Easy Grilled Chicken Quesadillas Everyone Will Love

Grilled chicken quesadillas are one of those rare, magical dinners that make everyone in my family happy. They come together fast with smoky leftover chicken, melty cheese, and crispy tortillas—comfort food in golden, handheld form. Serve them with salsa, sour cream, or our favorite avocado lime dressing for dipping.

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 30

Servings: 4

Calories: 542kcal

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter (divided)
1/2 small yellow onion (diced)
1 can diced green chiles
4 large flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Mexican blend or Chihuahua cheese
2 cups chopped leftover Mexican grilled chicken
Sour cream
Salsa
Avocado Lime Dressing (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to warm, or about 175 degrees. Place a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet.
In a large non stick skillet, melt one tablespoon of the butter. Add the onion and saute until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the green chilies and saute another 2 minutes. Remove the mixture to a bowl and set aside.
Add another sliver of butter to the skillet and melt, swirling it evenly around the pan. Add a tortilla, and spread cheese evenly over the whole thing, all the way to the edges.. Add a few spoonfuls of the green chile mixture to one half of the tortilla. Top with chopped chicken.
When the side without toppings is melty and starts to bubble, fold it over the toppings and use your spatula to press down so the cheesy sides melt together. If needed, give the quesadilla another 1-2 minutes to brown. Otherwise, remove to the cooling rack and place in a warm oven. Repeat with remaining tortillas and fillings.
Slice quesadillas into wedges with a knife or pizza cutter. Serve with sour cream, salsa or pico de gallo, or avocado lime dressing, for dipping.

Notes

Use any leftover grilled chicken for this recipe. We've linked our favorite above, but these are also fantastic with our Spicy Grilled Chicken Marinade. You can also use leftover rotisserie chicken.
Use a griddle for batch cooking: If you’re feeding a crowd (or just hungry teens), break out the electric griddle. You can make 2–4 quesadillas at once without juggling pans or rushing the flip.
Make it meal-prep friendly: Quesadillas reheat surprisingly well! Store leftover quesadillas in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat in a dry skillet or toaster oven to bring back that crispy texture. They’re great for packed lunches or quick dinners on busy nights.
Switch up the filling: No green chiles? Use sautéed bell peppers or chopped green onion. Add black beans, pinto beans, or even some leftover Mexican rice for a heartier version. Anything that’s already cooked can find a home inside a quesadilla.

Course Appetizers, Main Dish, Side Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword grilled chicken quesadilla, kid-friendly

Nutrition