Combining two different Mexican dishes, this chicken fajita quesadilla gives you the best of both recipes and can be made in less than 30 minutes.
Oh how I love Mexican food - from chicken nachos to vegetarian burrito bowls to green chicken enchiladas to vegetarian stuffed quinoa peppers to Instant Pot tamales. There are just so many choices that are delicious.
However, two that fall in my favorites category are quesadillas and fajitas. So I figured, why not combine theme? I mean to me they're a match made in heaven! Speaking of both recipes, while fajitas are considered Tex-Mex, quesadillas are quintessentially Mexican.
Oh and did I mention how easy these are to make! Yeah it might take a little more time than just a regular old quesadilla but who just wants a normal dinner?
No, I like something a little more unique and this is one of my go-tos. As I had mentioned in my sweet potato fajita post, I now make my own fajita seasoning, but you are more than welcome to just buy a fajita season packet for these chicken quesadillas.
To me the seasoning is everything and that's what makes this fajita quesadilla so good. Well that, and lots of pepper jack cheese, which is never a bad thing!
Oh and remember that guacamole recipe I shared previously? Well it is the perfect complement to these quesadillas, or anything else for that matter. So set aside 30 minutes of your time and make this chicken fajita quesadilla. Trust me you'll love them.
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Ingredient Notes
- Chicken breasts - I use breasts and then cut them up thinly.
- Green bell pepper, red bell pepper, white onion, garlic - can't have fajitas with out veggies.
- Chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, salt, black pepper - creates your own fajita seasoning.
- Tortillas - I'm a fan of flour tortillas for quesadillas.
- Pepper jack cheese - has a good melty factor and a hint of heat.
Ingredient Swaps
While this recipe is amazing as is, you can swap out some ingredients if you want. Some variations include:
- I'm partial to chicken breasts for this dish, but thighs work just as well.
- While onions and bell peppers are the most traditional veggies included in fajitas, you can use any type of vegetable you like.
- I like to make my own fajita seasoning, but you can use store-bought.
- I use flour tortillas, but corn tortillas are a good substitute.
- Pepper jack cheese is my go-to, but Monterey Jack or Colby Jack work as well.
Step-by-Step Photos
Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.
Mix the chicken with the spices and then cook in a skillet over medium-high heat until done.
Add the peppers and onions to the same skillet, cooking until blackened before adding the garlic. Toss the chicken back in and mix until warmed through.
Add the fajita mixture with some cheese to a tortilla. Fold and heat in a large skillet with some butter. Cook on one side until browned before flipping and cooking until browned.
FAQs
Traditionally corn tortillas are used for quesadillas, but I prefer flour for their pliability and ability to hold the cheese and filling together.
If you don’t want to make your own fajita seasoning, you can easily buy one at the grocery store.
Tortillas burn easily, so don’t cook on high heat. You’ll want to cook the chicken fajita quesadilla on medium-low to medium heat.
Oven Option
If you don't want to make the fajitas on the stove top you can make them in the oven. I actually have a sheet pan chicken fajitas recipe. Just follow that and then make the quesadilla.
And if you are feeling lazy, just buy a rotisserie chicken so you can skip having to cook the chicken.
How to Serve
This chicken fajita quesadilla is a meal on its own, but you can always add to it. Some options include:
Equipment
The equipment you use is important to how the quesadilla turns out. What is needed is the following:
- Chef knife - you want a good quality knife so you can chop up everything.
- Large bowl - a large bowl is needed to mix the ingredients.
- Skillet - you want a large, heavy bottom skillet like a cast iron. A non-stick pan works too.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- 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.
Other Mexican Recipes
If you’ve tried this chicken fajita quesadilla recipe 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.
Chicken Fajita Quesadilla
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds chicken, cut into strips
- 1 green bell pepper, seed removed and sliced into thin strips
- 1 red bell pepper, seed removed and sliced into thin strips
- 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 large tortillas
- 2-3 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
- Place chicken in large mixing bowl and add chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, kosher salt and black pepper. Mix thoroughly.
- Heat large skillet over medium-high heat and add vegetable oil. Add chicken into skillet and cook for about 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Add peppers and onion into same skillet and cook for 8-10 minutes. You want them to be tender and slightly blackened. With 30 seconds left add garlic. Add chicken back into skillet to warm through and set aside.
- Place tortilla on plate and add ½ cup shredded pepper jack cheese. Top with chicken, peppers and onions. Try to use about a 4th of the mixture as this will make 4 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 and serve immediately.
Notes
- Fajita Seasoning: If you don’t want to make your own fajita seasoning, you can easily buy one at the grocery store.
- 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 on medium-low to medium heat.
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