Smoky, zesty, easy and cheesy Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas make a boldly delicious dinner – which can be shortcut with Rotisserie chicken.
Canned chipotle peppers en adobo sauce is one of those ingredients I can’t stop finding uses for – these zesty beauties instantly add bold smokiness and heat with embarrassingly zero effort on your part: simply pick up a can and add 1-2 chipotle en adobo peppers to whatever you’re making!
I like to blend up the peppers into a kind of thick paste to flavor meats and thicken sauces. And flavoring meat is exactly what we are doing in this chipotle quesadilla recipe. Ground chipotle en adobo peppers cling to the chicken without getting it overly saucy, which would be bad for quesadilla construction (saucy chicken = soggy quesadilla).
By the way, if you're as obsessed with canned chipotle en adobo peppers as I am, check out my recipes for Chipotle Chicken Salad, Chipotle Hollandaise Sauce, and these Chipotle Sloppy Joes.
Why You'll Love this Chipotle Chicken Quesadilla Recipe
- Bold flavor. When there’s chipotle en adobo peppers involved, you know the flavors are going to be bold. The smoky heat from the peppers adds complexity and heat without overwhelming the quesadilla. Plus, smoky flavors plus melty cheese cannot be beat.
- Budget-friendly. Bold flavors can be had on a budget, because the ingredients needed are few in number and nothing too fancy. Tortillas, cheese, chicken, canned chipotle peppers en adobo sauce, cover the basic ingredients in this recipe. Also a great way to use up leftover chicken.
- Customizable. I love a customizable recipe, and this chicken quesadilla is one of those recipes! If you want it spicier, add in a fresh jalapeno, bulk it up with corn and black beans, or play around with the cheeses, maybe a Monterey Jack or white cheddar would be nice.
Ingredients
Shredded chicken – Pushing the easy button and picking up a Rotisserie chicken is the move here, but you could also prepare your own shredded chicken for this recipe. Or a leftover chicken breast is perfect here. I recommend loosely packing the shredded chicken for measuring because 1 ½ cups of chicken makes 2 hearty quesadillas. Or stretch it over 3 if you prefer quesadillas that are on the thinner, less robust side.
Aromatics – Half of a medium-sized yellow onion, sliced, plus 2 finely minced garlic cloves elevate the deliciousness that’s happening in this quesadilla, but you could leave the garlic out say, if you’re just not into it. In lieu of using fresh onion or garlic, you could substitute in onion powder and garlic powder. I would recommend starting with ½ teaspoon of each, then adjusting to taste.
Canned chipotle en adobo peppers – These canned wonders really bring the flavor. You’ll want to use 2-3 chipotle en adobo peppers, grinding them up in a food processor before use in this recipe. The goal is for the chipotle en adobo peppers to be kind of paste-like because we don’t want a soupy sauce coating the chicken, which is more likely to result in a soggy quesadilla.
Freshly-squezed lime juice – A little acid brings brightness and helps cut through the smoke and heat from the chipotle en adobo peppers.
Large flour tortillas – Opt for the burrito-sized ones for this recipe.
Shredded chihuahua cheese – I love how this cheese melts and how complimentary it is against the chipotle chicken – it simultaneously tames the heat a little and enhances the smokiness with its mild flavor.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below - keep scrolling!
How to Make Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas - Directions
- Step 1: Heat pan to medium heat and add olive or vegetable oil. Once oil shimmers with heat, add sliced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add minced garlic and cook for 60 seconds, stirring the entire time.
- Step 2: Add shredded chicken, ground chipotle en adobo peppers, and lime juice. Stir until well combined. Cook 2-3 minutes until heated through. The chicken should be on the “dry” side and not saucy, which is what you want. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Step 3: Pre-heat your cast iron griddle pan to medium-low heat. Add a small amount of oil evenly, wiping off any excess with a paper towel. Lay a tortilla on a flat surface and sprinkle half with ½ cup shredded cheese. Top with one ¾ cup adobo chicken mixture. Finish by sprinkling with another ½ cup shredded cheese.
- Step 4: Fold the naked half of the tortilla over the top of the side with fillings. Repeat the step above with the second quesadilla.
- Step 5: Add quesadillas to the griddle pan and cook for 4-6 minutes. Check the underside of the quesadilla before flipping, it should be crispy and toasted looking. After flipping, continue cooking for another 4-6 minutes.
- Step 6: Remove from heat and cut into four slices. Serve with sour cream, salsa or dipping sauce of your choice.
Top Tips for the BEST Chipotle Chicken Quesadilla
Tip 1. Shred or chop your chicken into similar sized pieces, so you get even distribution of chicken throughout your quesadilla. I like to hand shred Rotisserie chicken for this recipe.
Tip 2. Layer up. Cheese, filling, then more cheese. This is the correct way to assemble a quesadilla; it aids in keeping everything stuck together, the cheese acting like a delicious glue.
Tip 3. Use just a little oil or butter to help crisp up the tortilla exterior. I like to drizzle a little oil into a pan, let it get warm and dispersed throughout the pan, then take a paper towel and remove any excess.
Equipment
I have a cast iron griddle burner that covers two burners that I like to use when making quesadillas because it can easily accommodate the surface area needed. Similarly, I also own this cast iron griddle that works great.
Recipe FAQs
Serve with chipotle ranch, quesadilla sauce, sour cream sauce, guacamole, or an avocado lime crema. A cool dip helps balance the heat.
Absolutely you can! Black beans or pinto beans, corn, bell peppers, jalapeno, and more would make great additions and make for more of a loaded, deluxe-style quesadilla.
I find that cooking at a medium to medium-low heat is where you need to be when cooking quesadillas because you want it hot enough to crisp the tortilla up, but not so hot that you burn the tortilla before the cheese can melt. I choose one setting lower than medium on my stove when cooking.
Related Recipes
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If you tried this Chipotle Chicken Quesadilla recipe (or any other recipe on Midwexican), please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments below!
Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
- ½ yellow onion sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ cups shredded chicken loosely packed
- 2-3 chipotle en adobo peppers ground into a paste in food processor
- 1 teaspoon lime juice freshly squeezed
- 2 large flour tortillas burrito sized
- 2 cups shredded chihuahua cheese
Instructions
- Heat pan to medium heat and add olive or vegetable oil. Once oil shimmers with heat, add sliced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, ½ yellow onion
- Add minced garlic and cook for 60 seconds, stirring the entire time.2 cloves garlic
- Add shredded chicken, ground chipotle en adobo peppers, and lime juice. Stir until well combined. Cook 2-3 minutes until heated through. The chicken should be on the “dry” side and not saucy, which is what you want. Remove from heat and set aside.1 ½ cups shredded chicken, 2-3 chipotle en adobo peppers, 1 teaspoon lime juice
- Pre-heat your cast iron griddle pan to medium-low heat. Add a small amount of oil evenly, wiping off any excess with a paper towel.
- Lay a tortilla on a flat surface and sprinkle half with ½ cup shredded cheese. Top with one ¾ cup adobo chicken mixture. Finish by sprinkling with another ½ cup shredded cheese.2 large flour tortillas, 2 cups shredded chihuahua cheese
- Fold the naked half of the tortilla over the top of the side with fillings. Repeat the step above with the second quesadilla.
- Add quesadillas to the griddle pan and cook for 4-6 minutes. Check the underside of the quesadilla before flipping, it should be crispy and toasted looking.
- After flipping, continue cooking for another 4-6 minutes. You want the other side of the tortilla to also get firm and crisp to the touch.
- Remove from heat and cut into four slices. Serve with sour cream, salsa or dipping sauce of your choice.
Notes
- Tip 1. Shred or chop your chicken into similar sized pieces for even distribution of chicken throughout your quesadilla.
- Tip 2. Layer cheese, then filling, then more cheese as this will help the quesadilla stick together.
- Tip 3. Use just a little oil or butter to help crisp up the tortilla exterior.
Christina Koncker
I love how boldly flavored yet super simple this recipe is - I recommend serving chipotle chicken quesadillas with sour cream or crema for dipping to let the bold chipotle flavors shine.