BBQ Chicken Quesadillas are what’s for dinner tonight! These crispy, cheesy, smokey-sweet quesadillas have been a family favorite for years and years – I actually shared the recipe back in 2010 (!) – and it’s high time I highlighted these delightful ‘dillas on IGE again. Prep shredded chicken up to a few days ahead of time then combine with BBQ sauce, tortillas, and shredded cheese when it’s time to eat!
I don’t know about you, but the combination of BBQ sauce, chicken, and melted cheese is pure comfort food to me. Served hot and gooey, this is a meal I turn to anytime I need to eat my feelings or want something quick and hearty to feed the fam. If you prep the components ahead of time, the dish comes together in 10 minutes too. Perfect for those crazy nights when you’ve got 30 minutes to eat before running everyone off to their extracurricular activities or digging into homework.
Ready to cook?
How to Make BBQ Chicken Quesadillas
Start by cooking and shredding 2 large chicken breasts (about 1 – 1-1/4lb precooked weight) then mix with your favorite BBQ sauce. Feel free to cook/shred the chicken a few days ahead of time to make this dish come together even faster. Leftover grilled or rotisserie chicken works really well too! I seasoned chicken with homemade seasoned salt then sauteed, but you can season yours with whatever you want.
Next, consult your arsenal of tortillas. Although I don’t love the ingredient list on Mission Gluten-Free Tortillas, they sure do make for awesome lunch time wraps, and get super crispy when used for quesadillas, so I buy them weekly. I also adore Siete brand tortillas which have just five ingredients including water. Woo! They’re a bit pricey though so I usually buy as an occasional treat.
Whichever tortillas you end up going with, heat a large 12″ skillet over medium heat then spray with nonstick spray. Place a tortilla in the bottom then sprinkle on a little freshly shredded cheddar cheese, followed by 1/4 of the shredded BBQ chicken, and another layer of shredded cheese.
This is the nonstick spray I’ve been using lately – it’s from Costco and the only ingredient is avocado oil. No propellents or anything – love it!
Place another tortilla on top then cook until the bottom tortillas is golden brown. Flip then cook until the second side is golden brown.
Slide the quesadilla onto a cooling rack to cool slightly and stay crisp while you make the remaining quesadillas with the remaining ingredients. That’s all she wrote!
When it’s time to eat, slice the BBQ Chicken Quesadillas into wedges with a pizza cutter then serve with extra BBQ sauce for dipping (or ranch – MMM RANCH.) I hope you love this mouthwatering and easy weeknight dinner recipe! Enjoy!
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BBQ Chicken Quesadillas
Description
BBQ Chicken Quesadillas are simple and oh-so satisfying. This easy, cheesy dinner recipe comes together in minutes!
Ingredients
- 8 gluten-free tortillas (I like Mission or Siete brands)
- 2 large chicken breasts (1 - 1-1/4lb pre-cooked), cooked and shredded
- 8oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- gluten-free BBQ sauce
Directions
- Mix shredded chicken with BBQ sauce in a bowl then set aside.
- Heat a large, 12" skillet over medium heat then spray with nonstick spray. Place one tortilla in the bottom of the skillet then sprinkle on a thin layer of shredded cheese. Add 1/4 of the shredded BBQ chicken then add another thin layer of shredded cheese on top, followed by another tortilla. Saute until bottom tortilla is golden brown then flip and saute until golden brown on the second side. Carefully transfer quesadilla to a cooling rack to cool slightly while you cook the remaining quesadillas with remaining ingredients.
- Slice quesadillas with a pizza cutter then serve with extra BBQ sauce for dipping.
Notes
- This recipe is great to prep ahead of time! Shred cheese and cook/shred chicken a few days ahead of time then cook on demand.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Might I suggest for a speedier take to use a single folded over tortilla (make 2 for each person) lined up on a greased cookie sheet and oven grilled at a higher temp, flip and they are all ready at the same time, cut with a pizza cutter, decorate with your desired toppings and viola dinner is served.
[…] BBQ Chicken Quesadillas […]
[…] Source: https://iowagirleats.com/2018/09/04/bbq-chicken-quesadillas/ […]
I have been looking to make mine more tasty so the kids will eat them. BBQ sauce what a fab idea.
These look so delicious! And I’m going to have to look for the avocado spray!
These look terrific! I’ve had success with making quesadillas with one tortilla, folded over the filling, and assembled ahead of time. Then it’s just a matter of cooking when you’re ready.
What a great recipe! I made these last night for my husband and 19-month old and was able to enjoy them myself even while nursing our 3-week old (?? One handed meals!). I made the chicken in the crockpot and threw in some diced peppers and onions so I could call them healthy ? These will definitely be a regular in our rotation. Thank you!
I sent my husband to work today with the Mojito fruit salad for their potlock. What a hit! Hy-Vee had yellow watermelon so I mixed two kinds of watermelon with strawberries and blackberries. The leaves were mojito mint from our own plant. (Which I bought just to have mint on hand for this recipe!) This has been my go to for potlucks for the last two years and everyone always loves it!! Thank you!!
Mission corn tortillas and Aldi’s gluten free wraps also make a great gluten free quesadillas. They are both affordable which is a nice bonus for anyone buying a lot of gluten free food. :)
Just wanted to recommend another tortilla. La Tortilla Factory makes one from Millet and Ivory Teff. We love it at my house. It also makes a great single serving pizza, but I recommend putting it on a pan with holes so that it gets a little crispy while baking.
I’ll try that one, Rosemarie! I tried a LTF GF tortilla a few years and didn’t like the aftertaste but I can’t remember which one it was. I’ll give this one a try though.
Make your life even easier – BAKE your quesadillas instead of pan frying them one at a time. Let the filling cool just a bit. Put half the filling into a tortilla and fold it over. Place assembled quesadillas on an oil-sprayed sheet pan and liberally spray the tops. Bake at 425 for about 8 minutes. Flip, spray side 2, and 8 minutes more. All done at once! Total game changer. Got the idea from https://www.recipetineats.com/oven-baked-chicken-quesadillas/
LOVE this idea – so hands off! I’ll give it a try. Thanks for passing on!
Oh this looks so good! Thanks for reminiding me to make quesadillas (oh and I will definitely try these1).
Ugh they’re so good – I need to make them more often!
I’ve been making a BBQ pork version of this since you shared it back in 2010. Add in some caramelized onions and it’s so delicious!
Sounds delicious! Yes, caramelized onions really take them over the top! ?
I have been looking for a simple yet delicious quesadilla recipe this week and I have just found it! Thank you so much, can’t wait to make these!
I hope you love them, Kelly!
YUM! So simple and delicious!
Exactly! :)
Thanks for sharing! I look into the ingredients for the Mission Gluten Free Tortillas and don’t think will get them, ingredients are a bit too long! Have you tried “Spinach Wrap” from http://rawwraps.org/? Looks like a good option (natural ingredients) for gluten free
Also, found the avocado spray at Amazon since we are not Costco member! https://amzn.to/2NMHn0b
Thanks for sharing those links, Grace!
I have 3 kids and all I do is make food and clean up dishes, I swear! I actually just signed up for a local meal delivery service- for my first meal today. Same price at blue apron but it is delivered to your door cooked! I am so excited to not have to make dinner during our crazy sports season!
Dinner delivered to your door? INTO IT. ?
What type of vegan cheese do you use for Lincoln? I recently had to go dairy free while breastfeeding because my baby is not tolerating dairy. I’ve done ok with the change but have been afraid to try dairy free cheese as I’m sure it’s nothing like the real thing!
We use Daiya brand cheddar for this recipe and my Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Rice Skillet (https://iowagirleats.com/2017/12/12/cheesy-ham-and-broccoli-rice-skillet/) and mozzarella for homemade pizza night. Lincoln likes it because he’s never known what real cheese tastes like. Switching to vegan cheese after being able to eat realy cheese though would be a tough sell unfortunately. :/
Do you know if a bbq sauce that is low sugar or sweetened with homey or agave?
Check Tessemae’s BBQ sauce – I think it might be sweetened with just honey!
Been here since the OG days of you sharing these!??♀️❤️
Love it! Thank you so much, Donna!