It's peach and BBQ season, so this recipe is all about combining two of summer's favorite dishes with this BBQ chicken and peach quesadilla.
You can never go wrong with some quesadillas - from a chicken fajita quesadilla to chorizo and avocado quesadillas.
When I think of summer, besides the endless hot days, the main thing I think of is fresh fruit! At least in Maryland we are just now entering prime peach season, so today is all about peaches with this quesadilla recipe.
Yes more quesadillas, but I just can't help it. They're so easy to put together and taste amazing! The other day I was trying to think of a way to incorporate some fresh peaches. While my go to in the past was pizza, I wanted to mix it up a little bit with this peach quesadilla.
By cooking the peaches for just a couple of minutes, you bring out the sweetness even more, but it's not necessary if you're pressed for time.
Speaking of time, you don't have to cook chicken and can just buy a rotisserie chicken if you prefer. If you're thinking peaches, bbq and quesadilla don't go together, think again.
Jump to:
Recipe Ingredients
- Olive oil - used to cook the peaches.
- Peaches - fresh is best.
- Chicken - chicken breasts or thighs work.
- BBQ sauce - use your favorite sauce.
- Tortillas - flour or whole wheat are best.
- Monterey jack cheese - use your favorite cheese.
- Jalapeño pepper - adds a touch of heat.
- Green onion and cilantro - adds some freshness.
- Unsalted butter - used to cook the quesadillas.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Heat large skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Add peaches and cook for 2-3 minutes or until slightly caramelized. Remove and set aside.
- Add another tbsp of olive oil to skillet. Salt and pepper chicken and add to skillet and cook for about 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until cooked through. Shred chicken with fork and add 3-4 tbsp BBQ sauce until coated. Stir in the jalapeño and green pepper.
- Place tortilla on plate and add ½ cup shredded monterey jack cheese. (or more if you desire) Top with chicken mixture and peaches. Try to use about a ½ of each as this makes 2 quesadillas. Fold the tortilla and repeat.
- Heat butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add both quesadillas to skillet and cook on one side for about 5 minutes or until browned. Flip both quesadillas and cook for another 5 minutes or until browned. Use the pizza cutter to cut into four slices.
How to Know Peaches are Ripe
There are a few ways to tell that a peach is ripe. The best way is if you see shriveled skin around the stem, that means it is ripe.
The next best way is by giving a peach a gentle, yet firm squeeze with your fingers. If there’s some give, it means the fruit is almost ripe. Be careful not to bruise though.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Flour Tortillas: While corn tortillas are great, you need flour tortillas for the pliability and ability to hold the cheese and filling together.
- Use One Tortilla: Making a quesadilla with two tortillas can be difficult to flip. Using the half-moon technique makes it much easier to flip. Just spread the filling over half the tortilla, then fold the other half over the filling.
- Don’t Overstuff It: A quesadilla is best when you keep it on the lighter side. You want enough filling to hold everything together.
- Freshly Grated Cheese: don’t use pre-shredded cheese. It doesn’t taste as good and also has additional ingredients that you don’t need.
- Go Easy on the Butter/Oil: Flour tortillas absorb butter and oil easily, so you want to just lightly coat the pan for these chicken quesadillas.
- Cook on Medium Heat: Tortillas burn easily, so don’t cook on high heat. You’ll want to cook the quesadilla on medium-low to medium heat.
Other Peach Recipes
If you’ve tried this BBQ chicken and peach quesadilla or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
BBQ Chicken and Peach Quesadilla
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 peaches, thinly sliced
- 1 lb chicken breasts
- 3 tbsp bbq sauce
- 2 (10 in) flour or wheat tortillas
- 4 oz monterey jack cheese, shredded
- 1 jalapeño pepper, diced
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Heat large skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Add peaches and cook for 2-3 minutes or until slightly caramelized. Remove and set aside.
- Add another tbsp of olive oil to skillet. Salt and pepper chicken and add to skillet and cook for about 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until cooked through. Shred chicken with fork and add 3-4 tbsp BBQ sauce until coated. Stir in the jalapeño, green pepper and cilantro.
- Place tortilla on plate and add ½ cup shredded monterey jack cheese. (or more if you desire) Top with chicken mixture and peaches. Try to use about a ½ of each as this makes 2 quesadillas. Fold the tortilla and repeat.
- Heat butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add both quesadillas to skillet and cook on one side for about 5 minutes or until browned. Flip both quesadillas and cook for another 5 minutes or until browned. Use the pizza cutter to cut into four slices.
Notes
- Flour Tortillas: While corn tortillas are great, you need flour tortillas for the pliability and ability to hold the cheese and filling together.
- Use One Tortilla: Making a quesadilla with two tortillas can be difficult to flip. Using the half-moon technique makes it much easier to flip. Just spread the filling over half the tortilla, then fold the other half over the filling.
- Don’t Overstuff It: A quesadilla is best when you keep it on the lighter side. You want enough filling to hold everything together.
- Freshly Grated Cheese: don’t use pre-shredded cheese. It doesn’t taste as good and also has additional ingredients that you don’t need.
- Go Easy on the Butter/Oil: Flour tortillas absorb butter and oil easily, so you want to just lightly coat the pan for these chicken quesadillas.
- Cook on Medium Heat: Tortillas burn easily, so don’t cook on high heat. You’ll want to cook the quesadilla on medium-low to medium heat.
Chris says
Never thought of putting peaches in a quesadilla!