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Looking for an easy and flavorful way to transform leftover chicken? These Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas are packed with shredded chicken, melted cheese, and a chipotle peppers in adobo mixture, all wrapped in a crispy tortilla.
Perfect as a hearty meal or a shareable appetizer, these quesadillas are bursting with smoky, cheesy goodness. If you love this recipe, be sure to check out my Barbacoa Quesadillas.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Packed with flavor: The smoky heat of chipotle peppers pairs perfectly with tender chicken and melty cheese. If you love that unique chipotle flavor, you’ll want to also try my Chipotle Aioli or my Grilled Chipotle Shrimp Skewers.
- Simple and quick: Ready in under 30 minutes with minimal prep, these quesadillas are a great option for an easy weeknight dinner.
- Versatile toppings: Serve with sour cream, lime wedges, avocado slices, or even guacamole for the ultimate finishing touch.
Ingredients
- Chipotle peppers in adobo: For smoky heat and bold flavor.
- Shredded chicken: Leftover or rotisserie chicken works great.
- Mexican cheese blend: A mix of sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack, asadero, and queso blanco creates a gooey, cheesy quesadilla.
- Flour tortillas: Soft and pliable, perfect for crisping up in a pan.
- Fresh cilantro, green onions, and red onion: Add brightness and texture.
Exact quantities are listed below in the recipe card. Note: the recipe card allows you to easily scale the recipe and will automatically adjust the ingredient quantities.
Instructions
Always refer to the recipe card below, but here is a visual summary.
1. Prepare the Chipotle Filling
Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté diced red onion until tender, then add minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Stir in chipotle peppers, diced tomatoes (with their liquid), and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the mixture thickens.
2. Add the Shredded Chicken
Fold in shredded chicken, green onions, and cilantro, then reduce heat to low to keep warm.
3. Assemble the Quesadillas
Heat a clean pan or griddle over medium heat.
Place a tortilla on the pan, sprinkle with a layer of cheese, and spread the chipotle chicken mixture over half the tortilla. Once the cheese is melted, fold the tortilla into a half-moon shape.
4. Cook to Perfection
Cook the folded quesadilla for 2–3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crisp. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling, keeping cooked quesadillas warm in the oven if needed.
Serve and Enjoy
Let the quesadillas rest for a couple of minutes before slicing to prevent the filling from spilling out. Serve with sour cream, lime wedges, avocado slices, or guacamole for a complete meal. A tasty classic margarita on the rocks or a beergarita go nicely with this recipe as well!
Tips for the Best Quesadillas
- Customize the spice level: Adjust the amount of chipotle peppers to suit your taste.
- Use the right cheese: A good melting cheese like Monterey Jack or a Mexican blend is key for gooey quesadillas. The same blend will work great if you’re making my Cheesy Chipotle Fries or my Cheesy Chipotle Pull Apart Bread.
- Prevent sogginess: Serve fresh for the best texture and flavor.
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil I used avocado
- 1 medium red onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes with liquid
- 4 tablespoons chipotle in adobo minced
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken white & dark meat
- 4 green onions thinly sliced
- 1 handful cilantro roughly chopped, large stems removed
- 6 large flour tortillas
- 24 ounces mexican blend cheese shredded (sharp cheddar, monterey jack, asadero, queso blanco, etc.)
- Serve with sour cream lime, cilantro, avocado, etc.
Instructions
- Make the filling: In a large pan over medium heat, heat the 1 tablespoon oil and cook the diced 1 medium red onion until soft and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the minced 3 cloves garlic and cook for another minute or so until fragrant. Add the minced 4 tablespoons chipotle in adobo and the 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes with their liquid. Stir frequently and cook until the sauce thickens and the liquid has mostly evaporated, about 20 minutes. Stir in the 2 cups shredded cooked chicken, sliced 4 green onions, and roughly chopped 1 handful cilantro. Reduce heat to low just to keep mixture warm.
- Heat a clean grill on medium heat. I like to put a touch of oil in the pan to make the tortilla extra crispy, but that's not necessary and is a matter of preference. Place one of the 6 large flour tortillas on hot grill, cover with a layer of 24 ounces mexican blend cheese, and then spread some of the chicken chipotle mixture over half. Once the cheese has melted, fold the tortilla over to make your quesadilla. Repeat with remaining tortillas. You can keep them all warm in the oven until you're ready to serve. Allow them to rest for a couple minutes before slicing to ensure everything doesn't ooze out.
- Serve with fresh lime slices, sour cream, avocado slices, extra cilantro, and an ice cold beer or a margarita.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally created in February 2015 and has been updated with more fun facts and tidbits for your reading pleasure.
Fácil y sabrosa
Easy and tasty recipe!!
My oldest son loves chicken quesadillas. I bet he could go through every one of these in one sitting, they look great.
Flavorful and so good!
My kids all time favourite recipe and something they can manage on their own. I love it!
I LOVE quesadillas!! This recipe sounds faaantastic!!
These are a hit with both adults and kids! Simple, but so flavorful!
Thank you for the recipe! It inspired me to create our own with yours as a base. Yum! I didn’t have plain tomatoes so I used a can of original Rotel, dried cilantro, added some cumin, canned corn and black beans. Filling and delicious!!!
Made these tonight for dinner and my husband was RAVING about how amazing they were! Thanks for a winner of a recipe!
Sierra, YAY! So glad you liked them! I remember fighting over who got the last one with my husband. Thanks so much for coming back to let me know. 🙂 Krissy
Gosh, how I love quesadillas. I even have a quesadilla maker! Love the chipotle flavor here too.