Are you looking for the ultimate, super-fast, and ridiculously easy weeknight dinner that the whole family will go absolutely crazy for? These amazing, oven-baked Chicken Quesadillas are your new go-to! Using a few smart shortcuts, like pre-cooked rotisserie chicken and your favorite jarred salsa, you can have these cheesy, crispy, and flavor-packed quesadillas on the table in about 20 minutes from start to finish.
This isn’t just a recipe; it’s a guide to the perfect, stress-free meal. We’ll show you the brilliant and game-changing technique of baking your quesadillas on a sheet pan, which means you can make enough for the whole family all at once—no more standing over a hot stove flipping them one by one! This is the kind of satisfying, crowd-pleasing dinner that will make your weeknight so much easier and more delicious.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Easy Weeknight Dinner
What makes these Chicken Quesadillas so spectacularly delicious is their incredibly flavorful filling and the foolproof oven-baked method. The filling is a masterpiece of efficiency, combining tender, shredded cooked chicken with your favorite salsa, fresh green onions, and a simple, savory spice blend. This is all loaded into a flour tortilla with a generous amount of gooey, perfectly melty Monterey Jack cheese. The brilliant sheet pan method ensures that every single quesadilla is perfectly cooked, with a golden-brown and crispy, buttery tortilla and a thick, cheesy center.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 25 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 6 |
The Essential Ingredients for This Quick Quesadilla
This recipe uses a handful of smart shortcuts and pantry staples to create its signature comforting and cheesy flavor.
- The Shortcut Protein:
- Shredded Cooked Chicken: Using about 2 1/2 cups of pre-cooked, shredded chicken is the ultimate time-saver. A store-bought rotisserie chicken is the perfect, convenient choice. This is also the absolute best way to use up any leftover cooked chicken or turkey!
- The Simple, Flavorful Filling:
- Salsa: A scoop of your favorite store-bought salsa is a brilliant shortcut that adds a complex flavor of tomatoes, onions, chiles, and spices all in one ingredient.
- The Spices: A simple but classic Tex-Mex spice blend of ground cumin and dried oregano provides a wonderful, warm, and savory flavor.
- The Cheese:
- Monterey Jack Cheese: This is the absolute perfect cheese for a quesadilla! Monterey Jack is a mild, creamy, and semi-hard cheese that is prized for its superior melting quality. It becomes wonderfully gooey and stretchy when heated, creating that irresistible “cheese pull.” For the best, smoothest melt, it’s always recommended to shred your own cheese from a block.
- The Tortillas: Simple, 8-inch flour tortillas are the perfect, soft, and pliable vessel for our hearty filling.
Step-by-Step to the Easiest Quesadillas Ever
This delicious meal comes together in just a few simple stages.
Method 1: The Oven-Baked Method (Perfect for a Crowd!)
Step 1: First, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease two large baking sheets.
Step 2: In a large skillet, combine the 2 1/2 cups of shredded cooked chicken, the 2/3 cup of salsa, the 1/3 cup of sliced green onions, the ground cumin, the salt, and the dried oregano. Cook this mixture, uncovered, over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring it occasionally, until everything is heated through.
Step 3: Brush one side of each of your 8 flour tortillas with the 1/4 cup of melted butter.
Step 4: Place the tortillas, with the buttered side down, on your prepared baking sheets.
Step 5: Spoon about 1/3 cup of the warm chicken mixture over one half of each tortilla. Sprinkle each one with about 1/3 cup of the shredded Monterey Jack cheese.
Step 6: Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the tortillas are crisp and have turned a beautiful golden brown, and the cheese has completely melted.
Step 7: Carefully fold the plain side of each tortilla over the filling and the cheese.
Cut each hot quesadilla into wedges and serve immediately with cool sour cream and some extra guacamole for dipping.
Method 2: The Classic Skillet Method
If you are only making one or two quesadillas, you can use the classic skillet method.
Step 1: Prepare your chicken filling as directed above.
Step 2: Heat a large, dry, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Brush one side of a tortilla with melted butter and place it, butter-side down, in the hot skillet.
Step 3: Sprinkle about 1/3 cup of cheese over the entire tortilla. Spread about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture over one half of the tortilla.
Step 4: Let it cook for about 2-3 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the bottom is golden brown. Fold the plain half over the filling and press gently.
The Easiest Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas (Quick Recipe!)
An easy recipe for baked chicken quesadillas, perfect for a quick weeknight meal. A flavorful filling is made by heating pre-cooked shredded chicken with salsa, green onions, and spices. Flour tortillas are brushed with melted butter, filled with the chicken mixture and shredded Monterey Jack cheese, and then folded in half. The quesadillas are baked on a baking sheet until the tortillas are crisp and golden brown, and the cheese is melted.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 2/3 cup salsa
- 1/3 cup sliced green onions
- 3/4 to 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 6 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Sour cream and guacamole, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a large skillet, combine the shredded chicken, salsa, green onions, cumin, salt, and oregano. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
- Brush one side of each tortilla with melted butter. Place the tortillas, buttered-side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet.
- Spoon about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture over half of each tortilla. Sprinkle each with 1/3 cup of cheese.
- Fold the plain side of each tortilla over the filling and cheese to create a half-moon shape.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the tortillas are crisp and golden brown and the cheese is melted.
- Cut into wedges and serve with sour cream and guacamole.
Notes
- This recipe uses pre-cooked shredded chicken (such as from a rotisserie chicken) as a convenient time-saving shortcut.
- Baking the quesadillas on a sheet pan is an easy, hands-off alternative to frying them individually in a skillet.
- Brushing the outside of the tortillas with butter helps them to become golden and crispy in the oven.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Quesadillas are a fantastic make-ahead meal for a week of delicious and easy lunches or dinners.
- Make-Ahead: The chicken filling is the perfect make-ahead component! You can prepare the entire filling up to 3 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This turns the final meal into a true, 10-minute assembly and bake job.
- Storage: Store any leftover quesadillas, well-wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: The absolute best way to reheat quesadillas and bring back their original crispy texture is in a dry skillet on the stovetop, in an air fryer, or on a baking sheet in a hot oven.
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Creative Recipe Variations
- Use a Different Protein: If you’re not a fan of chicken, this delicious filling is also absolutely fantastic with an equal amount of leftover pulled pork, shredded beef, or even some seasoned, browned ground turkey. For a great vegetarian version, you can substitute the chicken with one 15-ounce can of drained and rinsed black beans.
- Add More Veggies: For some extra flavor and nutrition, you can stir about 1/2 to 1 cup of drained, canned corn or some sautéed, chopped onions and bell peppers into the chicken mixture.
- Use a Different Cheese: While Monterey Jack is the king of melty cheeses, this dish would also be delicious with a classic sharp cheddar, a smoky Gouda, or a spicy pepper jack cheese.
Enjoy The Ultimate Easy & Cheesy Meal!
You’ve just created a truly special dish that is a perfect harmony of wholesome, classic ingredients and delicious, satisfying flavors. These Chicken Quesadillas are a testament to the power of a few smart shortcuts to create a meal that is both incredibly fast and incredibly delicious. It’s a rewarding and deeply satisfying recipe that is sure to become a new, much-requested family favorite.
We hope you enjoy every last, perfect, cheesy, and delicious bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves a good, easy, and comforting meal!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute best way to make multiple quesadillas at once for a family or a party?
The sheet pan, oven-baked method described in this recipe is a complete game-changer! Instead of standing over the stove and pan-frying them one at a time, this brilliant technique allows you to make six or more quesadillas all at the same time, and it guarantees that they will all be hot, crispy, and ready to serve together.
Q2: How do I get my quesadillas perfectly crispy, not soggy?
The key to a crispy quesadilla is to use a hot, dry cooking surface and a good layer of fat on the outside. For the oven-baked method, a hot oven (375°F) is crucial. Brushing the outside of the tortillas with melted butter is the secret that helps them to “fry” in the oven and develop a beautiful, crispy, and golden-brown texture.
Q3: Can I make the chicken filling ahead of time?
Yes, this is a perfect meal-prep recipe! You can prepare the entire chicken filling and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This makes the final assembly for a weeknight dinner incredibly fast.
Q4: Can I freeze the chicken filling?
Yes, the chicken filling freezes beautifully! Let it cool completely, and then you can store it in a freezer-safe container or a resealable bag for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator before you use it to assemble your quesadillas.
Q5: Can I use corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas to make this gluten-free?
You can, but you will need to warm them first to make them pliable. To do this, you can wrap a stack of corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave them for about 30-60 seconds, or you can warm them one at a time in a dry skillet. Please note that corn tortillas will result in a much crispier, more cracker-like quesadilla than the softer, chewier flour tortillas.