← All recipes

Main · Mexican

Chicken quesadillas

Crisp tortillas, melted cheese and spiced leftover chicken, with salsa and sour cream for dipping.

35 min Serves 4 Mexican Kid friendly

Chicken quesadillas fold seasoned chicken and melted cheese inside a tortilla, griddled until crisp and golden. They are quick, satisfying, and a great way to use leftover cooked chicken. Cut into wedges, they make an easy dinner or a generous snack.

Ingredients

  • 300 g cooked chicken, shredded; leftover roast, or a shop-bought cooked chicken
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • salt, a pinch
  • 2 spring onions, thinly sliced (optional)
  • 250 g cheddar, grated, or a melting mix with Monterey Jack
  • 8 flour tortillas, medium, about 20cm
  • 200 g salsa, to serve
  • 150 g sour cream, to serve

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 100°C (80°C fan), to keep the finished quesadillas warm. Toss the chicken with the paprika, cumin and a pinch of salt, and slice the spring onions, if using. Have the cheddar and tortillas ready by the hob.
  2. Put a large, dry frying pan over a medium heat until a flick of water sizzles on it, 1 to 2 minutes. Lay in a tortilla and scatter over an eighth of the cheddar, a quarter of the chicken and spring onions, then another eighth of cheddar, leaving a 1cm border. Top with a second tortilla and press down.
  3. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, pressing down with a spatula now and then, until the underside is golden and crisp in spots and the cheese is starting to melt, which glues the two tortillas together.
  4. Slide it onto a plate, put another plate on top and flip, then slide it back into the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, until golden, the cheese has fully melted and the chicken is piping hot. Move it to a tray in the low oven and repeat steps 2 to 4 with the rest (the pan is already hot).
  5. Once the last one is out, give it 1 minute so the melted cheddar sets a little and the wedges hold together (the others have rested in the oven), then cut each quesadilla into six wedges with a sharp knife or a pizza cutter.
  6. Pile the wedges onto a board or plates and serve with bowls of salsa and sour cream for dipping, and a crisp green salad on the side to cut through the richness.

Tips

  • Do not overfill, or the quesadilla will be hard to flip and the filling will spill out.
  • Cook on a medium heat so the cheese melts fully before the tortilla burns.
  • Let it rest a minute after cooking so the cheese sets slightly and the wedges hold together when cut.

Common questions

What cheese melts best in quesadillas?

Good melters like Monterey Jack, mozzarella, or a mild cheddar work well. A blend gives both flavour and stretch.

Can I use leftover chicken?

Yes, leftover roast or rotisserie chicken is ideal. Just warm and season it before adding so the quesadilla is hot through.