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–+ servings
cheesy chicken quesadillas with salsa

Easy Three-Cheese Chicken Quesadillas

20 minutes prep + 25 minutes cook
8 servings
Quick and easy chicken quesadillas with three types of cheese, juicy chicken filling and homemade avocado salsa for serving.

Ingredients 

  • 8 large flour tortilla
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 4 thick slices smoked bacon
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 1/2 cups grated medium cheddar cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup crumbled queso fresco
  • 1/2 small onion, diced
  • 2 green scallions, finely diced
  • 1 large Roma tomato, diced
  • 1/2 large avocado, diced
  • 1 teaspoon salt

For Salsa:

  • 1 large Roma tomato, diced
  • 1 large avocado, diced
  • 1 green scallion, diced
  • 2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro
  • juice from 1 lime
  • 1/2 cup mild red taco sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

For Making the Filling:

  • Begin with the smoky bacon: Heat a large frying pan over medium/high heat. Render the bacon slices until they're crispy, then remove the bacon, dice it and place into a large bowl.
  • Keep the bacon fat and prepare the chicken next. Add to the hot pan the diced onion and sauté until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the diced chicken into the pan along with a drizzle of canola oil and the cumin, chili powder and black pepper. Fry the chicken until it's golden brown and completely cooked.
  • Finish making the filling: combine with the cooked chicken in a large bowl along with the diced bacon, onion and the remaining filling ingredients.

Assembling & Cooking:

  • To assemble the chicken quesadillas: first spread a spoonful of sour cream onto each tortilla. Place about ¾ cup of chicken filling onto each tortilla round, spreading to the edges over one half. Sprinkle the cheese over the chicken filling, and then fold in half.
  • Heat a large pan or grill over medium heat and grease lightly with butter or oil. Place the prepared quesadillas onto the preheated pan/grill and fry slowly, until shell is golden brown and crispy. Remove the golden quesadillas, cut them into portions and serve with fresh salsa.

Homemade Salsa:

  • For the salsa: simply combine the diced tomato and avocado in a large mixing bowl. Add the green onion, cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice and the seasonings. Toss everything together when you're ready to enjoy the quesadillas!

Nutrition

Calories: 534kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 1283mg | Potassium: 607mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1007IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 431mg | Iron: 3mg