Last updated March 21st, 2025
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A cheesy chicken quesadilla recipe with jalapenos and red onion that always hits the spot, whether you need an easy lunch or a quick and comforting dinner!
Quesadillas are an integral part of our diets.
I know, I know – they’re not the healthiest. But they’re warm and cheesy, and just about the most comforting and delicious hot meal you could make yourself in under 20 minutes. Quesadillas helped me survive college, serving as a much-needed midnight snack after a late night of studying, or a quick dinner before running off to dance class. Although I’m now a full-fledged adult, I still haven’t outgrown my love of quesadillas.
Who can resist carbs and gooey melted cheese? I certainly can’t!
What This Recipe Entails
If you already have chicken prepared, you can easily make this quesadilla for lunch or dinner in about 20 minutes or less.
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Cook time: 10 to 15 minutes
Ingredients
- Flour tortillas – 8-inch tortillas work great for quesadillas, but you can really use any size you have available!
- Cheese – Shredded Mexican blend cheese works best for quesadillas, but you can also use Monterey jack or even cheddar jack if you prefer.
- Chicken – We like to use a flavorful Mexican shredded chicken like crockpot chicken tinga or salsa marinated chicken in our quesadillas, but you can also use grilled chicken or even rotisserie chicken for a simple option.
- Veggies – Diced jalapeno and red onion go great with chicken in a quesadilla! You can also use bell pepper, tomatoes, or even scallions.
- Optional add-ins – Quesadillas are super customizable, so feel free to add other ingredients like black beans or your favorite hot sauce.
How To Make A Cheesy Chicken Jalapeno Quesadilla
- Assemble. Place a tortilla on a cast iron griddle and top it with a layer of shredded cheese. Add the chicken and veggies, then place a second tortilla on top.
- Cook. Cook over medium-low heat so that the cheese has time to melt before the tortilla gets too crispy. Once the bottom tortilla is golden brown, carefully flip the quesadilla and cook until the other side is lightly browned. The second side will cook faster than the first, so keep a close eye on it!
- Slice and serve. Transfer the quesadilla to a cutting board and slice it into triangles before serving.
Recipe Variations
Quesadillas are super customizable – that’s why we love them so much! Here are our favorite variations on a cheesy quesadilla that you might want to try:
- Switch up the protein – Other proteins like carnitas, taco beef, and carne asada go great in a cheese quesadilla. Use whatever you have available for a quick and easy meal!
- Use different veggies – Quesadillas are a great way to use up produce from your fridge that might otherwise go bad. Tomato, bell pepper, hot peppers, onion, and scallions all taste great.
- Try unique flavors – Use pulled pork and barbecue sauce for a BBQ style quesadilla, or try mozzarella cheese and pepperoni for a pizzadilla!
- Larger tortillas – If you have a large burrito size tortilla, you can make a quesadilla using just one tortilla (if you don’t want a massive quesadilla). Add toppings to half of it and fold it over itself to make a semicircle.
Serving Suggestions
A quesadilla is a great excuse to eat chips and salsa, too! But we also love serving quesadillas alongside other Mexican favorites like:
- Chips and guac – Try our easy guacamole recipe!
- Rice and beans – We love a good combo of cilantro lime rice and refried black beans.
- Mexican bean dip – Enjoy a more decadent appetizer or side dish alongside your quesadilla for an easy restaurant style dinner at home.
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt – Fage Greek yogurt is our new go-to “sour cream” and it’s so good with a quesadilla!
- Hot sauce – Reach into your stash of Taco Bell hot sauce and drizzle it over your quesadilla for a fast food style meal at home.
FAQs
Shredded Mexican blend cheese is best for quesadillas – it’s usually a blend of Monterey jack, cheddar, asadero, and queso quesadilla cheeses.
No, you don’t need to butter a quesadilla. If you cook it on a well-seasoned cast iron griddle, you’ll get a beautiful crisp on the outside of the tortillas. Even if you use a nonstick pan, you don’t need to add any extra grease. Flour tortillas typically have vegetable shortening or oil in them already.
Quesadillas cook better in a pan on the stove compared to baking in the oven. They’ll crisp up more quickly and you can keep a closer eye on them to ensure the tortillas don’t burn.
Cook a quesadilla on low heat to allow enough time for the cheese to melt before the tortilla crisps. If you cook it at too high of a heat, you run the risk of the tortilla burning before your cheese is gooey.
Expert Tips
- Assemble your quesadilla on the pan before turning the stove on so you don’t feel rushed. Cooking it as the pan warms up also helps the cheese melt while the tortilla browns slowly.
- Cook your quesadilla low and slow – the cheese should be gooey by the time you need to flip it.
- Keep a close eye on the quesadilla after flipping – the second side will cook much faster since the pan will be up to temperature.
- Make sure to evenly distribute the chicken and veggies so you get all the ingredients in every bite.
Love this recipe? You may also enjoy these easy Mexican recipes:
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Cheesy Chicken Quesadilla Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 8-inch flour tortillas
- 1 cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese
- 4 ounces Salsa-Marinated Chicken shredded, or other prepared chicken
- 2 teaspoons diced jalapeno
- 2 teaspoons diced red onion
Instructions
- Place a tortilla on a cast iron griddle. Top it with a layer of shredded cheese. Add the chicken, jalapeno, and red onion, then place the second tortilla on top.
- Cook over medium-low heat until the bottom is crisped to a golden-brown, about 7 to 10 minutes. Then, carefully flip and crisp the other side until golden-brown, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked quesadilla to a cutting board and slice into triangles. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
If you have any questions regarding the information presented in this post, please refer to our Nutrition Disclaimer here.
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