Chicken, colorful veggies, and plenty of ooey, gooey cheese come together in these Ultimate Chicken Quesadillas. It’s a quick and easy dinner that the whole family will love!
When fall arrives, it means resetting our daily routines. Now that summer is over, life tends to be a lot more hectic- especially now that I have two kids! Those precious hours between school letting out and bedtime can be a whirlwind of activity and I know what a challenge it can be to get dinner on the table while juggling everything else. The struggle is real!
That’s why it’s always a good idea to have a handful of quick and easy dinner recipes that you can turn to on those busy nights. My Ultimate Chicken Quesadillas are the perfect example. Using a rotisserie chicken makes dinner prep a cinch! In less than thirty minutes, you’ll have a delicious and nutritious dinner that the whole family will enjoy. Chicken and colorful veggies sandwiched between golden brown tortillas with plenty of ooey, gooey melted cheese- what’s not to love?
I picked up all my ingredients for my Ultimate Chicken Quesadillas in one trip to my local BJ’s Wholesale Club. Not only did I get a fresh rotisserie chicken, I also picked up some shredded Mexican blend cheese, avocados, red onions, bell peppers and tortillas in the same trip. Talk about one-stop shopping! I love that BJ’s beats supermarket prices on national brands and I can pick up everything I need to stock my fridge and pantry including produce, deli, meat, dairy, paper goods, and more.
To make my Ultimate Chicken Quesadillas, I start by sautéing sliced onion and colorful bell peppers in a skillet with earthy Mexican spices like chili powder and cumin. Then I toss in some diced chicken breast from my rotisserie chicken. It’s so easy!
To assemble the quesadillas, I start with whole wheat tortillas and top them with the chicken and vegetables, shredded cheese, and my secret ingredient that makes these quesadillas sooooo good… avocado. There’s just something about the creamy avocado that’s so irresistible when it combines with the gooey melted cheese.
Plus, because avocados are naturally creamy, you can actually use a lot less cheese than you typically find in quesadilla recipes. By replacing some of the saturated fat found in cheese with the heart healthy unsaturated fat in avocados, this quesadilla is a healthier choice.
The last step is to fold the tortillas in half and toast them in a skillet for a couple of minutes on each side until the tortillas are golden brown and crispy on the outside and the cheese is melted on the inside. Then, cut the quesadillas into triangles and grab your your favorite toppings like salsa and sour cream. Serve them to your hungry family and watch them be devoured!
The Ultimate Chicken Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ red onion, sliced
- 1 red or yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 6 ounces diced rotisserie chicken (about 1¼ cup)
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 4 whole wheat tortillas
- 5 ounces shredded Mexican blend cheese (about 1¼ cup)
- 1 Hass avocado, pitted and sliced
Optional toppings
- salsa, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), cilantro
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly charred, about 7-8 minutes. Stir in the chicken, chili powder, cumin, garlic, and salt.
- Lay the tortillas out on a cutting board. Sprinkle some shredded cheese on half of each tortilla. Spoon some of the chicken mixture on top. Place a few slices of avocado on top of the chicken and top with some more shredded cheese. Fold the tortillas in half over the filling and press down to flatten slightly.
- Spray a large skillet with olive oil spray and place two quesadillas in the skillet. Cook a few minutes on each side until the tortillas are toasted and cheese is melted. Remove to a plate and cook the remaining two quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into three pieces and serve with desired toppings.
Nutrition
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Is there a typo? 1¼ cup of cheese?… That sounds delicious… But…. Just checking…
Hi Dianne, no it’s not a typo. My recipe actually uses significantly less cheese than traditional quesadilla recipes which often call for around 1 cup of cheese per quesadilla. You can try to reduce the amount of cheese to 1 cup total (for 4 quesadillas) but you may have a little trouble getting them to stay together. Let me know how it goes if you try it out!
Sounds so simple. Pre cooked, rotisserie chicken certainly helps.
Good for quick lunches and dinners without stressing out, on busy days.
Thanks Sonali.
Sounds easy to put together, especially with pre cooked rotisserie chicken.
Good for busy days, for lunch or dinner.
Thanks Sonali.
Thanks for the easy recipe, Sonali, for a quick lunch or dinner.
Having a rotisserie chicken in hand certainly helps.
Yes, the rotisserie chicken is definitely a time saver! Thanks for your comment!
I really appreciate your efforts for the energy and knowledge you used to write such a beautiful piece of content.