Chicken and Spinach Quesadilla (Printable)

Golden quesadilla with shredded chicken, wilted spinach, and melted mozzarella. A quick, satisfying meal ready in just 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 olive oil for grilling

# How-To Steps:

01 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant.
02 - Add spinach and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted. Add chicken, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Stir to combine and heat through. Remove from heat.
03 - Wipe skillet clean. Place a tortilla on a flat surface. Sprinkle ¼ of the cheese evenly over half the tortilla, then top with ¼ of the chicken-spinach mixture. 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 to 3 minutes per side until golden and cheese is melted.
05 - Remove quesadillas from skillet and let cool slightly. Cut each quesadilla into wedges and serve warm.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It uses up leftovers without tasting like leftovers, turning bits and pieces into something everyone actually wants to eat.
  • The spinach sneaks in so quietly that even picky eaters forget they're eating greens.
  • You can make it start to finish in the time it takes to decide on takeout, and it costs a fraction of the price.
  • The crispy, buttery outside gives way to gooey melted cheese and tender chicken that tastes way fancier than the effort required.
02 -
  • Don't skip wiping out the skillet after cooking the filling, any leftover bits will burn when you grill the quesadillas and make them taste bitter.
  • Keep the heat at medium, not high, or the outside will brown too fast and the cheese won't have time to melt all the way through.
  • Let the quesadillas rest for a minute before slicing, or all the filling will slide out the sides and you'll lose half your dinner to the cutting board.
03 -
  • Press down gently on the quesadilla with your spatula while it cooks to help the cheese melt evenly and seal the edges together.
  • If you're making a big batch, keep finished quesadillas warm in a 200 degree oven on a baking sheet while you cook the rest.
  • Shred your own cheese instead of buying pre shredded, it melts so much better because it doesn't have that anti caking coating.
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