CHICKEN QUESADILLAS

My super easy, quick chicken quesadillas, are the perfect weeknight dinner, using store rotisserie chicken, means the filling comes together in 20 minutes and then just another 5 per quesadillas, meaning if it’s just you eating you got dinner in under half an hour and wonderful chicken filling for leftover the next day. All the spices meld incredibly well together and that big dollop of sour cream at the end is the perfect dip to cut though all the spicy flavour. Plus my technique will give you the perfect cheese pull so that you get to experience that gorgeous monterey oozing out everywhere.

A chicken quesadilla is a warm, folded tortilla, typically flour, stuffed with shredded or diced cooked chicken and melted cheese, often accompanied by fillings like sautéed onions, peppers, beans, corn and a scatter of herbs or spices, then toasted or griddled until crisp and gooey; served sliced with salsa, guacamole or sour cream. It's a simple, handheld comfort food that showcases crunchy exterior and stretchy cheese inside. The quesadilla originates from Mexico, rooted in traditional Mexican cuisine where early versions used corn tortillas and local cheeses, though the modern chicken filled, cheese heavy variant became especially popular across the United States and globally through Tex Mex and street food adaptations.

CHICKEN QUESADILLAS

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CHICKEN QUESADILLAS 〰️

Time: 40 minutes

Serves: 4

1 can corn kernels, drained

1 red onion, roughly diced

1 brown onion, roughly diced

1 red capsicum, quartered and thinly sliced

1 tea sp gr cumin

1 tea sp paprika (plus extra)

1/2 tea sp cinnamon

1/2 tea sp sumac

1/2 tea sp chilli flakes

1/2 roasted chicken, skin removed and torn into pieces

4 large wraps

200gm monterey jack cheese (grated, cheddar cheese also works)

Olive oil

Salt

To serve: Sour cream and thinly sliced spring onion.

Start by making the quesadillas filling. Place pan on high heat with a glug of oil and allow to come to a steaming temperature. Add in the corn kernels and allow to slightly char (2 minutes). Add in red and brown onion and lower heat to medium. Add pinch of salt and mix through and sizzle for another 2 minutes. Add in capsicum and mix through allow to sizzle for 5 minutes, mixing every so often. Add in spices and more oil and mix through for a minute to allow the spices to open up. Add in the precooked chicken pieces and mix through and bring it up to heat. Once cooked remove filling from pan.

Using the same pan place a glug of oil with a sprinkle of paprika on medium low heat and allow it to sizzle. Add a wrap down and sprinkle on a quarter of your cheese. Add filling to half the wrap and gently fold the empty side over. Cook for a couple of minutes before flipping and cooking the second side. Finish with a drop of water and lid on to help steam and create the oozy cheese effect. Remove from pan and pop onto plate. Cut into threes and enjoy with sour cream and spring onion. Repeat process for the next three.