Chicken and Spinach Quesadilla (Print Version)

Golden quesadilla with shredded chicken, fresh spinach, and melted mozzarella cheese. Quick, easy, and perfect for any occasion.

# What You'll Need:

→ Filling

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
02 - 2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
03 - 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
06 - 1 clove garlic, minced
07 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
08 - 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
09 - 0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika

→ Assembly

10 - 4 large flour tortillas, 10-inch
11 - 1 tablespoon butter or additional olive oil for grilling

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, then sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant.
02 - Add spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes until wilted. Stir in chicken, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Mix thoroughly and heat through. Transfer mixture to a plate.
03 - Wipe skillet clean. Place a tortilla on a flat surface. Sprinkle one-quarter of the cheese evenly over half the tortilla, then top with one-quarter of the chicken-spinach mixture. Fold tortilla in half. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
04 - Heat 0.5 tablespoon butter or olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Grill each quesadilla for 2-3 minutes per side until golden and cheese is melted.
05 - Remove quesadillas from heat and allow to cool slightly. Cut each quesadilla into wedges and serve warm.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It comes together in under half an hour, which means you can have dinner on the table before anyone starts opening the snack drawer.
  • The golden, crispy tortilla gives way to gooey melted cheese and tender chicken that actually tastes like you put thought into it.
  • You can swap ingredients based on what you have, so it never feels like youre locked into a rigid recipe.
02 -
  • Dont overfill the tortillas or the filling will spill out when you try to flip them, and youll end up scraping cheese off the bottom of your pan.
  • Make sure your skillet is at medium heat, not high, or the outside will burn before the cheese has a chance to melt.
  • Wipe the skillet between quesadillas if bits of cheese start to stick, it keeps each one looking clean and golden instead of spotty and scorched.
03 -
  • Press down gently on the quesadilla with your spatula while it cooks, it helps the cheese melt faster and keeps the tortilla in contact with the heat for even browning.
  • If youre making several at once, use two skillets to speed things up, or keep finished ones warm in a 200 degree oven until youre ready to serve.
  • Add a squeeze of lime juice to the filling just before assembling for a bright, fresh note that cuts through the richness of the cheese.
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