My family loves these easy chicken quesadillas, with gooey cheese and tender chicken cooked in flavorful green chile sauce. They’re so good that it’s hard to eat just one. These are that good!
Save this chicken quesadilla recipe for the next time you need a slam dunk, super flavorful, easy meal. Our green chicken enchiladas inspired the chicken inside the quesadilla. It’s juicy, tender, and quick!
I love using homemade flour tortillas, but if you’re in a hurry, skip that and use your favorite store-bought brand instead. For another easy, really delicious option, try our vegetable quesadillas or these breakfast quesadillas, which are also a personal favorite!
Key Ingredients
- Tortillas: I love using these flour tortillas or homemade corn tortillas, but if you’re short on time, store-bought works great. I usually use flour for quesadillas, but my son prefers corn, so use whatever you prefer!
- Chicken: You can use either chicken breast or chicken thighs for this recipe. I cook the chicken using a quick and easy method similar to my shredded chicken recipe, which keeps it juicy and tender.
- Green Enchilada Sauce: Feel free to use your favorite store-bought enchilada sauce (I recommend Hatch or Fronterra) or try my homemade salsa verde. If you’re not a fan of green chile sauce, you can swap it for red, like this easy enchilada sauce.
- Cheese: If you add cheese, go for something that melts nicely, like queso de Oaxaca or Monterey Jack. For a dairy-free option, try a spoonful of my delicious vegan queso.
How to Make Chicken Quesadillas
For these chicken quesadillas, you’ll make the chicken first, which can be done days in advance, making it an excellent meal for busy days. Add your chicken to a saucepan with green enchilada sauce and gently simmer until cooked through. It takes around 25 minutes on the stove. Or, if you’d like to cook the chicken in an Instant Pot, see our Instant Pot salsa verde chicken.
Once you have your chicken, shred it and then slide it back into the enchilada sauce so it stays juicy and tender. From there, you can build your quesadillas, adding some of the juicy chicken and cheese. Then, cook them in a heavy-bottomed pan or skillet—think cast iron pan, heavy stainless steel skillet, or the more traditional comal (a flat griddle used in Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America).
When the outsides are toasty, and the cheese melts, serve with your favorite quesadilla toppings and sides. I love homemade guacamole, fresh lime wedges, and a little sour cream. To turn this into a full meal, consider some rice and beans. I love our cilantro lime rice or Mexican rice with homemade refried beans or these saucy black beans.
Green Chile Chicken Quesadillas
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
I love these easy chicken quesadillas with tender chicken cooked in flavorful salsa verde and gooey cheese. You can make the chicken in advance and keep it in the fridge or freezer for another day. See our storing tips below the recipe!
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
3 pounds boneless chicken thighs or chicken breasts
2 cups green enchilada sauce or Mexican salsa verde
6 medium to large flour or corn tortillas, see homemade flour tortillas
2 cups mild melting cheese like queso de Oaxaca or Monterey Jack, shredded, 8 ounces
Spray oil or oil brushed onto the pan
Fresh cilantro and lime wedges for serving
Salt, to taste
Directions
- Make Chicken
1Combine chicken and green enchilada sauce (or salsa) in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Turn the heat to high, bring it to a boil, and then lower the heat so that the sauce simmers very gently around the chicken.
2Partially cover the pan with a lid, and then cook until the chicken is cooked through and very tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
3Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. When it is cool enough to handle, shred the meat with two forks or your fingers.
4Stir the shredded chicken back into the sauce. Taste the chicken, and then, if it needs it, season with salt.
- Make Quesadillas
1Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Lightly spray or brush the pan with oil, and then place one tortilla into the pan.
2Spread about 1/3 cup of cheese over the tortilla, and then spoon about 1/2 cup of shredded chicken onto one half, shaking the chicken lightly so that most of the excess sauce falls back into the saucepan.
3Carefully fold the tortilla in half, using a spatula to press the top down to stay folded. Cook until the underside is toasted, about 2 minutes.
4Carefully flip the quesadilla and cook until the second side is toasted and the cheese melts, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the quesadilla to a cutting board and cut in half. Repeat with remaining quesadillas.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Make-ahead and storing: This recipe makes about 5 cups of shredded chicken, enough for 6 quesadillas (maybe more). Leftover chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Add leftover chicken to rice bowls, tacos, or salad.
- Keep quesadillas warm: Keep them warm on a baking sheet in a 200°F (93°C) oven while you finish making the remaining quesadillas.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
You May Also Like...
I was a little skeptical at first. I wasn’t sure they would be very flavorful. Simmering chicken thighs just in a salsa Verde? Well, let me tell you, it was absolutely amazing! I didn’t have time to make my own salsa Verde so I use the recommended brand and about a pound and a half of boneless skinless chicken thighs. I trimmed whatever excess fat before cooking and they were so tender and so moist.
I shredded a block of Monterey jack, and a block of Colby. I prepared quesadillas in a cast-iron skillet and they were a hit! This is an easy weeknight dinner. I made an avocado and tomato salsa to go with it. This will be going into our dinner rotation!
Hi Kristina, Love the avocado and tomato salsa addition! Glad you loved it 🙂
Found some great and simple recipes.
Glad that you found us, Linda!