Enjoy these delicious Savoury Chicken Quesadilla: A golden, crispy treat filled with chicken seasoned with a mix of spices, tangy salsa, a gooey blend of cheeses, and sautéed peppers and onions.
Chicken Quesadilla
Perfect for sharing, this delicious dish pairs wonderfully with the classic sides of salsa, guacamole, and soured cream, making it an ideal choice for a communal feast or a cosy night in. Its vibrant flavours and easy customization make it a hit for any gathering, ensuring everyone can enjoy a bite of this comforting, flavour-packed meal.
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Calories in Chicken Quesadilla
These yummy Chicken Quesadillas serves 2 at 452 calories per serving.
If you're looking for more recipes within the same calorie range, you'll find an abundance of options in my dedicated collection of 400+ calorie recipes.
If you're following a calorie-controlled diet or a healthy eating plan, it's important to calculate your daily calorie intake using a reliable calorie calculator. Please note that the calorie counts provided are estimates and can vary based on specific ingredients and serving sizes. Personalizing your calculations is essential to meet your individual needs. By using a calorie calculator, you can make informed choices and stay on track with your dietary goals.
Ingredients Needed
To make this quesadilla, you will need the following ingredients:
- Onion: just a regular white onion
- Bell Peppers: mixture of red and green peppers
- Green Onions (Spring Onion): I use just the green part, sliced thinly
- Spices: a home made blend of spices are used here, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin and chilli powder
- Cooked Chicken: I utilize leftover cooked chicken for this recipe, where you can choose between breast or thigh meat, or even a combination of both.
- Salsa: For that perfect tangy kick, I opt for fresh salsa, though jarred salsa is also a fine choice if you prefer.
- Cheese: I like to use tex mex shredded cheese in my quesadillas which is usually a blend of cheddar and Monterey jack cheese. However a mix of red leicester and mozzarella will work fine also .
- Tortilla Wraps: Opt for your favourite low-calorie 8-inch tortilla when making these quesadillas. While I lean towards a white low-calorie tortilla for optimal results, feel free to choose whole wheat if that's your preference.
- Salt and Pepper - These basic yet essential flavour enhancers are key for elevating the taste of your dishes. No food will ever be bland when these are used to season to taste.
- Low Calorie Spray - Use your preferred choice of low calorie spray, I prefer olive oil or avocado sprays without any added emulsifiers.
Once you've gathered all the ingredients and prepared them accordingly, you're all set to create this easy and delightful recipe.
See the recipe card for specific quantities and instructions.
Best Pan for Cooking Quesadillas
When crafting the perfect quesadilla, selecting the right pan is essential for achieving that irresistible crispy exterior and perfectly melted cheese. The pan's material and size can significantly impact the cooking process, influencing how evenly the quesadilla cooks and how easy it is to manage in the kitchen.
A large non-stick flat crepe pan is an excellent choice for quesadilla enthusiasts. Its broad, flat surface is ideal for accommodating quesadillas of any size, ensuring they cook evenly without sticking. Moreover, the pan's design makes flipping quesadillas effortless, resulting in a golden and crispy finish every time. This type of pan simplifies the cooking process, allowing for easy preparation and perfect results, making it a must-have for anyone looking to create delicious quesadillas at home.
Easy Quesadilla Flipping Technique
Flipping a quesadilla neatly can be challenging, especially if they're not a regular item in your cooking routine (though in my house, thanks to my kids' love for them, they're a frequent feature). Yet, there's a straightforward, mess-free technique to ensure your quesadilla comes out intact and evenly golden: the plate-over-quesadilla flip.
As soon as one side of the quesadilla is golden and ready to flip, cover the pan with a large plate. Quickly and carefully turn the pan over, transferring the quesadilla onto the plate, then slide it back into the pan, uncooked side down. This method not only secures all the fillings inside but simplifies the flipping process, guaranteeing a perfectly cooked quesadilla every time. After trying various techniques, I've found this to be the easiest and most effective.
Perfect Sides for Quesadillas
When serving quesadillas, consider these complementary sides to round out your meal:
- Soured Cream: Adds a cool, creamy texture.
- Salsa: Offers a fresh, tangy kick.
- Guacamole: Brings a rich, creamy avocado flavour or try my pea guacamole for a slightly lower calorie option
- Spicy Potato Wedges: Provides an additional spicy, crispy side.
- Mexican Rice: Adds a flavourful, spiced element.
- Mixed Salad: Offers a fresh, crisp contrast, add your favourite salad items like lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, onion etc
- Refried Beans: Brings creamy, savoury notes.
- Sliced Fresh or Pickled Jalapeños: Adds extra heat for spice lovers.
- Coriander/Cilantro: a great additional to the plate if you love the flavour.
These options ensure a well-rounded meal, offering a mix of textures and flavours that perfectly complement the quesadillas. Feel free to add your own favourite sides to tailor the meal to your personal tastes.
More Mexican Inspired Recipes
Looking for some more Mexican Inspired low calorie recipes? Check out some of these:
- Mexican Barbecue Chicken Skewers
- Mexican Chicken and Rice Bake
- Ultimate Mexican Burgers
- Pineapple Pork Carnitas
- Cheesy Beef Enchilada Stuffed Pasta Shells
or if you would like more recipe ideas or sides to make with this recipe - head on over to the FULL RECIPE INDEX where you will find over 900 delicious recipes with calories and you can search by meal type, ingredients, course, diet and more.
All recipes on Slimming Eats have estimated nutritional information for your convenience.
FAQ For Chicken Quesadillas
Can I double the quesadilla recipe for more servings?
Yes, you can easily double the quesadilla recipe to cater to a larger group. Just double the amount of each ingredient listed. When cooking, it's best to prepare each quesadilla individually to ensure they all achieve a golden, crispy exterior and evenly cooked filling. This approach helps maintain consistency and quality in every bite.
Yes, you can assemble quesadillas ahead of time before cooking them on the pan. Preparing them in advance and storing them in the refrigerator can save time, so all that you have to do when ready to enjoy is to brown the quesadillas on a pan
Yes, you can freeze quesadillas. Cook, cool, then wrap tightly and freeze. Reheat on a pan on a low heat until heated through. However, they're best enjoyed fresh for optimal texture and flavor.
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Recipe Card
Cheesy Salsa Chicken Quesadilla
Enjoy these delicious Savoury Chicken Quesadilla: A golden, crispy treat filled with chicken seasoned with a mix of spices, tangy salsa, a gooey blend of cheeses, and sautéed peppers and onions.
Ingredients
- low calorie spray
- ½ onion, finely diced
- ½ red pepper, finely diced
- ½ green pepper, finely diced
- 200g (7oz) of cooked shredded chicken
- 2 teaspoons of paprika
- ½ teaspoon of onion powder
- ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon of ground cumin
- ¼ of cayenne
- salt and black pepper
- 90g (⅓ cup) of salsa (I used mild)
- 1 green onion, finely chopped (green part onion)
- 80g (2.8oz) of grated tex mex cheese blend (or use 50g of grated mozzarella and 30g of red leicester or orange cheddar)
- 2 low calorie 8 inch tortilla wraps
Instructions
- Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and spray with low-calorie cooking spray. Ensure the pan you use is large enough to fit the tortillas.
- Sauté onion and peppers for 5 minutes until softened.
- Add chicken, spices, and green onions, cooking for a few minutes until the chicken is coated in spices.
- Stir in salsa until combined, then transfer the mixture to a bowl. Wipe the pan clean.
- On medium heat, spray the cleaned pan again with low calorie spray and place a tortilla in it.
- Layer half the cheese, all the chicken mixture evenly spread out, then the remaining cheese. Top with another tortilla and spray its surface, press it down firmly with a spatula
- Once the bottom is crisp and golden, use a large plate to flip the quesadilla carefully, then cook until the other side is golden.
- Transfer to a cutting board, slice into 6 pieces with a pizza cutter or sharp knife.
- Serve with your preferred sides and enjoy!
Notes
Please see below for full nutritional info and additional details about recipe:
- Calories - scroll down to nutritional info box
- WW Points and other Slimming or Weight Loss programs - due to plans regularly changing and updating, we recommend calculating with the official tools you get as a member to those plans to ensure accuracy of values.
- Gluten Free Friendly - use gluten free tortilla wraps
- Freezer Friendly ❄️
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Nutrition Information
Yield 2 Serving Size 1 SERVINGAmount Per Serving Calories 452Total Fat 15gSaturated Fat 7gSodium 499mgCarbohydrates 37gFiber 7gSugar 7gProtein 43g
JACQUI GRIFFIN says
Cooked this tonight. Apprehensive about flipping them but it worked a dream. Tasted fantastic and got a 5 star review from all the family. Thanks Siobhan x
Stephanie says
Just finished this, and I'd be very happy to eat it all over again! I used Quorn chunks instead of shredded chicken. It was really tasty.
Kate Soper says
Had this the other day. Flipping was impossible (didn't have a plate big enough), but tried.
American husband suggested using as a burrito. Guess what we're having tonight!