Description
Sizzling Mexican chicken quesadillas bring a fiesta of flavors right to your plate. Crispy tortillas packed with tender spiced chicken, melted cheese, and zesty salsa create a quick, irresistible meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 2 medium chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thick
- 2 teaspoons chicken taco seasoning
Vegetables and Aromatics:
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
Dairy and Bread:
- 3 to 4 cups freshly shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 6 large flour tortillas
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Olive oil (as needed)
Instructions
- Rub chicken breasts thoroughly with zesty taco seasoning, ensuring complete coverage.
- Warm olive oil in a skillet at medium-high temperature, cooking chicken until internal temperature reaches 165°F, approximately 6-7 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to cutting board and slice into thin strips.
- Utilize the same skillet to sauté colorful bell peppers and onions, stirring occasionally until vegetables become translucent and slightly softened, around 5 minutes.
- Arrange tortillas on clean surface, strategically layering shredded cheese, seasoned chicken strips, and sautéed vegetable mixture across one half of each tortilla.
- Carefully fold untopped tortilla half over filled side, creating a half-moon shape.
- Melt butter in a fresh skillet over medium heat, carefully placing quesadillas and cooking until exterior turns crispy golden brown and cheese melts completely, roughly 2-3 minutes per side.
- Remove from heat, allow brief cooling, then slice into triangular wedges using sharp kitchen knife.
- Serve immediately while warm and cheese remains gooey, optionally accompanied by salsa, guacamole, or sour cream.
Notes
- Optimize seasoning by mixing your own taco blend for fresher, more vibrant chicken flavor.
- Slice chicken against the grain to ensure tender, easy-to-bite pieces that enhance overall texture.
- Use a variety of cheese like monterey jack or pepper jack for extra depth and complexity in flavor profile.
- Consider dairy-free alternatives like vegan cheese or nutritional yeast for lactose-intolerant or plant-based diets, maintaining the quesadilla’s creamy essence.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 470 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 580 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 29 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg