Chicken and Spinach Quesadilla (Printable)

Golden quesadilla with juicy chicken, tender spinach, and melted mozzarella. A quick, satisfying meal ready in 30 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Filling

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
02 - 2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
03 - 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
06 - 1 clove garlic, minced
07 - ½ teaspoon salt
08 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
09 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

→ Assembly

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

# Directions:

01 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, then sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant.
02 - Add spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes until wilted. Stir in shredded chicken, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Combine thoroughly and heat through, then remove from heat.
03 - Wipe skillet clean. Place a tortilla on a flat surface and sprinkle ¼ of the cheese evenly over half. Top with ¼ of the chicken-spinach mixture and fold tortilla in half. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
04 - Heat ½ tablespoon butter or olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Grill each quesadilla for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and cheese is completely melted.
05 - Remove quesadillas from heat, allow to cool slightly, then cut each into wedges. Serve warm with desired accompaniments.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one skillet, so cleanup is almost nonexistent.
  • The spinach sneaks in without anyone noticing, even picky eaters ask for seconds.
  • You can have dinner on the table in under half an hour, even on your most exhausted days.
  • Leftovers taste just as good reheated in a dry pan the next morning.
02 -
  • Do not skip wiping the skillet between cooking the filling and grilling the quesadillas, leftover bits will burn and stick to the tortilla.
  • Medium heat is crucial, too high and the outside burns before the cheese melts, too low and you lose that crispy texture.
  • Let the quesadilla sit for a full minute before cutting, otherwise the cheese will ooze out everywhere and make a mess.
03 -
  • Use a pizza cutter to slice the quesadillas into even wedges without squishing the filling.
  • Press down gently with the spatula while grilling to help the cheese melt faster and seal the edges.
  • If the tortilla tears when folding, warm it in the microwave for 10 seconds to make it more pliable.
  • Add a handful of chopped cilantro to the filling right before assembling for a fresh, herbaceous note.
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