Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas

Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas is the best of two worlds - spicy & cheesy all in a handy package. Easy to make and done in 30 minutes (including prep!) - this will probably become your new favorite comfort food. Can be made with leftover chicken, store bought rotisserie chicken, or with raw chicken!

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine North American

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings quesadillas

Calories 253kcal

Author Emmeline Kemperyd

Equipment

Ingredients

8 flour tortillas
1 lb bone-less chicken cut in small pieces
3 tablespoon butter divided
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ cup hot sauce*
2 handfuls spinach
1 cup shredded cheese

To serve

1 batch Blue Cheese Sauce optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Buffalo Chicken

Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add in ⅓ of the butter. When the butter has melted, add the chicken and season with garlic powder and onion powder. Mix well and fry for about 5 minutes, until chicken has a nice color on the outside and is cooked through.
Lower the heat to medium and add in the remaining ⅔ of the butter. When melted, pour over the hot sauce and mix well. Simmer for 2 minutes.
Add spinach and mix while it wilts down. When fully wilted, take the pan off the heat and set aside.

Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas

Start by bringing out a pan with at least the same diameter as the tortillas. Place it over medium heat. When the pan is hot, place one tortilla in the pan.
After 30 seconds, flip the tortilla and sprinkle over 1.5 tablespoon of shredded cheese, spread out over the whole tortilla. Then, on one half of the tortilla, spread out 2 tablespoons of buffalo chicken. Using a pair of kitchen forceps, fold the tortilla bread once so that the side without chicken covers the side with chicken. Press your tortilla lightly with the forceps while cooking.
After 30 seconds, flip it over and cook on the other side.
After another 30 seconds, take it out of the pan and set aside.
Start over with your next tortilla, and continue until you have made all the quesadillas.

Video

Notes

Ingredient notes & substitutions

Chicken: I prefer chicken thigh filets as they're cheaper and more flavorful than chicken breasts. Both work perfectly - as does any leftover chicken (just skip over step 1 below).
Hot sauce: Not a super-spicy kind like Tabasco, but a more mellow version. I like Cholula* and Frank's Red Hot*.
Spinach can be skipped if you don't like it. But, honestly, it doesn't really change the taste that much - it just adds some healthy stuff.
Seasoning - I use garlic powder and onion powder, but you can also use just ground black pepper

Tips & tricks

Store bought shredded cheese is perfect for this recipe, but you can shred it yourself if you prefer
Use kitchen forceps to make the flipping of the quesadillas easier
To keep the quesadillas warm while you finish all of them, place covered in an oven-safe container in the middle of an oven heated to 300°F (150°C)
Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days
Freeze leftovers to keep them for longer, they're good for up to 3 months. Freeze them in serving sizes, or with parchment paper in between.

How do I make Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas with leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken?

Heat up the chicken in a pan over medium-heat, then add ⅔ of the butter and allow it to melt. Add in the hot sauce, mix and simmer for 2 minutes, and then add spinach and allow it to wilt. Then you're ready to make your quesadillas!

How many quesadillas do I need per person?

As a main course: 2 quesadillas per person
As part of a buffet: ½ to 1 quesadilla per person
As an appetizer: 1 quesadilla per person

Nutrition