! Let’s make some delicious cheesy ground chicken quesadilla!
The best quesadillas are often made with the simplest of ingredients. What makes them irresistible is the combination of bold flavors and textures.
A good quesadilla will be crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside and seasoned to perfection. These chicken quesadillas tick all the boxes!
Homemade quesadillas are quick, easy and great for meal prep. They are great as a quick snack or a quick weeknight dinner. Make a large batch of the chicken filling and you’ll have chicken and cheese quesadilla in less than 5 minutes.
Enjoy this ground chicken quesadilla recipe on its own or serve it with cucumber tomato and avocado salad for a complete meal.
Chicken Quesadilla Recipe
This easy ground chicken quesadilla recipe makes the most delicious quesadillas ever. It’s crispy on the outside and molten on the inside. But the real MVP is the chicken filling – Moist, Vibrant, Perfection!
Ingredients
- Tortilla: Flour tortillas are soft and pliable, making them easy to fold and hold together well when cooking quesadillas.
- Chicken: Ground chicken is my go-to for a quick and easy preparation. Finely chopped or shredded chicken works well too.
- Cheese: Use any or a combination for these – cheddar, monterey jack, mozzarella, pepper jack, oaxaca or queso quesadilla.
- Tomato purée: Fresh or canned pureed tomatoes.
- Onion: White, yellow or red onion.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic for added flavor.
- Chicken Quesadilla Seasoning: Paprika (sweet or smoked), cumin powder and dried oregano.
- Pickled jalapenos: Chopped pickled jalapenos add zing to every bite.
- Cilantro: Cilantro/coriander leaves add frshness to the dish. Use green onion if you don’t like cilantro.
- Oil: Olive oil, lard or butter can be used.
- Salt: Use salt mindfully as cheese and tortillas have salt too.
How to Make Chicken Quesadillas
- Prep: Finely chop onion, garlic, pickled jalapenos and cilantro/coriander. If making homemade tomato puree, blend 2 tomatoes until smooth. Grate or shred cheese.
- Make the sauce: Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Add paprika and cumin, saute for 1 minute. Next add tomato puree, dried oregano, salt and cook until the sauce thickens.
- Cook the chicken: Add ground chicken to the sauce and cook until cooked through. Cook on high flame to prevent chicken from releasing excess moisture. Take off the flame and add chopped pickled jalapenos and cilantro.
- Make the quesadillas: Heat a tortilla in a lightly oiled skillet. Flip and add a layer of shredded cheese all over the tortilla. Next add the chicken filling over one half. Gently fold over the tortilla, fry both sides until lightly crisp on the outside and molten on the inside.
- Serve: slice in half and serve hot.
How to Serve Chicken Quesadillas
As a snack, this simple chicken quesadilla recipe is juicy enough to be served on their own. They can also be served with sour cream, salsa or guacamole.
As a meal, serve them with a side of salad or sauteed vegetables.
Meal Prepping Chicken Quesadillas
Prepare a large batch of the chicken filling and store it in the refrigerator for upto 4 days. When in the mood for a quesadilla, layer a tortilla with cheese, chicken filling and fry until crisp on both sides Alternatively, portion them into freezer bags and freezze for upto 3 months. Thaw a portion as needed and make quesadillas anytime.
Best Chicken Quesadilla Recipe Video
If you enjoyed this chicken quesadillas recipe, please subscribe to my YouTube channel.
Did You Make These Chicken Quesadillas?
If you loved this chicken quesadilla recipe, I would appreciate it so much if you would leave a rating and review! It will help my blog grow and allow me to keep posting wonderful recipes for you.
Ground Chicken Quesadillas
INGREDIENTS
- 6 flour tortillas (large)
- 1 lb/450g chicken (note 1)
- 1/2 cup tomato purée
- 1 medium onion
- 5 garlic cloves
- 3 tbsp pickled jalapenos
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp cilantro
- 3 cups/300g grated cheese (note 2)
- olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prep: Finely chop the onion, garlic, pickled jalapenos and cilantro/coriander. For homemade tomato puree, blend 2 medium tomatoes until smooth. Grate or shred the cheese.
- Make the sauce: Sauté chopped onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Add paprika and cumin powder, sauté for 1 minute. Next add tomato puree, dried oregano, salt and cook until the sauce thickens.
- Cook the chicken: Add chicken to the sauce and cook until the meat is cooked through. Cook on high flame to prevent the chicken from releasing excess moisture. Take off the flame and mix in chopped pickled jalapenos and cilantro.
- Make the quesadillas: Heat a tortilla in a lightly oiled skillet. Flip and add a layer of shredded cheese all over the tortilla. Next add the chicken filling over one half. Gently fold over the tortilla, fry both sides until lightly crisp on the outside and molten on the inside.
- Serve: Slice in half and serve hot. They can be served on their own or with sour cream, salsa or guacamole.
NOTES
- Chicken: Use ground, shredded or finely chopped chicken meat. Ground chicken is easiest to cook.
- Cheese: Cheddar, monterey jack, mozzarella, pepper jack, oaxaca or queso quesadilla.
- Be cautious while adding salt to the chicken filling as the tortilla and cheese have salt in them too.
One Comment