Crispy Baked Chicken Quesadillas

These Crispy Baked Chicken Quesadillas are warm and crispy tortillas stuffed with fresh spinach, creamy melted cheese and shredded chicken. A simple weeknight dinner idea that makes the whole family happy!

One of my kids favorite meals are quesadillas. They’ll eat quesadillas for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and I’m constantly looking for things to add to make them a bit ‘more’. And don’t get me started on how I feel like a line cook, cooking each one to order in a single frying pan. Then, one day it hit me. I could BAKE a ton of quesadillas at a time. So, I got to work on deciding what I’d fill them up with and I came up with this mixture which is 100% approved by my kiddos. Now, these crispy baked chicken quesadillas are one of our top weeknight dinners!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe for Chicken Quesadillas

• So easy. Making a bunch of quesadillas to order is never fun. Especially since that means I wind up eating by myself after everyone else is done! By baking these chicken quesadillas, we remove all those horrible timing issues!
• Kid approved. Chicken and cheese quesadillas are an awesome vehicle for all kinds of added goodness. But since veggies are hidden in all that cheesy delight, they’ll never know!
• Feeds a crowd. If you have last minute guests coming over, this recipe for chicken quesadillas is a great thing to whip up quickly. They’ll bake all at once and make great finger food.

Recipe Ingredients

• Flour Tortillas
• Shredded Chicken: I bought rotisserie chicken to keep things super easy.
• Baby Spinach
• Sour Cream
• Seasoning: I love the combo of cumin, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
• Cheese: The shredded Mexican cheese blend makes a perfect quesadilla
• Guacamole and Salsa: These are optional, but make great serving garnishes!

How to Make Baked Chicken Quesadillas

• Prep: Preheat your oven to 425˚F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly spray the paper with cooking spray.
• Combine: In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken, baby spinach, sour cream, and seasoning. Taste the mixture and see if you want to add more salt, pepper, or other seasonings.

• Build: Working with one flour tortilla at a time, add some of the filling on one side of the tortilla, sprinkle with some cheese, and fold; continue to work with the rest of the tortillas. Transfer prepared quesadillas to the baking sheets; lightly spray with olive oil. 
• Bake: Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven.
• Serve: Cut each quesadilla in half and serve with sour cream, guacamole, and/or salsa.

Tips for the Best Chicken Quesadillas

• Olive oil spray. Don’t forget to spray the tortilla top with olive oil. The addition of this oil will help to make the shell nice and crispy. 
• To flip or not to flip. You could flip your quesadillas halfway through baking, but it’s not a must. 
• Don’t overcook. Keep a close eye on the oven. Tortillas can brown very quickly in a hot oven. 

Variation Ideas

• Change the meats. You can easily make pulled pork or steak quesadillas if that’s what you have around instead of chicken.
• Chicken. If you can’t find, or don’t have a rotisserie chicken handy, you can poach and then shred some chicken breasts, or shred leftover chicken breasts. You could also cook the chicken breasts in the instant pot or slow cooker and then shred to use in these quesadillas.
• Tortilla. You can use corn tortillas instead of flour, or any low carb option you’d like. 
• Veggie combos. You can add in loads of different veggie combos like mushrooms, or sauteed peppers and onions.
• Seasoning. You can completely change the flavor profile and make Buffalo chicken quesadillas by swapping the spices for Frank’s Red Hot and using blue cheese and cheddar in place of the Mexican cheese blend. 

Serving Suggestions

These quesadillas have it all! Protein- chicken, dairy – cheese, green veggie – spinach, and carbs- the tortilla! But, it’s still nice to have a side, right? I love to serve these with a nice side of Mexican rice or even this garlic butter parmesan rice.

For a lighter option, try serving them up with a large southwestern style salad. 

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

• These are definitely best served immediately while they’re still warm. If you do end up with leftovers that you’d like to store, place them in an airtight container. Separate each with a layer of parchment paper so they don’t stick together.
• Then, to keep the tortillas crispy, reheat them in the oven at 375°F for just about 10 minutes or in a skillet over medium-low heat.

More Easy Chicken Recipes

• Chicken Alfredo Pizza
• Chicken Burrito Skillet
• Easy Chicken Stir Fry