You will get a double dose of grilled flavor in this Grilled Chicken Quesadilla when you grill the chicken first, then grill the assembled quesadilla. One bite will have you convinced that grilling THE MOVE for cooking your quesadillas this summer.
If you’ve never grilled a quesadilla, you’re about to join team #grilledquesadilla. That hint of smoke you get in each bite is everything. Plus, the chicken used in the filling gets the grilled treatment as well, giving you that double hit of smokiness.
Ooops, I mispoke. I also used smoked gouda cheese, so this Grilled Chicken Quesadilla is a triple threat of smoky, savory deliciousness.
Of course, you can use whatever cheese you’d like, but I highly recommend smoked gouda here. And pretty much on and in anything that calls for cheese. It’s one of my favs.
Let’s get grilling! We’ll start with boneless skinless chicken thighs, the most grill-friendliest of chicken parts.
How do you grill boneless skinless chicken thighs?
Bounce over to this link to learn how to make the juiciest Grilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs. Then come right back so we can assemble those Grilled Chicken Quesadillas.
Winner winner, chicken quesadilla dinner
If you to skip the grilling your chicken step and have some leftover chicken on hand, use it! This is a stupidly easy way to used up leftover chicken. Or maybe you just wanted to grab one of those Rotisserie chickens on your way home. I get it. It’s not fair they put them so close to the checkout line.
You don’t have to use boneless skinless chicken thighs either; they are just the easiest and most forgiving cut to prepare on the grill.
A Note on my grill
I have a 3-burner Weber propane grill that I love, very similar to this beauty.
The instructions that follow can be used on most any propane grill; and since the cook time on this Grilled Chicken Quesadilla is so quick, you can probably more or less follow as instructed on charcoal grills as well – just make sure your coals have burned down to a medium-lowish heat. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a commission from your purchase.
How do you make Grilled Chicken Quesadillas?
You will need the following ingredients for this Grilled Chicken Quesadilla recipe. This recipe makes two large quesadillas. You can of course make a few substitutions and/or additions to suit your tastes – check those out below.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 grilled boneless skinless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
- 2 large flour tortillas
- 2 cups shredded smoked gouda cheese
- 18-20 sliced pickled jalapenos (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pre-heat your grill to medium-low heat. When warmed up, spritz the grill grates generously with cooking spray.
- If using pickled jalapenos, remove 18-20 slices from the jar and arrange in a single layer on paper towels to remove excess moisture. This will prevent the quesadilla from getting soggy as it cooks.
- Lay a tortilla on a flat surface and sprinkle half with 1/2 cup shredded smoked gouda. Top with one sliced boneless skinless chicken thigh. Add 9-10 sliced pickled jalapenos. Finish by sprinkling with another 1/2 cup shredded 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 grill and cook for 3-4 minutes with the lid closed.
- Note: When you flip your quesadillas, you may notice some spots are darker in places. Most grills have “hot spots” that cook food faster – I know I do! My hot spots are toward the back of the grill so when I flip my quesadillas I make sure the part of the quesadilla closer to the back finishes cooking towards the front.
- After flipping, continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes with the lid closed. You want to see some grill marks and for the tortilla to be firm and crisp to the touch.
- Remove from heat and cut into four slices. Serve with salsa of your choice.
Grate ‘yo cheese!
If you’re using smoked gouda cheese (as I highly recommend you should!), you’ll need to grate it by hand as I don’t think I’ve ever seen it come pre-shredded. And even if it did, I’d still advocate you shred it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in cellulose to prevent it from clumping. Nothing wrong with it health-wise (that I’m aware of) but it melts like trash. Ever had nachos made with pre-shredded cheese? Yuck. Grate ‘yo cheese!
What else can you add to a Grilled Chicken Quesadilla?
This Grilled Chicken Quesadilla recipe is SUPER simple, but endlessly customizable! Try adding some of these ingredients to the mix:
- More MEAT! Bacon crumbles, pork, or beef
- Mushrooms
- Greens like kale or spinach
- Peppers (bell, jalapeno, serrano, etc.)
- Onions
- Chickpeas
- Black or pinto beans
- Artichokes
- Black or green olives
- Sundried tomatoes
- Red pepper flakes
I don’t like smoked gouda. Or I can’t find smoked gouda. What now?
Why not try…
- Good ‘ol cheddar (mild, medium, sharp, whatever you please)
- Colby jack
- Pepper jack
- Oaxaca
- Havarti (Havarti dill would be slammin’)
- Mozzarella
Who loves condiments?
If you love condiments, give these easy homemade ones a try! Try pairing them with this Grilled Chicken Quesadilla.
- Roasted Garlic Chimichurri – a fresh and herbaceous dipping sauce
- Roasted Garlic Guacamole – a unique take on traditional guacamole
- Spicy Pico de Gallo – fiery and irresistibly fresh
- Citrus Jalapeno Salsa – fresh, acidic, punctuated with fiery jalapeno
Give these other fantastic quesadilla recipes a try… on the grill!
Grilled Chicken Quesadilla
Ingredients
- 2 grilled boneless skinless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
- 2 large flour tortillas
- 2 cups 2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
- 18-20 sliced pickled jalapenos (optional)
Instructions
- Pre-heat your grill to medium-low heat. When warmed up, spritz the grill grates generously with cooking spray.
- If using pickled jalapenos, remove 18-20 slices from the jar and arrange in a single layer on paper towels to remove excess moisture. This will prevent the quesadilla from getting soggy as it cooks.
- Lay a tortilla on a flat surface and sprinkle half with 1/2 cup shredded smoked gouda. Top with one sliced boneless skinless chicken thigh. Add 9-10 sliced pickled jalapenos. Finish by sprinkling with another 1/2 cup shredded 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 grill and cook for 3-4 minutes with the lid closed.
- Note: When you flip your quesadillas, you may notice some spots are darker in places. Most grills have "hot spots" that cook food faster – I know I do! My hot spots are toward the back of the grill so when I flip my quesadillas I make sure the part of the quesadilla closer to the back finishes cooking towards the front.
- After flipping, continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes with the lid closed. You want to see some grill marks and for the tortilla to be firm and crisp to the touch.
- Remove from heat and cut into four slices. Serve with salsa of your choice.
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