Chicken Quesadilla grilled cheese (Print View)

Grilled chicken combined with melted cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, peppers, and onions in a crisp tortilla.

# What You'll Need:

→ Filling

01 - 2 cups cooked grilled chicken breast, sliced or shredded
02 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
03 - 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
04 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
05 - 1 small onion, thinly sliced
06 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
07 - ½ teaspoon ground cumin
08 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
09 - ¼ teaspoon salt
10 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

→ Assembly

11 - 4 large 10-inch flour tortillas
12 - 1 tablespoon butter or additional olive oil for cooking

# How to Prepare:

01 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced bell pepper and onion; cook for 4 to 5 minutes until tender. Stir in ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Remove from skillet and set aside.
02 - Wipe the skillet clean before assembly.
03 - Place one tortilla flat. On half, layer ½ cup grilled chicken, ¼ of the sautéed vegetables, ¼ cup shredded cheddar, and ¼ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Fold tortilla over the filling. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
04 - Melt butter or drizzle olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Cook each folded tortilla 2 to 3 minutes per side, pressing gently, until golden brown and cheese melts.
05 - Transfer to a cutting board, let rest 1 minute, then cut into wedges. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 30 minutes, making it perfect for weeknight dinners when you don't want to overthink things.
  • The combination of two cheeses creates this impossibly melty, complex flavor that makes everyone feel like you put in way more effort than you actually did.
  • You can customize it endlessly—add jalapeños if you're feeling bold, use rotisserie chicken if you're tired, swap cheeses based on what's in your fridge.
02 -
  • Don't crowd the pan—cook one or two quesadillas at a time so the heat stays consistent and you get that perfect golden crust instead of a pale, soggy tortilla.
  • Wiping the skillet between the pepper sauté and the actual cooking step prevents burnt bits from sticking to your quesadillas and changes everything about how they taste.
03 -
  • Pre-cooking your peppers and onions means they soften completely and meld with the other flavors instead of staying crunchy and half-raw in the finished quesadilla.
  • If you're cooking for a crowd, assemble all your quesadillas first, then cook them in batches—it keeps everything organized and means your guests all eat at roughly the same time.
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