Easy BBQ Chicken Quesadillas: The New Dinner You Can't Get Enough Of

• Why You'll Adore This Easy Quesadilla Recipe
• Essential Ingredients For The Perfect Quesadilla
• Step-by-Step: Making BBQ Chicken Quesadillas
• Tips, Tricks, and Customizations
• What Goes Well With Quesadillas
• Frequently Asked Questions

Don't give in to lengthy recipes and complex dishes. Big taste with minimum effort: We'll show you how now, or rather through a flyer soon. EASY BBQ CHICKEN QUESADILLAS This recipe is your secret weapon for busy weeknights, fun weekend brunch or just an impromptu get-together. Intrinsically it is combined with smoky sweet barbecue sauce, savoury flavour chicken and melting cheese, put together inside a crispy golden tortilla.

This is not just another speedy dinner concept; it is a fare that brings the whole family to sit down at the table. We'll guide you through every touch, from preparing your ingredients through to getting that perfect, crisp tortilla. You'll also get lots of inspiration for customizing your quesadillas, ideas of sides which taste divine and answers to all the quesadilla questions you've been dying to ask. Ready yourself to master a meal which is not only deeply satisfying--but also fit for the whole family.

Why You'll Adore This Easy Quesadilla Recipe

Before we heat our skillets, let me tell you why BBQ chicken quesadillas should be on the list of meals that you make regularly.

• Incredibly fast: From start to finish, you can put these quesadillas on your plate in under 30 minutes. That makes it a champion for those nights when time is short but home-cooked food is still wanted.
• Minimal ingredients: You only need some simple, easy-to-find ingredients. Mostly likely, you already have most of them in your pantry and fridge.
• Tasty and Crowd-Pleasing: BBQ sauce mixed with chicken and some cheese is a winning combination. It's a taste profile that appeals to both kids and adults; truly this dish has to rank as one of the best choices for family meals.
• Adjust What You Wish: This recipe is a great base. An extra assortment of veggies could be added, the cheese could be switched out for something else or different sauces might be tried out. The leftovers mean you could really have an imaginative meal put together from whatever you have to hand at home. It's perfect for meal prep: You can ready the chicken filling in advance. Then you can just pepper and cook the quesadillas in no time at all when you want something tasty to eat later.

Essential Ingredients For The Perfect Quesadilla

You'll find that simplicity is the key to this recipe. You don't need a shopping list as long as your arm to make something really delicious. Here is an easy list of what you need:

• Cooked Chicken – It will be shredded and cooked. Rotisserie chicken is a great little cheat here because it shaves off an awful lot of your time. Leftover grilled or baked chicken breasts work well, too. If you're starting from scratch, just boil or pan-fry a couple of chicken breasts and shred them with two forks.
• BBQ Sauce – Take your pick! To taste, the flavor is defined by this sauce. A good quality sauce makes all the difference. It's the difference between something that tastes great and another mediocre plate of food.
• Cheese – It’s just essential! When it melts, cheese will make everything good. A combination of Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese is a classic choice. Monterey Jack melts beautifully and gives that epic cheese pull, while the cheddar adds a sharper flavor. Pre-shredded cheese works well for this quick dinner idea.
• Tortillas – Large, flour tortillas (8-10 inches) are ideal. They are pliable and they crisp up nicely in the pan.
• Red Onion – Finely chopped red onion adds a bit of a bite and a bright snap of colour. It cuts through the richness of the cheese and the sweetness of the sauce.
• Coriander (optional): A crisp sprinkle of chopped fresh coriander cut the rich BBQ flavor with refreshing freshness. If you don't like coriander, feel free to leave it out.
• Butter or Oil – This is for giving your tortillas the perfect golden, crispy finish.

Step-by-Step: Making BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

Are you ready to cook? You'll have this process memorized after you've done it once how. This recipe is so simple.

Step 1: Prepare the BBQ Chicken Filling

This is where things start to get interesting. Shred the chicken and put it in a medium bowl. Add your favorite BBQ sauce. You need enough sauce to give the chicken a good coating, but not so much that anything gets too soggy. A rough rule of thumb is approximately 1/2–3/4 cup of sauce for every 2 cups of shredded chicken.

Next, add in your chopped cilantro and finely chopped red onion, if using. Blend it all together until the chicken is evenly coated and everything is thoroughly mixed. Give it a taste. Does it need more sauce? A little more onion? Adjust according to your own tastes.

Step 2: Assemble Your Quesadillas

Lay a flour tortilla flat on a clean surface or plate. Over one half of the tortilla, sprinkle some cheese. Don't worry about using too much~The more the better!

Spoon out an even portion of the BBQ chicken mixture onto the cheese. Be careful and don't overfill it, or it will run out when you cook it. Just a nice layer is all you need.

Last but definitely not least, sprinkle another layer of cheese on top of the chicken mixture. This is the "cheese glue" that will hold your quesadilla together. Bring the empty half of the tortilla over the filling to create a sort of half moon shape. Gently press down.

Step 3: Cook to Golden Perfection

Heat a large non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Once it is hot, add a small amount of butter to your skillet.

Carefully place the assembled quesadilla in the skillet. Cook for 2-4 minutes on the first side, or until the bottom is golden brown and crispy and the cheese has started to melt. You can peek by lifting a corner with a spatula.

With a wide spatula, turn the quesadilla carefully over and cook for another 2-4 minutes on the other side. The second side is usually done a bit faster. The aim is a mixture of crispy, golden-brown skin with a gooey melted interior.

Step 4: Rest and Serve

When the quesadilla is cooked, transfer it to a cutting board and let rest for a minute. This gives the cheese a chance to set up slightly, which will stop filling from pouring out when you cut into it.

To slice the quesadilla into wedges, use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife. Serve while still hot and the cheese is stretchy.

Tips, Tricks, and Customizations

This easy quesadilla recipe is simply a template for your culinary imagination. Here are some ideas to customize it.

Protein Swaps

• Pulled Pork: Pork Chop is there any left over from your last dinner party? It's a natural substitute for chicken and goes well with barbecue sauce.
• Ground Beef: Fry some ground beef with taco seasoning or just salt and pepper, then mix it with BBQ sauce for a more substantial filling.
• Black Beans: For a vegetarian option, replace the chicken with a can of rinsed and drained black beans. Slightly mash them and mix with the BBQ sauce, onion, some corn for a delicious alternative.

Cheese Variations

• Smoked Gouda: Perfectly complements the smoky BBQ flavor outdoors.
• Queso Asadero: A traditional Mexican melting cheese with considerable cheese pulling.

Put Some Veggies in

Using vegetables as ingredients. Be cautious not to only process or disperse vegetables as ‘add-ons. The trick is pre-cook and slice them small so they're distributed evenly throughout. Add some females and vegetables today; put that male in there tomorrow if you have any questions just ask us over on TwitterMa-Spear, and we'll be happy to help out.

• Bell Peppers: Sauté bright red, yellow, and green bell peppers for a wonderful flavor.
• Corn: Frozen or tin corn kernels bring a touch of sweetness and crunch to the table.
• Jalapeños: For those who like a little heat, add some pickled or fresh jalapeños, cut into slices.
• Spinach: Take a handful of fresh spinach and wilt it down in the pan alongside the chicken before squeezing out any excess liquid. Now mix this into your chicken mixture.

What Goes Well With Quesadillas

While these BBQ chicken quesadillas make a gourmet meal in their own right, a few simple sides can turn them into a feast.

• Dipping Sauces: Easy tomato pasta sauce, sour cream: there's nothing better at the close of a big meal than rubbing Bell kisses of these goods all over your mouth with softbuttery skin. A little extra BBQ sauce on the side doesn't go amiss either.
• Simple Salads: A light, green salad has its own tang rectified by the rich, flavorful cheese in quesadillas. A Southern classic coleslaw works very well with BBQ sauce as another delicious way to balance out some of this heavy richness without losing freshness.
• Rice and Beans: Cilantro-lime rice and basic black beans alongside a dish immediately makes the whole thing more savory.
• Corn on the Cob: If fresh and in season, then grilled or boiled corn on the cob is an ideal mate for anything barbecue-flavored.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I prevent my quesadilla from becoming soggy?

The thing to avoid is putting too much sauce, in the filling. Also don't leave the incompletely constructed quesadillas uncooked for too long, the tortilla can pick up moisture. Make sure your skillet is well heated so that the tortilla will begin to crisp up at once.

Can I have these in an air fryer or in the oven?

Certainly! Preheat your air fryer to 375°F (190°C). Place the quesadilla in the basket and cook for 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and crispy. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the quesadillas on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, flipping once, until the cheese is heated through and tortillas are crisp.

How do I store and reheat my leftovers?

Store leftover quesadillas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It's best to heat back up in a dry skillet over medium-low flame and thereby cause the tortillas to be re-crisped. You can also use an air fryer or otherwise, stay away from the microwave. If you try to microwave them, the tortillas will end up soft and invariably chewy.

Can these be made ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare the BBQ Chicken filling up to 3 days in advance and can be kept in the fridge. This makes assembly and cooking a breeze, and turns it into one of the fastest quick dinner ideas you can imagine.