Chicken and Spinach Quesadilla (Printable Version)

Golden, crispy quesadilla filled with juicy chicken, tender spinach, and melted mozzarella cheese. Perfect for a quick weeknight meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Filling

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
02 - 2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
03 - 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
06 - 1 clove garlic, minced
07 - ½ teaspoon salt
08 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
09 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

→ Assembly

10 - 4 large flour tortillas, 10-inch
11 - 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil for grilling

# Directions:

01 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant.
02 - Add spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes until wilted. Add chicken, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Stir to combine and heat through. Remove from heat.
03 - Wipe skillet clean. Place a tortilla on a flat surface. Sprinkle ¼ of the cheese evenly over half the tortilla, then top with ¼ of the chicken-spinach mixture. Fold tortilla in half. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
04 - Heat ½ tablespoon butter or olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Grill each quesadilla for 2-3 minutes per side until golden and cheese is melted.
05 - Remove from skillet, let cool slightly, then cut each quesadilla into wedges. Serve warm with desired accompaniments.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one skillet, which means less cleanup and more time to actually sit down and eat.
  • The crispy tortilla edges give way to melted cheese and savory filling that tastes far more impressive than the effort required.
  • It works with whatever cheese or greens you have on hand, so you can make it your own without a special grocery run.
02 -
  • Do not overstuff the tortillas or the filling will spill out when you flip them, which I learned after losing half my dinner to the bottom of the skillet.
  • Medium heat is your friend; too high and the outside burns before the cheese melts, too low and the tortilla stays pale and soft instead of crispy.
  • Wipe the skillet between batches to avoid burnt bits sticking to the next quesadilla and giving it a bitter taste.
03 -
  • Press down gently with the spatula while grilling to help the cheese melt evenly and seal the layers together.
  • Use a pizza cutter to slice the quesadillas cleanly without dragging the filling out of place.
  • If you are making multiple quesadillas, keep the finished ones warm in a low oven while you cook the rest so everyone eats at the same time.
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