Spicy Chicken and Vegetable Quesadillas

A quick main course built around seasoned chicken and sautéed vegetables folded into golden quesadillas. The filling is cooked in one skillet, then assembled and griddled until the tortillas are crisp and the cheese is melted. Salsa and sour cream are served on the side.

By Julienne

Cook time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 350 g boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1 cm pieces
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 0.5 tsp ground cumin
• 0.5 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 0.25 tsp black pepper freshly ground
• 15 ml neutral oil
• 15 ml neutral oil
• 1 piece red bell pepper seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 piece yellow onion thinly sliced
• 1 piece zucchini halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 0.5 tsp ground cumin
• 0.5 tsp garlic powder
• 0.5 tsp fine salt
• 0.25 tsp black pepper freshly ground
• 15 ml lime juice freshly squeezed
• 8 piece flour tortillas 8-inch / 20 cm
• 180 g shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 240 g salsa for serving
• 120 g sour cream for serving
• 10 g fresh cilantro chopped, for serving

Instructions

1. Prep all vegetables and chicken. Toss the chicken with 1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. The chicken is evenly coated and ready for cooking.
2. Heat 15 ml oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until browned and just cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. The chicken is opaque with no pink remaining in the center.
3. Add the remaining 15 ml oil to the same skillet. Sauté the onion, bell pepper, and zucchini with the remaining 1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper until the vegetables are tender-crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice, then return the chicken to the pan and combine. The vegetables are softened at the edges but still have some bite, and the filling looks glossy and seasoned.
4. Assemble 4 quesadillas by layering chicken-vegetable filling and 45 g cheese per quesadilla between 2 tortillas. Leave a small border so the filling does not spill out. All 4 quesadillas are assembled and ready to grill.
5. Heat a clean skillet or griddle over medium heat. Grill each quesadilla for about 2 minutes per side, pressing lightly, until the tortillas are crisp and deeply golden and the cheese is melted. Work in batches if needed. The tortillas are golden brown and the cheese has melted fully.
6. Cut each quesadilla into wedges and serve immediately with salsa. Add sour cream and cilantro if using. The quesadillas are hot, crisp, and ready to serve with the accompaniments.