Chef Jeff makes a crispy chipotle chicken quesadilla

Published September 25, 2025 4:56 PM EDT

Golden and crisp on the outside, smoky and cheesy on the inside, this quesadilla brings bold flavor with minimal effort. It uses precooked chicken for speed, pantry-friendly ingredients, and skips the mayo while keeping it creamy and rich.

Ingredients (Makes 2 large quesadillas)

For the Quesadillas:

  • 2 large flour tortillas (10-inch)
  • 1½ cups shredded Mexican blend cheese or cheddar
  • 1 to 1½ cups precooked chicken breast strips, chopped
  • 1 tbsp oil or butter, for crisping

Optional Add-ins:

  • ¼ cup diced red onion
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • ½ cup canned black beans or corn, rinsed and drained

Chipotle-Lime Sour Cream

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp adobo sauce
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • Pinch of garlic powder
  • Salt to taste

Instructions:

Filling:

  1. Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside.
  2. In a bowl, toss chopped chicken with 1 to 2 teaspoons of the chipotle-lime sour cream to lightly coat.

Assemble:

  1. On half of each tortilla, layer cheese, chipotle-coated chicken, and any optional add-ins. Fold tortilla in half.

Cook:

  1. Heat a skillet over medium heat with a bit of oil or butter. Cook each quesadilla for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown and the cheese is melted.

Serve:

  1. Slice into wedges. Serve warm with the remaining chipotle-lime sour cream on the side.

The Source: Chef Jeff Philbin provided this recipe to FOX 13.

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