These Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas are on your dinner table and ready to enjoy in about 30 minutes. They’re bursting with chicken, black beans, hot peppers, corn and lots and lots of cheese. The finishing touch? Adobo sauce for that smoky heat. You’re gonna love these!
Hey friends! How was your weekend? For my American friends, hope you’re having a fun long weekend with lots of good eats! Missed all you guys last week. I’m all fired up to bring you lots of yummy recipes! Today, it’s these chicken and cheese quesadillas and they’re gooooood….if I do say so myself 😉
Cheese Quesadillas
Quesadillas are something hubby and I regularly enjoy. They not only taste delicious, but are super quick to whip up, which is why we enjoy them for busy weekday dinners or even for Friday night eats. There’s two methods here for cooking these chicken and cheese quesadillas – oven or stovetop. While both are great, the stovetop method yields crispier results, which is always a good thing when we’re talking quesadillas!
How to Make Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas
For this recipe, I used cooked chicken so everything came together quite quickly. All you need to do is distribute the chicken on half of each tortilla and top with everything else. Fold over, brush with a touch of oil and bake (or pan fry) until they are heated through and the cheese is melted. You may want to wait a few minutes before cutting, though, ’cause that cheese is all hot and melty….not that that’s a bad thing, if you ask me!
What to Serve with Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas
You know me and my garnishes and little side kicks (love ’em). They’re what takes a meal from yummy to something special. Some off my faves to serve with these chicken and cheese quesadillas are:
- Salsa
- Greek yogurt
- Sour cream
- Guacamole
- Lime
- Pickled red onion
- Cilantro
Tips for Making these Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas
- Make sure your beans are rinsed, drained and patted dry so they don’t leak too much moisture into the quesadillas….same with the banana peppers.
- Omit the chicken if you prefer a vegetarian option.
- Want something besides chicken in these cheese quesadillas? Shredded cooked pork or roast beef works wonderfully here too
- Don’t have, don’t like or don’t want to use adobo sauce? Your favourite BBQ sauce works awesome too.
- These make awesome leftovers. You can certainly reheat in the microwave, but they won’t have that same exterior crunch, but still taste delicious. If you want, you can re-heat in the oven on 400F for about 10 minutes.
Other Recipes you May Enjoy
- Southwest Chicken Salad
- Healthy Southwest Chicken and Rice Skillet
- Oven Baked Fish Tacos with Chipotle Lime Sauce
- Cheesy Lentil Quesadillas
Hope you love these chicken and cheese quesadillas as much as I do!
Until next time, take care and chit chat again soon 🙂
~Dawn
Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 6 large tortillas
- 2.5 cups cooked chicken -cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2.5 cups cheddar cheese -shredded
- 3/4 cup canned black beans -rinsed and drained (I used unsalted variety)
- 1 ear corn -kernels removed
- 1/3 cup banana peppers -squeezed with paper towel to remove excess moisture
- 2 tbsp adobo sauce
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil -or baking spray
Oven Method
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Distribute chicken evenly over tortillas (on one half of each tortilla).
- Top chicken with cheese, black beans, corn, banana peppers and adobo sauce. Fold over top so you have half moon shapes.
- Brush top of tortilla with olive oil. Bake for about 10 minutes until heated through and cheese melted. Lest rest for about 5 minutes before cutting in half. Makes 12 pieces. Serve with salsa, Greek yogurt, guacamole or sour cream. Enjoy!
Stovetop Method (preferred method)
- Preheat oven to 200 F (to keep quesadillas warm while preparing batches). This is optional. Distribute chicken evenly over tortillas (on one half of each tortilla).
- Top chicken with cheese, black beans, corn, banana peppers and adobo sauce. Fold over top so you have half moon shapes.
- Brush top of tortilla with olive oil (or spray a non stick pan with baking spray).
- Place 2 half moons in pan at a time, cook on medium heat about 3 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy, being careful not to burn (place quesadillas in oven on a sheet pan to keep warm while finishing batches (3 batches in total). Lest rest for about 5 minutes before cutting in half. Makes 12 pieces. Serve with salsa, Greek yogurt, guacamole or sour cream. Enjoy!
Michelle
July 24, 2018 at 6:04 pmI love quesadillas!! These look so bomb, Dawn!! 😀
Girl Heart Food
July 26, 2018 at 9:48 amMe too! Thanks so much, Michelle 🙂
Sasha @ Eat Love Eat
June 4, 2018 at 10:29 amOh. My. Gosh. These look amazing. The perfect weeknight dinner!! I think my husband would love it if I add these into our dinner rotation!
Girl Heart Food
June 4, 2018 at 12:30 pmThank you Sasha! They are a favourite around here 🙂 Can’t beat chicken and lots of cheese!
Christine @ Happy Veggie Kitchen
June 2, 2018 at 6:10 amI don’t make quesadillas nearly enough – but your photos are reminding me why I need to be. So beautiful, melty and packed with yummy stuff. Fantastic idea to bake them, and to use BBQ sauce if you don’t have adobo sauce (which I don’t – Mexican ingredients can be weirdly hard to come across in the UK)
Girl Heart Food
June 3, 2018 at 12:48 pmThanks so much Christine! Every time I have them, I always think I need to make more often. Can’t beat something with lots of cheese, if you ask me 😉
Sarah
June 1, 2018 at 9:25 amI always forget about adobo sauce, but it’s SO GOOD! This looks delicious- I need more cheesy quesadillas in my life!!
Girl Heart Food
June 3, 2018 at 12:46 pmSo so good! You really do 😉 Thanks Sarah!
Miriam
May 31, 2018 at 5:15 amHot & melty cheese with chicken – this is right up my alley! They look so delicious, would love to have one right now despite the fact that I just had breakfast 😉 Have a wonderful weekend ahead, my friend!
Kevin O'Leary
May 30, 2018 at 6:24 pmI already have everything I need for these! They look amazing.
Christina
May 30, 2018 at 3:28 pmYep, I’m drooling. Quesadillas are one of my husband’s favorite meals. I pinned the pics of this post before even reading it. I thought, “Whelp, my hubbers needs to see this, he’s going to approve!” 🙂
Seriously, lovely pictures and kick butt recipe!
Thao @ In Good Flavor
May 30, 2018 at 3:26 pmThese look delicious, Dawn! And yo can’ beat it in the quick and easy category either! I’ve never made quesadillas in the oven before. I don’t know why it never occurred to me to bake them. It’s such a time saver!!
Shashi at SavorySpin
May 30, 2018 at 9:22 amOh my – Dawn – I so love how chunky these quesadillas are! When my daughter was younger, quesadillas happened often in our kitchen but we haven’t had them in way way too long. I had forgotten how easy and comforting they can be and looking at these reminds me of how tasty they are too!
We had a long weekend – but my daughter and I made it a long week+3 days and headed to Seattle and the Oregon coast for a vacay – so glad to be back catching up with your delicious eats on your blog and not just on Insta! Happy Wednesday to you and your hubs!
XOXO
Girl Heart Food
June 3, 2018 at 12:42 pmThanks Shashi! You’re always so sweet! Quesadillas always hit the spot – we love ’em around here 🙂 Hope you’re having a lovely weekend, my friend! XOXO
Jolina
May 30, 2018 at 12:26 amHi Dawn! How are you? These quesadillas look bomb. We regularly make quesadillas too and your recipe looks packed with so much yummy stuff! Red usually whips up a sour cream/chipotle sauce for it. I am excited to try adobo sauce too. We’ve been enjoying (or maybe I’m the only one enjoying haha) a heatwave these past few days. Hope you’re having a lovely week!
Girl Heart Food
June 3, 2018 at 12:41 pmHey Jolina!! Thanks you so much! I’m sure you’ll love the adobo sauce and these quesadillas! Send along some sunshine, would ya 😉 Hope you’re having an awesome weekend!
Marissa
May 29, 2018 at 7:53 pmConfession: I could eat quesadillas a few days a week, every week, and be perfectly happy. Especially when they’re paired with so many different dips and toppings. SO. GOOD. Loving everything about these, Dawn.
Girl Heart Food
June 3, 2018 at 12:40 pmMe too, Marissa!! Thanks so much, my friend 🙂
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking
May 29, 2018 at 1:01 pmQuesadillas are a go-to in our house too, and we always make them in the oven. So quick and easy! Love the chicken and cheese combo. That’s a classic I never get tired of!
Girl Heart Food
May 29, 2018 at 1:12 pmIt is quite the tasty combo 😉 Thanks Leanne!
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen
May 29, 2018 at 11:27 amDawn, your process shots are amazing! (Which feels like a weird compliment to me but I struggle with them so I’m super impressed!) I’m not sure if you’re aware of just how often I eat quesadillas, but it’s a lot. Like, almost as much as I eat peanut butter :). These are going to make it into my rotation for sure!
Girl Heart Food
May 29, 2018 at 1:12 pmAwww- thanks Kelsie!! I eat them a lot too…they’re just too dang tasty!! Hope you love ’em as much as we do 🙂
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
May 29, 2018 at 8:59 amLove quesadillas for a quick and easy meal and these look perfect! A great way to use up leftover chicken 🙂
Girl Heart Food
May 29, 2018 at 1:11 pmThanks Jennifer! We love them too!
Milena
May 28, 2018 at 11:22 amI don’t think I’ve ever made quesadillas in the oven. So much easier and time saving and such a great way to use up rotisserie chicken leftover meat. I will be sure to load mine with lots of extras! Pinned!
Girl Heart Food
May 29, 2018 at 1:11 pmSO easy!! Thanks Milena! Hope you guys love ’em 🙂
[email protected]
May 28, 2018 at 11:08 amQuesadillas always hit the spot!! This is a meal I can never get enough of! They look incredible! YUM!! Have a great week, my friend! XOXO
Girl Heart Food
May 29, 2018 at 1:11 pmMost definitely! Thanks Annie! Have a great week too! XOXO
Lisa | Garlic & Zest
May 28, 2018 at 10:24 amWho doesn’t love quesadillas? These look absolutely incredible — and your photos have me wanting them right now at 8:30 in the morning.
Girl Heart Food
May 29, 2018 at 1:10 pmRight?! Thanks Lisa…I think I could eat these for breakfast too 😉
Demeter
May 28, 2018 at 9:44 amThese quesadillas look fully loaded! Such a great dinner option!
Girl Heart Food
May 29, 2018 at 1:10 pmThey sure are 🙂 Thanks Demeter!
shelby
May 28, 2018 at 9:35 amI love making quesadillas for a quick and easy dinner too! I love the banana peppers in this recipe, I love that tang and can never get enough of them!
Girl Heart Food
May 29, 2018 at 1:10 pmSame here! We always have them on hand 🙂
Neli Howard
May 28, 2018 at 9:27 amyessss! This is the perfect recipe for me. Love everything about this recipe! I want to eat it every day! I’m sure this is very tasty. Looks incredible! Thank you!
Girl Heart Food
May 28, 2018 at 4:38 pmThanks so much Neli! It is quite taste and a favourite around here 🙂
Chris Collins
May 28, 2018 at 9:11 amOkay these might just be the most beautiful quesadillas I’ve ever laid eyes on. Chicken and cheese is the BEST combo, I need these in my face.
Girl Heart Food
May 28, 2018 at 4:37 pmWell, so happy to hear that! Hahaha -you definitely do need these in your face! Thanks Chris!