Chicken Quesadilla Recipe

Prepare chicken

Trim excess fat from the chicken thighs and pat them dry with paper towels. Cut into 1–1.5 inch chunks for quicker cooking.

Season chicken

In a medium bowl combine olive oil, minced garlic, ground cumin, dried oregano, smoked paprika, chili powder, kosher salt, black pepper and lime juice. Add chicken pieces and toss to coat evenly. Let marinate 10–15 minutes at room temperature (or up to 2 hours refrigerated).

Cook chicken

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil (or vegetable oil). Once shimmering, add the chicken in a single layer (do not overcrowd). Sear 3–4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through (internal temp 165°F / 74°C). If pan becomes dry, add up to 1/4 cup chicken broth or water, scraping the fond to deglaze and finish cooking. Remove from heat and let rest 5 minutes.

Shred chicken

Using two forks or chop and shred with tongs, shred the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces. Toss shredded chicken with chopped cilantro and optional pickled jalapeños. Measure out 2 cups shredded for the quesadillas; reserve any extra for serving.

Assemble quesadillas

Lay one flour tortilla on a clean work surface. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup shredded cheese evenly over half the tortilla. Top the cheese with about 1/2 cup shredded pollo tradicional, spreading it into an even layer. Sprinkle a little more cheese over the chicken (this helps the top tortilla stick) and a pinch of cilantro. Fold the empty half of the tortilla over to create a half-moon. Repeat to assemble remaining quesadillas.

Cook quesadillas in skillet

Heat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tsp of butter and 1/2 tsp vegetable oil to the pan (the butter browns nicely while oil raises smoke point). When butter foams, place a quesadilla seam-side down in the skillet. Cook 2–3 minutes until the bottom is golden brown and crisp. Carefully flip using a spatula and cook the other side 1.5–2 minutes until cheese is melted and both sides are golden. Add more butter/oil as needed and cook in batches (4 quesadillas total).

Finish and rest

Transfer cooked quesadillas to a cutting board and let rest 1–2 minutes to let cheese set slightly. This prevents running cheese when slicing.

Slice

Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, slice each quesadilla into 3–4 wedges. Wipe the knife between cuts for clean slices if the cheese pulls.

Plate quesadilla wedges and serve with sour cream, pico de gallo or salsa, and lime wedges on the side. Squeeze lime over quesadillas if desired. Extra shredded pollo tradicional can be served on the side.