The Best Chicken Quesadillas
This really is the best chicken quesadillas recipe! So easy, these fajita-style quesadillas taste just as good, if not better, than any restaurant!
Oh heavens, these cheesy, dreamy chicken quesadillas are good.
Packed with flavor from an easy, homemade seasoning mix, they are so quick and easy. Perfect for a simple weeknight meal!

Homemade Quesadilla Seasoning
One of the main reasons these chicken quesadillas are so good is because of the easy, pantry-staple seasoning mix that builds flavor quickly.
Quesadilla seasoning mix:
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- dried oregano
- cumin
- chili powder
- paprika (smoked or regular)
- salt (coarse, kosher salt)
- pepper (coarsely ground)
Half of this seasoning mix goes on the cooked, chopped chicken. The other half goes in with the veggies.
Oh, you want to talk about the veggies?? Let’s do that!
—>Feel free to adapt the veggies any which way you like.
Any color or variety of bell pepper will work. You can add jalapeños for some heat, use red onions OR yellow onions, add extra mushrooms or leave them out, throw in corn kernels or zucchini or any other vegetable you like.
Pro Tip: adding 2-3 tablespoons water or broth near the end of cooking the veggies helps create a simple “sauce” as the liquid absorbs the flavor of the seasoning mix and veggies AND most importantly, it helps the quesadillas from being dry and lifeless.
Quesadilla Assembly
It’s easy as can be!
- Sprinkle cheese on half of the tortilla
- Add chicken
- Add veggies
- Add more cheese
- Fold tortilla in half
- Cook on both sides until golden
I use 8-inch tortillas, but you can make smaller or larger quesadillas depending on what size of tortillas you have.
Don’t over think this step (or this recipe). It’s simple and adaptable and any way you assemble, you’ll end up with a yummy quesadilla.
Cooking Quesadillas
I use the same pan the veggies cooked in for cooking the quesadillas (easy cleanup!). I wipe it clean with a paper towel after assembling the quesadillas and then add a tiny sploosh of oil before cooking the quesadillas.
The oil is optional but it adds an extra dimension of golden crispiness. And I’m never going to say no to extra golden crispiness.
You can also use a cast iron skillet or a large griddle to cook the quesadillas.
What to Serve with Quesadillas
These quesadillas have enough flavor to stand on their own without a lot of extra adornments.
But even still, I usually have available:
- sour cream
- salsa
- avocados
- chopped cilantro
You know, just in case anyone wants to go crazy, stack up their quesadilla triangles, slather with sour cream and salsa, top with avocados and cilantro, and dig in.
You guys. YUM.
The Best Chicken Quesadillas
I know you might be thinking: yeah, yeah, quesadillas are quesadillas. Who needs a recipe??
However, I can promise you that this really is the best chicken quesadillas recipe. It takes boring, bland, dry quesadillas and transforms them into restaurant-level food.
And…instead of having to put on real pants and enter a public establishment to get them, you and your soft pants wearing self can dance around your kitchen like a rock star knowing these ridiculously delicious HOMEMADE quesadillas came with a much lower social profile price (and they’re undoubtedly cheaper to make at home, too).
Hoo.ray.
What to Serve With This
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
- The Best Cornbread
- Fresh Fruit
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Three Years Ago: Chicken and Vegetable Dumpling Soup
Four Years Ago: Healthy Yogurt Oat Blueberry {or Chocolate Chip!} Muffins
Five Years Ago: Yum Yum Bowls with Knockoff Cafe Yumm Sauce
Six Years Ago: German Pancake {Whole Grain Option} with Butter Syrup
Seven Years Ago: Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Beef {For Enchiladas}
Eight Years Ago: Roasted Maple-Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Nine Years Ago: Delicious Ground Beef {or Turkey} Stroganoff
Ten Years Ago: Delicious Greek Pastitsio {Casserole-Style}
The Best Chicken Quesadillas
Ingredients
Seasoning Mix:
- 1 teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt)
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika, smoked or regular
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (I use coarsely ground)
Quesadillas:
- 4 cups cooked, chopped chicken
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2-3 cups sliced mushrooms (optional – see note)
- 2 medium bell peppers (any color), cored and sliced into thin strips
- 1 large onion, sliced into thin half moon strips
- 2-3 tablespoons broth or water
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 cup shredded medium or sharp cheddar cheese
- 8 8-inch flour tortillas
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add all the seasoning ingredients. Mix well.
- Toss the chicken with 1/2 of the seasoning mixture. Set aside.
- In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms (if using), onions, and bell peppers. Sprinkle the remaining seasoning mixture over the veggies. Cook, stirring often, until the onions start to turn translucent and the vegetables start to soften.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons water or broth (omit this if there is already liquid in the pan from the mushrooms or other veggies). Continue cooking over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until the veggies are crisp-tender and the liquid has reduced slightly.
- Assemble the quesadillas by spreading cheese on 1/2 of each tortilla. Top the cheese with chicken, veggies, more cheese, and then fold the tortilla in half over the filling ingredients.
- Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet (or griddle) over medium or medium-low heat. Add a touch of oil to the pan for a crispier quesadilla. Cook the quesadillas on one side until golden, moderating the heat as needed, pressing lightly with a spatula to compress and flatten a bit, if desired. Carefully flip the quesadillas with the spatula and cook on the other side until the tortilla is golden and the filling and cheese is hot and melted.
- Cut into triangles and serve immediately. (Or keep the cooked quesadillas warm on a baking sheet in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve.)
Notes
- Veggies: any color or variety of bell pepper would work, add jalapenos for some heat, use red onions or yellow onions, add extra mushrooms or leave them out, add corn kernels or zucchini or any other vegetable you like.
- Cheese: I prefer grating my own Monterey Jack and cheddar, but you can use a pre-shredded Mexican blend or other variety of cheese. Freshly grated cheese melts better than pre-shredded cheese (and Monterey Jack melts better/creamier than mozzarella).
- Meat: you could leave the meat out and amp up the veggies for a veggie quesadilla, or switch out the meat and use ground beef or ground turkey (if doing so, add the seasoning mixture while the meat cooks).
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
We didn’t care for these. I will give it a plus for using precooked chicken. I used rotisserie chicken. The flavor was bland and they were dry.
will not do it any other way. Best ever with a touch of pico de gallo
Fabulous recipe, but crank it up a notch with fried bacon! Fry up 8 slices of bacon and chop up or crumble into the chicken mixture. Finish each Quesadilla according to the recipe. Also great drizzled with Ranch dressing.
Keep your recipes coming!
So yummy and easy! I make these often.
Good for lunch, supper, or midnight snack! 🙂
Thank you for another recipe that is a family favorite!
This recipe mix is dog shit. What do you mix, how much, when? Total garbage recipe.
What are you talking about? You clearly didn’t scroll to the ACTUAL RECIPE!! Mel’s instructions are always impeccable. Before you scroll low enough to leave such a nasty comment, actually *LOOK* for the recipe. It’s just above this comment section.♀️Using very basic skills of deduction, you can surmise, with this being such a well-loved recipe, that you may have missed something. I hope you give this recipe a shot and see what everyone is raving about.♥ I plan to.
This is just what I needed today. A little kitchen inspiration to get me out of my same old, same old. Chicken quesadillas are on my Saturday menu.
My family loves it!!! Thank you so much!!
This was the best recipe!! Everything turned out awesome!! My husband had the first one gone and I was stuck at stove cooking two more!! , This will be one of our main dishes weekly!! Thanks so much for sharing!!
This was great. I was looking for a recipe to use up what I had in the fridge. I added some frozen corn. The amounts of veggies don’t really matter. Use what you have. It will be even better next time w avo and salsa. But they weren’t in my fridge!
Was looking for a way to “zhuzh-up” my quesadillas. Followed the recipe, except added approximately 2 tablespoons of salsa mixed in with chicken, just for a little flavor and moisture. Family loved them! This is my new quesadilla recipe!
We make these all the time &love them. I also add poblanos & jalapeños chopped & serve topped with sour cream, green onions, salsa & black olives. I also make a Mexican salad (greens, onion, bell pepper, jalapeños, black beans & spicy avocado dressing. Soo good.
Made an abbreviated version. Just had a couple thighs I smoked. Had forgotten how much I like quesadillas. Being a single guy I had to experiment a little. Added a little bacon jam on one. Not an unpleasant experience. Excellent and easy recipe
You had me at “stay in your soft pants”! Also listing the seasonings helps. I used rotisserie chicken, worked perfect. Kept the heat very low until the seasonings were all over the chicken. Love mushrooms, so thanks for that.
These are the best I have ever eaten. My husband said a definite keeper ☺️
Delicious! Since March 2020 I cook 2-3 meals a day for 3 sometimes 4 (depending on my sons work schedule). Your recipes never fail and I can almost always guarantee my family will ask for them again. This made an excellent lunch for today and leftovers for the 19 year olds 2nd dinner late tonight, lol.
Thank you so much, Stacey!!
Chicken was still raw
Maybe the recipe writer assumed we would know to cook the chicken but you can’t assume anything these days! They better correct that error before some idiot eats raw chicken and tries to sue them because they followed the recipe exactly.
The recipe said cooked Chopped chicken.
Oh wait…it says “cooked chopped chicken.” So your raw chicken is a chef error and not a recipe error.
Hi Joshua, the recipe calls for cooked chicken.
Well who’s fault is that lol
This was really great. My family loved them! I also added a layer of refried beans on the bottom and left out the mushrooms. Used a sheet pan and made them in the oven for extra convenience. YUMMY!
Love these so much!!
Would it work to freeze the veggies and chicken after cooking … thinking about taking these camping…
I think that could work!
Made these today because the step-daughters last day of school is today and she requested chicken quesadillas. OMG!!! These are so dang good. I used thin sliced chicken tenderloin cause that’s what I had. Cut it up into small cubes and seasoned liberally. Did I mention that this seasoning is the Biz-Om (bomb) as my husband says. Then I pan seared chicken. Didn’t have mushrooms but will definitely try it again with the shrooms.
The daughter gobbled it up and was so pleased with it. She said “these are better than my mom makes.” LOL score one for the step-parent!!
Served with cilantro lime broccoli slaw and black beans.
Can’t wait to make again with Walmart rotisserie chicken! And mushrooms!
Thank you for an amazing meal!
Mel, can you tell me how you cooked your chicken?
I usually use a rotisserie chicken for this meal – but if I don’t have it, I usually cook chicken breasts in the IP in 1 cup broth for about 7-8 minutes.
It was described just as it should have been, better than any restaurant quesadilla. My husband and I will be leaving many reviews I am sure.
Thanks for sharing your love of good food with us!
Thank you so much, Jackie!
I threw all the ingredients into a crockpot (minus the cheese) and shredded the chicken with forks when it was done. Then I finished them in skillet. They were the best. This recipe is a keeper. (I omitted the mushrooms) so easy !!!!!!!!!!
Very good recipe. I love the mushrooms in this recipe. I did think that there wasn’t enough seasoning on the chicken. I ended up putting all the seasoning on the 4 cups of chicken. Then making a half batch of the seasoning for the veggies. I think this is because I poached my chicken. If you were to start out with a rotisserie for the chicken, it I would probably be fine. Thanks again for a very good recipe.
For such a humble looking dish, these packed a punch of flavor and were delicious! Adding the spices to the meat and vegetables made this amazing!
Used canned chicken and only put onions and cheese in it. Was really good!
Quick and easy!
Really enjoyed these! I recruited my 8yo son to help me make them, which was fun. 🙂 We live in Japan and I could easily make them with ingredients I can find here…except for the ideal kind of cheese! But they were great and easy to pull together. I tossed some fresh cilantro in with the chicken. Made 6 giant quesadillas for us, because we only had huge tortillas (thank you, Costco!). Thanks for another dinnertime hit!
So very good and a pretty quick recipe if you have leftover cooked chicken. I’ve made them twice and both times they were amazing. The second time I made them I sautéed my veggies that I had chopped up fine, then added cubed chicken and all the seasonings right in the skillet and let simmer in a bit of water. Then filled each tortilla half with the filling/cheese (make sure you get a little cheese under and over the filling for best stickage (is that a word?!) to the wrap; learned that the hard way. Easy peasy!
I made this last month – I was told it was “good”. So tonight I threw together my usual quick quesadilla and was told “last time you made this it had much better flavor”! I’m going to make up a few batches of your seasoning mix to keep on hand. Mel you are the best!!
Great idea to keep the seasoning mix on hand, Deborah! Thanks for letting me know your family liked these!
Thanks for saving dinner once again. Seriously we would starve with out you!!
Ah, thanks for making me feel good, Cheyenne! Happy you loved these!
Yes I made it! I halved the ingredients, chicken & vegies (no mushrooms) to what I had on hand. Next time I will kick up the spice mix but still more than halve the salt. I love your recipes (going to make your hamburger stroganof tonight) but have learned to keep your salt suggestions at least 1/2 less. I’ve been subscribing for over a year. You’ve aced it. Your recipes are delicious & above all they are, with having your basic household ingredients already on hand & your talkin’, so easy to make.
These were fabulous! My 11-year-old son said, “Mom, those were on point.” I love having easy, YUMMY meals for busy nights.
Love the feedback from your 11-year old!
We had these for dinner tonight and they were delicious! The chicken was so flavorful and tender. The mushrooms take this up a notch (I used a lot!). I made a full batch so there would be some for the freezer. Thanks for another super recipe!!
Thank you, Ellen!!
Can’t wait to make these–they look delicious!
Mel, I made these last night for an easy dinner and we had the leftovers tonight. Husband’s belly is full and we both loved it. The seasoning mix is perfection and I do agree with you about shredding your cheese. Bravo!
Love hearing that, Kat! Thank you!
Super easy. SUPER delicious! My kids ate them without veggies, and I had only veggies – yum!
An all veggie version would be so yummy! Someone below commented they subbed black beans for the chicken.
So fantastic. Another great recipe that is somehow better than the sum of its parts. I have celiac disease so we made these with corn tortillas – delicious. Thank you, Mel!
You are spot on, Rachel! These quesadillas may look unassuming but they are definitely more than a sum of all the parts.
I made these tonight and they were amazing! The seasoning was perfect, This will be regular for sure!
Thanks so much, Julie!
My immediate response was: “Oh my word, I’m never going out for Fajitas again!” So good. We sprinkled both sides of some boneless, skinless chicken thighs and baked them at 400 degrees until done and sliced thin. We then made a huge batch of the seasoning for the spice cupboard. Delish!
I’ve made a huge batch of the seasoning, too – I’ve been putting it on my eggs and it’s tasty-tasty. Thanks for letting me know you liked this recipe, Alisha!
Have we eaten chicken quesadillas the last 3 days? Maybe so. I often will do leftover fajita stuff in quesadillas, but these have been so tasty. I actually put the seasoning on my raw chicken (sliced in half top to bottom because they were super thick) and cooked them in oil on the stovetop which gave them more of a grilled chicken feel. The first night I did mushrooms, corn, bell peppers and onions (eventually my vegetables diminished down to just peppers, onions and jalapeños because we ran out), but they were delicious every time!
Oooh, I love what you shared about the chicken. And mushrooms and corn? YUM!
I needed a last minute meal for a friend who was coming to lunch, so I subbed 1 can of black beans for the chicken since that’s what I had around. I halved the spice mixture because I thought there was less volume to the filling with the black beans, but I think maybe I should have done the whole amount of spices. But overall they turned out great! I really enjoyed them, and our 4 kids ate them (with varying levels of enthusiasm – but nobody absolutely refused, which is a win when you’ve got 4 opinionated kid eaters).
Anyway, I WILL make it as written sometime in the next few weeks (I’m not usually one sub something in a recipe without trying the original first), but I thought I would share how it turned out with the black beans in case someone wonders about a similar substitution.
Thanks for sharing, Jo! Super helpful!
Made these for dinner the day you posted them. Everyone loved them! So yum! Fajita vibes but easier! Yummy!
Yay! Thanks, Jen!
Looking forward to making these. I always spray my tortillas on one side with veg spray and make them in a skillet. Gives tortilla a nice crispiness. Also, I make a Mediterranean chicken quesadilla with provolone, feta, fresh basil, pepperoncini, roasted red pepper, minced garlic & chicken also in skillet. If you try it, let me know. Very tasty. Mel, I borrow several recipes from you. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, that Mediterranean version sounds DIVINE. I will definitely be trying that.
Ermahgerd! Mel!!! The seasoning on these are absolute perfection! My hub isn’t a peppers/onions/mushrooms kinda guy so I had other things for him. Honestly I ate one with just the veggies. But I absolutely loved this. He said the seasoning was just right on the chicken, to allow for the other flavors to come through. It didn’t even need sour cream. Adding this to the rotation. I just need to learn not to pack my tortilla so full.
I’m so glad you loved this one, Andrea! And I’m like you, I could totally gobble up the veggie quesadillas. Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Looks so delicious! Do you have a store brand of tortillas you like? Thanks!
Hi Aubrey, I love the tortilla land tortillas that you cook on a griddle before using, but I also use very average Mission brand tortillas, too, and they work great in this recipe.
These were amazing! Thank you for another awesome recipe!
So happy you enjoyed them…thanks, Amber!
I love your blog and you. Have followed for many years and make your recipes all the time. Last night was your crispy baked chicken and of course fondue for dessert! Tonight will be these quesadillas. I always tell them if the recipe is from you because it gives them instant confidence in what their level of enjoyment will be! As they were raving about the chicken last night I said “I know, I trusted it would be good because it’s one of Mel’s” to which my husband put his fist in the air and cheered “go team Jen and Mel!” Hehe
So…thanks for being my continual teammate
Well that is really high praise, Jeni! Thank you! I’m glad the baked chicken was a hit. I’ve nearly forgotten about that recipe so thanks for reminding me!! Thank YOU for being here.
Oh my goodness this was fabulous,
I have been following your blog for 3 years and an a huge fan of your cookies & squares and many other recipes. 🙂 This was indeed the best ever! I also adore your writing. Thank you so much for sharing your talent & incredible recipes.
Thank you so much, Jude! Means the world to me that you take the time to review the recipes and let me know.
You probably get asked this a lot, but do you have a go-to recipe for cooking chicken in advance for this type of recipe? I’m always stumped when I see recipes that call for cooked chicken because I just don’t have a go-to method for this. Thank you!
Hi, does this help? https://www.melskitchencafe.com/how-to-simple-shredded-chicken-and-another-recipe-collage/
Hi Emily – it’s a great question! Meridith linked to a really old, but still go-to recipe for cooked, shredded chicken. Sometimes if I’m lazy I throw chicken into the instant pot or slow cooker with chicken broth to cover and cook that way (about 8 minutes in the IP or 3-4 hours in the slow cooker on low).
Oh, also, since I live near a Costco, I almost always pick up a rotisserie chicken when I’m there and if I don’t need to use it that day, I take all the chicken off the bones and freeze it so I can pull it out for meals like this.
Thank you, Mel and Meredith!
Good morning Mel! Love the tip about adding water to the veggies. You are quite a talented writer – who else can make me laugh reading about comfy pants and quesadillas? Ever think of writing a memoir?? 🙂
Enjoy your day!
Oh I’m entirely sure people would fall asleep if I ever wrote a memoir. Instead I think I’ll stick with adding bits of real life into posts about quesadillas! 🙂 But thanks for being so sweet, Patricia!