Chicken Avocado Quesadilla (Print View)

Grilled chicken, creamy avocado, and melted cheese wrapped in a crispy tortilla. A delicious Mexican-American favorite ready in under 35 minutes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon cumin
05 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Avocado Mash

08 - 2 ripe avocados
09 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
10 - 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
11 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Assembly

12 - 4 large flour tortillas, 10-inch diameter
13 - 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
14 - 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
15 - Cooking spray or olive oil for grilling

# Method:

01 - Preheat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat.
02 - In a mixing bowl, toss chicken breasts with olive oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
03 - Grill chicken for 5 to 6 minutes per side until cooked through and juices run clear. Transfer to a plate and rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly.
04 - In a separate bowl, mash avocados with lime juice, cilantro, and salt until mostly smooth with some texture remaining.
05 - Lay out tortillas and spread generous layer of avocado mash on half of each tortilla. Top with sliced chicken, red onion slices, and shredded cheese. Fold tortillas in half to enclose filling.
06 - Heat a large skillet over medium heat and lightly coat with cooking spray or olive oil. Cook quesadillas in batches of two for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown and cheese is melted.
07 - Remove from skillet and let cool slightly. Cut each quesadilla into wedges and serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The crispy tortilla gives way to gooey cheese and creamy avocado in one perfect bite.
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes, even on your busiest weeknights.
  • You can prep the chicken ahead and assemble these in minutes when hunger strikes.
  • Kids and adults both clean their plates without complaint.
02 -
  • Let the chicken rest after grilling or all the juices will run out onto your cutting board instead of staying in the meat.
  • Don't overfill the tortillas or they'll split open when you flip them, and you'll lose half the filling to the pan.
  • Keep the heat at medium when cooking the quesadillas so the cheese melts before the tortilla burns.
03 -
  • Use a cast iron skillet if you have one, it gives the tortillas the crispiest, most even golden crust.
  • Press down gently with a spatula while the quesadillas cook to help the cheese melt faster and the filling stick together.
  • Slice with a sharp knife or a pizza cutter for clean wedges that don't squish out the filling.
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