Chicken and Spinach Quesadilla (Printable Version)

Golden, crispy quesadilla with juicy chicken, tender spinach, and melted mozzarella cheese—a quick and satisfying meal.

# What You Need:

→ Filling

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
02 - 2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
03 - 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
06 - 1 clove garlic, minced
07 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
08 - 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
09 - 0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika

→ Assembly

10 - 4 large flour tortillas, 10-inch
11 - 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil for grilling

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant.
02 - Add spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes until wilted. Incorporate chicken, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika, stirring to combine and heat through. Remove from heat.
03 - Wipe skillet clean. Place a tortilla on a flat surface. Sprinkle one-quarter of cheese evenly over half the tortilla, then top with one-quarter of the chicken-spinach mixture. Fold tortilla in half. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
04 - Heat 0.5 tablespoon butter or olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Grill each quesadilla for 2-3 minutes per side until golden and cheese is melted.
05 - Remove quesadillas from heat, let cool slightly, then cut each into wedges. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one skillet, which means less cleanup and more time to actually sit down and eat.
  • The combination of gooey mozzarella and tender chicken feels indulgent but comes together in under half an hour.
  • You can sneak in greens without anyone complaining, and leftovers reheat beautifully in a dry pan.
02 -
  • Do not overfill the tortillas or they will split when you flip them; less is more when it comes to keeping everything intact.
  • Wipe the skillet between quesadillas to prevent burnt bits from sticking and making the next one taste bitter.
  • Let each quesadilla rest for a minute before slicing so the cheese sets slightly and does not ooze out everywhere.
03 -
  • Press down gently with a spatula while grilling to help the cheese melt evenly and the tortilla crisp up faster.
  • Use day old tortillas if you have them; they hold up better and are less likely to tear when folded.
  • Add a pinch of cumin or chili powder to the filling if you want a little extra warmth without adding heat.
Return