Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas are a quick and easy weekday dish. They’re simple to make, featuring mildly spiced chicken with a hint of smoke and melty cheese and served with diced avocado and sour cream.
Searching for an easy way to make the kids and yourself happy on a busy weekday night? Or maybe you have some leftovers from last Sunday’s roasted chicken feast? Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas are the way to go! This quick and easy recipe is filled with flavour and approved by kids—what else can you ask for?! It’s served with diced avocado, a squeeze of lime, and sour cream to smooth things up a bit.
Chipotle Peppers in Adobo
Chipotle peppers are mildly spicy and sold in a can that contains a sensational “adobo” or marinade, making them the perfect seasoning for this chicken. No worries about the heat factor; this pepper is mild and has a special touch of smoke, giving the impression of charcoal-cooked chicken.
Often, people at the table have different tolerances to heat. Chipotle is a great start! They’re like the first step into the world of spiciness. If you are a spice lover, add a nice bottle of hot Habanero Mexican sauce to the table to satisfy your palate. I love a sweet touch of maple syrup or honey to complement the chipotle peppers. It increases the spice and makes it more kid-friendly, but this is up to you.
The Smooth Sides
I love creamy sides with my spicy food, contrasting the heat. They all do the trick: sour cream, plain Greek yogurt or Creme fraiche. Plus, you make it way lighter if you take a 0% fat. But the sides are up to your family’s taste; it could be a nice fresh pico de gallo, full-on guacamole or even an artichoke dip. Feeling too lazy after a hard day at work to make full guacamole? Skip the whole guacamole, cut an avocado, and squeeze some lime and salt on it!
Queso Equals Quesadillas
For those who don’t know, the word ‘Quesadillas’ comes from “queso,” which means cheese in Spanish. Therefore, the main rule of a Quesadilla is that it “needs to contain cheese.” The rest of the fillings are usually served on the side.
The original cheese used for quesadillas in Mexico is called Oaxaca, a fresh cheese similar to Italian mozzarella that, once melted, makes those irresistible strings that we love. But if you are like me, living far away from the goods, we must survive with “alternatives.” The most stringy “y” cheese I know is mozzarella, which, of course, is an excellent choice for this recipe, but I like my cheese to taste “stronger,” especially with an already “spicy filling,” so I’ve used cheddar.
Cheese Choice
Another great alternative widely used in the US is Monterey Jack cheese, a great, young, “mildly spicy” cheese. However, it is not easy to find outside of the area. As long as it melts rapidly, you’ll get a great quesadilla. Avoid aged cheeses, as they don’t melt well. Ultimately, the amount of cheese is up to you.
Variations
A fun, different choice of extra toppings on the table will make the guests drool! Here are a few ideas to make this feast enjoyable for all palates:
- Pico de Gallo
- Mango Salsa
- Black bean paste
- Pickles, jalapeño, or onions
- Spicy mayonnaise
Other Mexican Recipes
Easy Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 4 tortilla wraps
- 2 chicken breast (pre-cooked)
- 1/2 red pepper (diced)
- 100 g cheddar (mozzarella or Monterey Jack)
- 3 chipotle pepper (in adobo. (in conserve))
- 2 tbsp maple syrup (or honey)
- 1 tbsp Chipotle Adobo sauce (the adobo from the conserve.)
- salt and pepper
Sides
- 1 avocado
- 1/2 lime
- 80 ml sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Start by blending the Chipotle peppers and the adobo sauce it comes in.
- Shred the chicken with the help of a fork.
- Add the chipotle mix, maple syrup, salt, pepper and diced red pepper to the chicken and mix.
- In a nonstick pan, medium-high heat, spray a bit of oil.
- Add the tortilla wrap in the pan, add one side only of the wrap the grated cheese, chicken filling, and another layer of cheese, and add another tortilla
- Cook for 1 minute on each side until golden; flip mid-way with the help of a big plate or large spatula.
- Cut and serve with the extra toppings.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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20 Comments
Oh my goodness this looks so amazing! What a great combo of flavours… my mouth is watering
glad to have this effect on you;)
Oh yum, you had me at quesadilla! I love to add onions and peppers to mine, for extra veg. This sounds so good, and I’m hungry right now, so I’m drooling… haha Thanks for the inspiration!
Anything with chipotle and I’m in! This looks like a great weeknight dinner. Love the makeshift guac too! 👍
Thanks!
Loved the recipe………its too good 🙂
Yum! These look good! My wife will love when I add these to our meal plan! Loving the video by the way!
Yum, these look delicious … and those bowls!!!!
Glad you like it;)!
A must-try for a quick and satisfying meal!
I’m always looking for quick and easy chicken dishes I can make for my husband. He loved these quesadillas.
This couldn’t be easier! and yummy!
I made some guac to go along with these quesadillas and they were so good! Really easy and filling.
Yeah, easy, breezy and good!
Totally making this for dinner using leftover chicken !
So simple, yet yummy! Enjoy!
These turned out amazing! The entire family loved them. I can’t wait to make them again…YUM!!!
Glad it was a hit!
Why do you use sugar? It’s not necessary.
You mean maple syrup? You don’t have to, but spicy and sweet is just a dreamy combo. If you don’t like it, feel free to skip it.