BBQ Chicken Quesadilla
This is the ultimate chicken quesadilla recipe. Loaded with saucy bbq chicken, lots of melty cheese, and Tex-Mex favorites like corn, black beans, and bell peppers, they are always a winner. You'll love how quick and easy they are to make!
Complete the meal with a side of easy guacamole and some spicy Mexican rice.
The ultimate chicken quesadilla
Chicken quesadillas are the answer to, “What should I make for dinner tonight?”
Even when it feels like there's no food in the house, we almost always have these ingredients somewhere in our kitchen.
And don't worry if you're missing a few, as long as you have tortillas and cheese, you can make quesadillas.
What makes these chicken quesadillas extra delicious is the BBQ chicken – which is just cooked chicken mixed with BBQ sauce. The flavor goes amazingly well with this Tex-Mex meal. It takes a tried and true favorite and turns it into something special.
How to make chicken quesadillas
If you've ever wondered how do you make chicken quesadillas, we'll show you that it's effortless! We make this recipe when we have leftover chicken to use, but you can also poach a couple of chicken breasts or thighs then shred the meat to use in this recipe.
- Start by mixing some store-bought or homemade bbq sauce into cooked, shredded chicken. Then chop the veggies and grate the cheese so everything is ready to go.
- Spread a little oil on both sides of a tortilla (hands work great for this!) then quickly cook on one side. Flip the tortilla over, add the fillings, then fold it in half.
- Once it browns on the bottom side, flip it over and cook it on the other side.
- Now all you have to do is cut it and put it onto your plate. Easy!
Full recipe instructions in the recipe card below.
Tips for making the best chicken quesadilla
Chicken quesadillas are very easy to make. But we have a few tips on how to make them the best.
- Start with one tortilla and fold it in half. If you stack two tortillas instead, it is very hard to flip over and you'll likely lose most of the filling in your pan.
- Cook one side of the tortilla for about 10 seconds then remove the pan from the heat and flip the tortilla over. This warms it a little which helps the cheese to melt and gives the tortilla a better texture.
- Make sure that you sprinkle the cheese right to the edge of the tortilla. When it melts, it acts like the glue that will hold the quesadilla together.
- Resist the temptation to overstuff your quesadilla.
- Cook the quesadillas on moderate heat. This will allow the cheese to melt and the fillings to warm without the tortilla becoming too crispy or burned.
Quick Tip
Rather than stacking two tortillas on top of each other, use one tortilla and fold it in half. This makes it MUCH easier to flip over and the fillings stay inside better after you cut it!
What to serve with this chicken quesadilla recipe
Chicken quesadillas are easily a meal in themselves. A little sour cream and some store-bought or homemade salsa are all they need. You can make some guacamole if you're feeling fancy.
But if you want to serve these as part of a larger meal, some spicy Mexican rice and roasted corn and avocado salad go really well together!
Popular Mexican recipes
BBQ Chicken Quesadilla Recipe
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken, or 2 small chicken breasts – see notes
- ½ cup storebought or homemade BBQ sauce
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup frozen corn, thawed
- ¼ cup cooked black beans
- ¼ cup diced red pepper
- ¼ cup diced onion
- 2 teaspoons cooking oil
- 4 10-inch flour tortillas, or gluten-free tortillas, if needed
Instructions
- Mix the shredded chicken with the BBQ sauce. Grate the cheese and have the corn, beans, red pepper, and onion ready to use.2 cups cooked shredded chicken, ½ cup storebought or homemade BBQ sauce, 1 cup grated cheddar cheese, ¼ cup frozen corn, ¼ cup cooked black beans, ¼ cup diced red pepper, ¼ cup diced onion
- Heat a nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Drizzle a little oil (about ½ teaspoon) on one side of a tortilla. Use your hands to spread it over both sides of the tortilla. Put the tortilla into the pan and let it cook for 10 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and flip the tortilla over.4 10-inch flour tortillas, 2 teaspoons cooking oil
- Spread ¼ cup of the cheese over half of the tortilla. Top with ½ cup of the chicken and 1 tablespoon each of the corn, black beans, and red pepper. Fold the empty half of the tortilla over the filling and press the edges together. Put the pan back on the heat and let the quesadilla cook for 2 minutes. Flip it over and let it cook for 2 minutes more.
- Remove the quesadilla from the pan. Cut it in half then cut both pieces in half again so that you have 4 triangle slices. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and fillings.
Notes
Pin this BBQ chicken quesadilla recipe to save it for later!
This recipe is a home run. Served these quesadillas up with a big bowl of guacamole, and it was all devoured in minutes. High praise from all. Thanks Kristen!
Loved them!! Very easy to make and very tasty. Definitely will make them again
I am also so totally guilty of eating in bed sometimes! I would take a whole baking sheet of these quesadillas to bed with me! Pinned!
So happy to hear I’m not the only one guilty of lazy nights eating in bed 🙂