Cheesy Barbecue Chicken Quesadillas
Barbecue chicken quesadillas fit the bill for lunch, dinner, or even a game day snack! They are so quick and easy and sure to be a home run with whatever crew you’re serving.
Ever since we got a smoker, we have tons of smoked meats on hand.
And we almost always have smoked barbecue chicken on hand.
While barbecue chicken sandwiches are always delicious, variety is the spice of life.
So let me introduce you to these barbecue chicken quesadillas.
Stuffed full, these quesadillas feature chunks of tender chicken, melted sharp cheddar cheese, red onion, and cilantro all sandwiched in a crisp, buttery tortilla crust.
Trust me when I say these are the bees knees for lunch, dinner, or even a snack!
Ingredients
To make these you’ll need:
- Chicken– Shredded or chopped chicken. This Smoked Beer Can Chicken would be fantastic as a base.
- Barbecue sauce– Either homemade or your favorite store bought kind.
- Cheese– Shredded cheddar. You could also use shredded jack or Mexican blend.
- Red onion– Diced
- Cilantro– Fresh
- Tortillas– 8″ flour tortillas
How to Make
Barbecue chicken quesadillas are super easy to make!
Just stir together the chicken and 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce until they are evenly combined.
Set the chicken mixture aside.
Then spread a tablespoon of barbecue sauce evenly over one side of the tortilla, leaving a border around the edges.
Spread a 1/4 cup of cheese over half of the tortilla.
Top the cheese with a quarter of the chicken mixture and sprinkle onions and cilantro over top.
Spread the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese evenly over top.
Fold the other half of the tortilla over top to close the quesadilla.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
When the skillet is hot, spray it liberally with nonstick cooking spray.
Carefully transfer the stuffed quesadilla to the hot pan.
Cook it for about 2 minutes on the first side, or until it’s golden brown.
Flip it over and keep cooking the other side an additional minute or two until it’s also golden brown.
Transfer the cooked quesadilla to a cutting board and let it cool for 1-2 minutes before using a pizza cutter to slice into 3-4 wedges and serving.
Repeat for the remaining quesadillas.
Serve and enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
This isn’t really a dish that you would have leftovers of since it’s single serve.
However, if you do have leftovers, store them tightly wrapped in the fridge for up to two days.
Reheat them in a warm oven until the cheese melts.
Tips and Tricks
- You can make the same recipe with shredded beef or pork.
- Feel free to skip the onions and cilantro if you don’t have any or you don’t like them.
- If you want to serve all the quesadillas at once, add the cooked quesadillas to a baking sheet and store in a warm oven until they’re all done and ready to be sliced and served.
- Serve them with sour cream or ranch for dipping.
Other Easy Leftover Chicken Recipes
Barbecue chicken quesadillas are a quick way to use up leftover chicken in a zesty lunch, dinner, or snack.
Make them and enjoy!
Looking for other easy leftover chicken recipes?
Try these:
- Chicken Pillows
- Cheesy Chicken Chilaquiles
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza
- Cheesy Mexican Chicken Spaghetti
If you’ve tried these BARBECUE CHICKEN QUESADILLAS, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Cheesy Barbecue Chicken Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded, or chopped, cooked chicken
- 1/2 cup + 4 tbsp barbecue sauce
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 red onion peeled & diced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 4 8 inch soft flour tortillas
Instructions
- Combine the chicken and 1/2 cup of sauce, stirring until evenly combined. Set aside.2 cups shredded, or chopped, cooked chicken, 1/2 cup + 4 tbsp barbecue sauce
- To the top of a flour tortilla, add a tablespoon of barbecue sauce and spread it out evenly, but not to the edge.4 8 inch soft flour tortillas
- Spread a 1/4 cup of cheese over half of the tortilla. Top that with a quarter of the chicken mixture. Sprinkle onions and cilantro over top. Spread the remaining 1/4 cup evenly over top. Fold the other half of the quesadillas over top to close it.2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, 1/2 red onion, 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, spray liberally with non stick cooking spray. Carefully transfer the stuffed quesadilla to the hot pan. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until golden brown, flip and continue cooking the other side an additional minute or two- until it's also golden brown.
- Remove the cooked quesadilla to a cutting board. Let it cool for 1-2 minutes before using a pizza cutter to slice into 3-4 wedges and serving. Repeat for the remaining tortillas/quesadillas.
- If wanting to serve all at once, add the cooked quesadillas to a baking sheet and store in a warm oven until they're all done and ready to be sliced/served.
Notes
- You can make the same recipe with shredded beef or pork.
- Feel free to skip the onions and cilantro if you don't have any or you don't like them.
- If you want to serve all the quesadillas at once, add the cooked quesadillas to a baking sheet and store in a warm oven until they're all done and ready to be sliced and served.
- Serve them with sour cream or ranch for dipping.
Nutrition
Quesadillas are such an awesome quick meal. These look so tasty! Thank you for sharing at Fiesta Friday!
This is so so good!! I am saving the recipe so I could make later on! Thanks for sharing and happy FF!