Chicken quesadillas with fresh tomato salsa
Crisp, pan-toasted flour tortillas filled with juicy shredded chicken and melted Monterey Jack, served with fresh tomato, lime and coriander salsa. Ready in about 35 minutes using ready-cooked chicken and a pan large enough for two quesadillas per batch.
Advert
Let’s get cooking.
Cook mode
Scale servings, tick off ingredients, and run step timers without losing your place.
Servings
Originally developed for 2 servings.
Ingredient checklist
Method
- No timer needed
Remove the tomatoes’ watery seed pockets and dice the flesh into 5 mm pieces. Finely chop the onion, coriander and chilli. Mix them with the lime juice and salt in a bowl. Leave to stand for at least 5 minutes while you prepare the filling.
- 01:30
Shred the chicken into thin strands no longer than 3 cm and grate the cheese. Put the chicken, water, cumin and paprika in the microwave-safe dish and cover loosely. Microwave at 800 W for 1½ minutes, stir thoroughly, then microwave for another 1½ minutes. Stir and check several places: the coldest part must reach 75°C and remain there for 30 seconds. Continue in short bursts if needed. Keep covered until assembly and spoon off any pooled liquid. Warming and immediate pan-toasting form one continuous reheating process; do not cool the chicken between them.
- No timer needed
Set the frying pan over medium-low heat to preheat for about 3 minutes while assembling. Lay out the tortillas. On one half of each, spread 17.5 g cheese, approximately 62.5 g warm chicken, then another 17.5 g cheese. Leave a 1 cm border and keep the filling evenly spread, roughly 1 cm thick. Fold the empty halves over. Brush both outside faces of each quesadilla using 2.5 ml oil in total per quesadilla.
- 03:30
Place two folded quesadillas side by side in the pan without overlapping. Cook for 3–4 minutes on the first side, pressing gently with the spatula, then turn carefully and cook for 2–3 minutes more. They should be golden and crisp, with fully melted cheese and a steaming-hot filling. Lower the heat if dark patches develop before the cheese melts. Transfer to the wire rack, uncovered.
- 03:30
Cook the remaining two quesadillas in the same way: 3–4 minutes on the first side and 2–3 minutes on the second. Adjust the heat if the pan has become too hot. Leave the first batch on the rack while the second cooks; do not stack or cover them, which traps steam. If your pan cannot fit two without overlap, cook singly and allow approximately 14–15 minutes extra for the two additional batches.
- 01:00
Let the second batch rest on the rack for 1 minute. Stir the salsa and use a slotted spoon if liquid has collected. Cut each folded quesadilla into three wedges and serve two quesadillas per person, with half the salsa alongside.
Chef tips
- The schedule assumes chilled ready-cooked chicken, an approximately 800 W microwave and two quesadillas per frying batch. Extra microwave bursts or slower melting extend it; follow temperature and texture cues rather than increasing the heat to meet the clock.
- If the tortillas brown before the cheese melts, lower the heat. Warm chicken and a thin, even filling layer help the centre heat evenly.
- Keep salsa outside the tortillas, drain pooled liquid from the chicken and hold cooked batches uncovered on a rack to avoid sogginess.
- Turn with a broad spatula, supporting the open edge; cheese above and below the chicken helps bind the filling.
- Ready-cooked chicken and cheese are usually already seasoned, so no extra salt is added to the filling.
Equipment check
- Heavy 28–30 cm frying pan with a flat cooking surface large enough for two folded 20 cm tortillas without overlap
- Microwave, approximately 800 W
- 750 ml microwave-safe dish and loose-fitting cover
- Digital food thermometer
- Broad spatula
- Grater
- Chopping board and sharp knife
- Mixing bowl
- Pastry brush
- Wire rack
- Slotted spoon
Nutrition per serving
- Calories825
- Protein64 g
- Carbs57 g
- Fat36 g
Tags
Behind the dish.
Overview
Makes four folded, 20 cm quesadillas, serving two as a main course, with approximately 320 g fresh salsa. Warm the chicken first, sandwich it between thin layers of cheese, then toast gently to melt the filling without scorching the tortillas. Keep the salsa alongside to preserve the crisp exterior.
Ingredient notes
Use plain ready-cooked chicken suitable for reheating, within its use-by date, or safely refrigerated home-cooked chicken no more than 48 hours old. Follow any shorter pack limit and do not use chicken that has already been reheated. Cooking chicken from raw is not included; if using frozen cooked chicken, thaw it in the fridge before starting.
Monterey Jack melts smoothly; mild Cheddar is a practical, slightly sharper substitute. Avoid wet chicken sauces. Removing the tomatoes’ watery seed pockets gives approximately 250–270 g prepared flesh from 300 g whole tomatoes. Omit the chilli for a mild salsa. Contains wheat/gluten and milk; check tortillas, cheese and prepared chicken labels for additional allergens.
Serving & storage
Serve two quesadillas per person with half the salsa. Best eaten immediately. Refrigerate leftover quesadillas and salsa separately in shallow containers within two hours, at 5°C or colder. Use within 48 hours, without extending the chicken’s original storage limit or any shorter pack instructions. The chicken has already been reheated, so do not reheat leftover quesadillas again; eat them cold within that limit or discard.
Related recipes
Beef tacos with charred tomato salsa
◷ 50 minmedium
Soft corn tortillas filled with browned, juicy beef, chunky charred tomato salsa, white onion and coriander, with lime wedges to finish. Makes 12 small tacos in about 50 minutes, assuming the salsa vegetables fit in one batch; allow 12–13 minutes plus handling for each additional charring batch.
Oct 16
Chipotle chicken tostadas with lime slaw
◷ 75 minmedium
Crisp baked corn tortillas topped with tender shredded chicken in a thick, smoky chipotle-tomato sauce, crunchy lime-dressed cabbage and fresh coriander. Makes 8 tostadas, serving 4.
Oct 13
Huevos rancheros with tomato-jalapeño salsa
◷ 47 mineasy
Lightly fried corn tortillas topped with sunny-side-up eggs and warm tomato-jalapeño salsa. Keep the tortilla centres tender, their edges lightly crisp, and the salsa thick enough to complement rather than soak them.
Oct 9