Chicken and Spinach Quesadilla (Printable)

Golden, crispy quesadilla with juicy shredded chicken, tender spinach, and melted mozzarella cheese. Perfect for a quick, satisfying meal.

# What You’ll 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 diameter
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, sautéing for 2 minutes until fragrant.
02 - Add spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes until wilted. Incorporate chicken, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika, stirring to combine and heat through. Remove from heat.
03 - Wipe skillet clean. Place a tortilla on a flat surface. Sprinkle ¼ of the cheese 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 2-3 minutes per side until golden and cheese is melted.
05 - Remove quesadillas from heat and let cool slightly. Cut each quesadilla into wedges and serve warm with accompaniments.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It comes together in the time it takes to scroll through takeout menus, but tastes like you actually tried.
  • The spinach wilts down so fast you barely notice you're eating something green.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully in a hot skillet, staying crispy instead of sad and soggy.
  • You can adjust the filling based on whatever's lurking in your fridge that week.
02 -
  • Don't skip wiping out the skillet after cooking the filling, any bits left behind will burn when you're grilling the tortillas.
  • Medium heat is crucial, too high and the outside burns before the cheese melts, too low and it gets leathery instead of crispy.
  • Let the quesadilla sit for a full minute before cutting or the cheese will all ooze out onto your cutting board instead of staying inside.
03 -
  • Press down gently with your spatula while the quesadilla cooks, it helps everything meld together and gets you better contact with the pan for even browning.
  • If you're making multiple quesadillas, keep the finished ones warm in a low oven while you cook the rest so everyone eats at the same time.
  • Use kitchen shears to cut the quesadillas instead of a knife, it's faster and keeps the filling from squishing out.
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