My favorite chicken quesadilla recipe has gooey cheese and tender chicken cooked in flavorful green chile sauce. They’re so good that it’s hard to eat just one.
Save this chicken quesadilla recipe for the next time you need a slam dunk, super flavorful, easy meal. Our green chicken enchiladas inspired the chicken inside the quesadilla. It’s juicy, tender, and quick!
I love using homemade flour tortillas, but if you’re in a hurry, skip that and use your favorite store-bought brand instead. For another easy, really delicious option, try our vegetable quesadillas or these breakfast quesadillas, which are also a personal favorite!
Key Ingredients
- Tortillas: I love using these flour tortillas or homemade corn tortillas, but if you’re short on time, store-bought works great. I usually use flour for quesadillas, but my son prefers corn, so use whatever you prefer!
- Chicken: You can use either chicken breast or chicken thighs for these quesadillas. I cook the chicken using a quick and easy method similar to my shredded chicken recipe, which keeps it juicy and tender.
- Green Enchilada Sauce: Feel free to use your favorite store-bought enchilada sauce (I recommend Hatch or Fronterra) or try my homemade salsa verde. If you’re not a fan of green chile sauce, you can swap it for red, like this easy enchilada sauce.
- Cheese: If you add cheese, go for something that melts nicely, like queso de Oaxaca or Monterey Jack. For a dairy-free option, try a spoonful of my delicious vegan queso.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Our Favorite Chicken Quesadillas
Tip 1: Don’t miss the green chile chicken. Tossing your chicken with green enchilada sauce truly makes these the best quesadillas. They turn out so flavorful, and thanks to the sauce, the chicken stays juicy.
Here are two ways to prepare it: Add your chicken to a saucepan with green enchilada sauce and gently simmer until cooked through, or use our Instant Pot salsa verde chicken recipe.
Tip 2: Use a heavy-bottomed pan. For the very best quesadillas that are perfectly browned on the outside, cook them in a heavy-bottomed pan or skillet. Think a cast-iron pan, a heavy stainless steel skillet, or the more traditional comal (a flat griddle used in Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America).
Serving Suggestions
Serve these warm with your favorite quesadilla toppings and sides. I love homemade guacamole, pico de gallo, fresh lime wedges, and a little sour cream. To make this a complete meal, consider adding rice and beans. I love our cilantro lime rice or Mexican rice with homemade refried beans or these saucy black beans.
More Quesadilla Recipes
The Best Chicken Quesadillas
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
I love this chicken quesadilla recipe with tender chicken cooked in flavorful salsa verde and lots of melted cheese. You can make the chicken in advance and keep it in the fridge or freezer for another day. See our storing tips below the recipe!
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
3 pounds boneless chicken thighs or chicken breasts
2 cups green enchilada sauce or Mexican salsa verde
6 medium to large flour or corn tortillas, see homemade flour tortillas
2 cups mild melting cheese like queso de Oaxaca or Monterey Jack, shredded, 8 ounces
Spray oil or oil brushed onto the pan
Fresh cilantro and lime wedges for serving
Salt, to taste
Directions
1Cook the chicken: In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the chicken and green enchilada sauce (or salsa). Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Partially cover the pan and cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes.
2Shred the chicken: Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, shred the meat with two forks (or your fingers). Return the shredded chicken to the sauce and stir to coat. Taste and season with salt, if needed.
3Prepare the skillet: Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Lightly brush or spray the pan with oil, then place one tortilla in the skillet.
4Cook the quesadillas: Scatter about ⅓ cup of cheese over the tortilla, then spoon ½ cup of shredded chicken onto one half, letting any excess sauce drip off first. Fold the tortilla in half and press gently with a spatula to seal. Cook until the underside is golden and toasted, about 2 minutes.
5Flip and serve: Flip the quesadilla and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, until the second side is toasted and the cheese has melted. Transfer the tortillas to a cutting board, slice them in half, and repeat with the remaining tortillas.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Make-ahead and storing: This recipe makes about 5 cups of shredded chicken, enough for 6 quesadillas (maybe more). Leftover chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Add leftover chicken to rice bowls, tacos, or salad.
- Keep quesadillas warm: Keep them warm on a baking sheet in a 200°F (93°C) oven while you finish making the remaining quesadillas.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
Look forward to trying this recipe. Do yall ever do challenge for the recipes that are based off of how it looks uniqueness presentation!?
Glad you are giving it a try. We have our cooking club, but that’s more of a way to connect over cooking rather than competing.
You two are spot on in all your recipes… thanks!
We are so happy to hear that you like our recipes 🙂
This recipe was awesome. For any of you lactose intolerant people, I added the same amount of a yogurt dip and it was great. The whole family liked it!
I was a little skeptical at first. I wasn’t sure they would be very flavorful. Simmering chicken thighs just in a salsa Verde? Well, let me tell you, it was absolutely amazing! I didn’t have time to make my own salsa Verde so I use the recommended brand and about a pound and a half of boneless skinless chicken thighs. I trimmed whatever excess fat before cooking and they were so tender and so moist.
I shredded a block of Monterey jack, and a block of Colby. I prepared quesadillas in a cast-iron skillet and they were a hit! This is an easy weeknight dinner. I made an avocado and tomato salsa to go with it. This will be going into our dinner rotation!
Hi Kristina, Love the avocado and tomato salsa addition! Glad you loved it 🙂
Found some great and simple recipes.
Glad that you found us, Linda!
Made these last night and they were delicious, really glad I stumbled across your website and will be trying other recipes
Hi Dan, We are thrilled that you found us.
The calorie count and carbs sound awful high for ingredients?
Hi Laurie, The nutrition information is an estimate, but I did double check it and it looks pretty accurate. Remember that one serving is a large quesadilla.
These were delicious! Definitely a keeper.
So happy that you enjoyed them, Judy!
Sounds very good.
I really enjoy your cooking videos, we always make homemade chicken noodle soup when we need chicken for a recipe!
So yummy and so easy to make. My kids loved them. Will definitely be making again and again.
Wow! I made tonight! So simple to make and delicious! Definitely will be in our rotation! Thank you!
Yes I made this for my family last night and it was absolutely delicious! The family loved it. Thank you for the recipe.
Loved the ribs!! Cannot wait to try the quesadilla recipe!!
It tastes amazing! Everyone loved it. I am not going out to eat anymore. Love cooking your recipes. Thank you for sharing
just now finding your website. thanks!
made it loved it . will make again
Oh my gosh, I’m such a dummy – I see now where it says under the “green chile chicken” recipe to use 3 lbs of breasts or thighs. I didn’t see it in the main recipe and assumed it wasn’t there (facepalm). Sorry about that! Must. Read. More. Carefully. I do still have a question, though: What do you use when you make this recipe – breasts or thighs? I see that it says you can use either, but breasts cook more quickly than thighs, so I’m wondering which one the cook time works best for. Thank you again!
We prefer using chicken thighs because they are more tender but chicken breasts will absolutely work. We give a range of 20-30 minutes for the cook time since larger pieces of chicken may take a few minutes longer than smaller ones. Just keep an eye on the chicken.
I love the idea of cooking the chicken IN the salsa – brilliant! Question: what kind of chicken are you cooking? Breasts? Boneless thighs? An entire chicken? And how much chicken are you cooking? (I don’t know how much makes 3 cups – is it like, 1 lb? 2lbs?) Thank you! Your recipe looks delish and I’m excited to try it out 🙂
OMGOSH these were delicious, so much more tasty and light than the chicken enchiladas I usually make. I will be making these again. Thank you for sharing the recipe
Hi Adam and Joanne. I made these Quesadillas for the first time tonight and oh my! They are just delicious!! I will definitely be making these again and again. So tasty, and so easy to make! Thank you so much for such a great, easy recipe! Love you two!