My Favorite Chicken Quesadillas
Crispy, cheesy, smoky, a little spicy…these chicken bacon quesadillas are packed with flavor and protein and seriously SO GOOD. ♡
I have a bit of a thing against boring quesadillas that rely on salsa or dips for all of their flavor. So these are loaded with tender seasoned chicken, crispy bacon, black beans, corn, peppers and plenty of melty cheese. They’re boldly seasoned all on their own, although they’re still extremely delicious of course dunked in salsa or guacamole.
I highly recommend cooking the chicken and vegetables here in the leftover bacon drippings for an extra layer of smoky flavor. And with around 44 grams of protein per quesadilla, they’re every bit as filling as they are delicious. Let’s make some quesadillas!
Quesadilla Tips
A few little details make these quesadillas much easier to assemble and cook.
- Cut the chicken into small, thin pieces. Bite-size chicken cooks quickly and makes the quesadillas much easier to eat. Larger chunks tend to tumble out with the first bite.
- Taste the filling before assembling. This is important! The tortillas and cheese mellow the seasonings, so the filling should taste bold and well seasoned on its own.
- Don’t overfill the tortillas. I know it’s tempting, especially with a filling this good, but an overstuffed quesadilla is difficult to flip. A heaping ½ cup of filling is plenty for an 8-inch tortilla.
- Use cheese on both sides of the filling. It acts like glue and helps hold everything together once melted.
- Keep the heat at medium. If the skillet is too hot, the tortilla will burn before the cheese melts. Turn the heat down a bit between batches if needed.
- Let the quesadillas rest before slicing. Two minutes gives the melted cheese a chance to settle, so more of the filling stays inside instead of spilling onto the cutting board.
- Keep finished quesadillas warm in the oven. If you’re cooking all six at once, place the finished quesadillas on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven until the final batch is ready.
Variations You Can Try
This filling is wonderfully flexible, so feel free to play around with whatever sounds good or needs to be used up.
- Swap the chicken: Use shredded rotisserie chicken to save time. Add it to the vegetables just long enough to warm through.
- Make them spicier or milder: Keep the jalapeño seeds, add a second pepper or stir a few dashes of hot sauce into the filling to make these spicier. Or to make them milder, just leave out the jalapeño and use a mild Mexican-blend cheese.
- Add more vegetables: Toss in sautéed mushrooms, zucchini, poblano peppers or baby spinach.
- Swap the beans: Use black beans, pinto beans or refried beans.
- Change up the cheese: Try Pepper Jack for extra heat, sharp cheddar for a stronger flavor or Oaxaca cheese for an especially good cheese pull.
- Add avocado: Tuck thin avocado slices into the quesadillas just before cooking.
- Make them smoky: Add a minced chipotle pepper in adobo or a pinch of smoked paprika to the filling.
- Skip the bacon: Leave it out and sauté the vegetables and chicken in olive or avocado oil instead.
FAQ
Yes. Prepare the filling and refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Let it sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before assembling the quesadillas so that the cold filling doesn’t prevent the cheese from melting.
Yes. Arrange the quesadillas on a parchment-lined baking sheet, lightly brush both sides with oil and bake at 425°F for about 10 to 14 minutes, flipping halfway through. They may not get quite as evenly crisp as skillet-cooked quesadillas, but it’s an easy option when cooking several at once.
Yes. Lightly brush the quesadillas with oil and air-fry at 375°F for approximately 6 to 8 minutes, flipping halfway through. You may need to secure each tortilla with a toothpick so that the top doesn’t lift while cooking.
Chicken Bacon Quesdillas
Ingredients
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin bite-size pieces
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning, divided
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil, if needed
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
- 1 medium red bell pepper, cored and finely diced
- 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 (15-ounce) can black or pinto beans, rinsed and thoroughly drained
- ⅓ cup whole-kernel corn, canned and drained or frozen
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, plus more as needed
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed
- 6 medium (8-inch) flour tortillas
- 3 cups shredded Mexican-blend or Pepper Jack cheese
- Neutral cooking oil, for the skillet
- For serving: Guacamole, pico de gallo, red salsa, salsa verde and/or additional sour cream
Instructions
- Cook the bacon. Add the bacon to a large sauté pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon. Leave about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in the pan and reserve the rest.
- Sauté the vegetables. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the white parts of the scallions, bell pepper and jalapeño to the pan. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Transfer the vegetables to a large mixing bowl.
- Cook the chicken. Toss the chicken with 2 tablespoons of the taco seasoning until evenly coated. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved bacon grease (or oil) to the same pan, then add the chicken in an even layer. Cook over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through. Transfer the chicken to the bowl with the vegetables.
- Add the beans and seasonings. Add the cooked bacon, beans, corn and remaining 1 tablespoon taco seasoning to the bowl. Toss until everything is evenly combined.
- Finish the filling. Add the green parts of the scallions, cilantro, sour cream and 2 tablespoons lime juice. Stir until evenly combined.
- Taste and season. Taste the filling before assembling the quesadillas. Add fine sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, additional lime juice or a little more taco seasoning as needed. The filling should taste well seasoned on its own, since the tortillas and cheese will soften the flavors slightly.
- Assemble the quesadillas. Place a tortilla on a clean work surface. Sprinkle ¼ cup of the cheese over one half of the tortilla. Top with a heaping ½ cup of the chicken filling, spreading it in an even layer, then sprinkle with another ¼ cup cheese. Fold the empty half of the tortilla over the filling and press gently to flatten. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, filling and cheese.
- Cook the quesadillas. Heat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Lightly brush the skillet with oil. Cook the quesadillas one or two at a time for 2 to 4 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula, until the tortillas are crisp and golden and the cheese has completely melted.
- Wipe down the skillet. Between batches, carefully wipe the skillet clean with a dry paper towel to remove any stray cheese or filling that could burn. Add another light coating of oil before cooking the next batch. Reduce the heat as needed if the tortillas begin browning before the cheese melts.
- Serve. Let the quesadillas rest for 2 minutes, then cut each one into wedges. Serve warm with your favorite toppings and sauces.
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
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