These chicken quesadillas are scratch-made. Poach chicken in spices, then add veggies and cheese to make a juicy, meal-prep-friendly lunch. Perfect for lunchboxes or a light dinner, served with this mango-and-corn salsa. Simple, easy, and ready in under an hour.
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WHAT YOU’LL NEED
Chicken: Any cut will do but I use chicken breast.
Veggies: onion, tomato, green chili (for heat, skip to keep it mild), cilantro.
Seasonings: I use salt and red chili powder and minced garlic.
Cheese: Mexican cheese or Kerrygold cheddar works well.
Tortillas: I use gluten-free Siete almond flour tortillas.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN QUESADILLAS FROM SCRATCH
Ok, it’s much easier and more time-efficient to use store-bought rotisserie chicken, but if you follow a zabihah halal diet, your options are pretty limited. I tend to use up leftover chicken, but I often batch-make this filling, and it lasts longer than the amount of quesadillas in this recipe. Then you can use the filling in omelets, salads, and more!
Begin by poaching the chicken breasts in water, garlic, salt, and red chili powder. That takes about 30 minutes.
While the chicken poaches, start chopping the veggies. Once the chicken is cooked through, reduce the heat and add the onions; sauté until translucent and the water has evaporated. You will be left with the dried seasonings. This adds flavor to the filling. Next, mix all the vegetables and the chicken.
Let the mixture come to room temperature. If not, wait until it cools down before adding the shredded cheese.
Mix everything together, then assemble the quesadillas or store for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container. You can also freeze it for up to a month.
Lay out your tortillas in an assembly-line fashion and add about 1-1 ½ tablespoons to each tortilla. Fold in half and press down to ensure the mixture is evenly spread out.
Put a large skillet over medium-high heat and, once hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Put 2-3 quesadillas (depending on how big they are) in the pan and let them brown on one side for about 30 seconds before flipping and browning the other side. Drain on a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate. Enjoy with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.
STORAGE
- After assembly, I cut them into quarters and stack a couple of quesadillas to make at least two servings. Then I wrap them in foil and put them in a zip-top bag. These can stay in the freezer for a month or more.
- When ready to eat, bake in the oven until heated through.
HERE ARE MORE MEAL PREP-FRIENDLY RECIPES
If you try this chicken quesadilla recipe or any other Eat.Drink.Pure recipe, don’t forget to rate it! And let me know in the comments how it worked out for you.
Chicken Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic or 3 cloves garlic
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1 medium tomato I use Roma
- 1 medium green chili pepper
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 6 ounces shredded cheese Mexican style
- 16 tortillas I use Siete almond flour tortillas
Instructions
- In a saucepan, put chicken pieces and enough water to cover the meat. Add salt, red chili powder, and garlic.
- Poach for 20 minutes on medium heat. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove it and roughly chop it. Increase the heat to high and let the leftover water in the saucepan dry until only the spice residue remains.
- While the water is drying, chop the vegetables and set them aside.
- Once the water has dried, add the chopped onions first. Cook until translucent, then let the moisture released from the onions evaporate before adding the rest of the veggies and the chicken.
- Mix to combine. Turn off the heat and let cool. Once thoroughly cooled, add the cheese. Stir to combine and assemble the quesadillas.
- Lay your tortillas in an assembly-line fashion and add about 1-1 ½ tablespoons of the mixture onto one side of each tortilla. Fold in half and press down to ensure the mixture is evenly spread out.
- Put a large skillet over medium-high heat and, once hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add 2-3 quesadillas ( depending on size) to the pan and cook for 30 seconds per side. Drain on a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate.
- Enjoy on its own or with some salsa and guacamole.
Notes
- These quesadillas are meal-prep friendly and can be frozen for up to a month.
- You can make these quesadillas with any protein of your choice. Stewed beef takes longer, and shrimp takes less time. I often use leftover beef keema as filling. These are great for lunchboxes.
Nutrition
Zeeshan Shah says
I love these quesadillas! They’re perfect for meal prepping. I make a big batch every few weeks and freeze them for quick lunches and after school snacks!