Chicken and Spinach Quesadilla (Print Version)

Golden quesadilla with shredded chicken, fresh spinach, and melted mozzarella. A quick 30-minute main dish perfect for any occasion.

# What You Need:

→ For the Filling

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
02 - 2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
03 - 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
06 - 1 clove garlic, minced
07 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
08 - 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
09 - 0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika

→ For 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, sautéing for 2 minutes until fragrant.
02 - Add spinach to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes until wilted. Stir in chicken, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika until combined and heated through. Transfer to a bowl.
03 - Wipe the skillet clean. Place a tortilla on a flat surface and sprinkle one quarter of the cheese over half the tortilla. Top with one quarter of the chicken-spinach mixture and fold in half. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
04 - Heat 0.5 tablespoon butter or olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Grill each quesadilla for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and cheese is melted.
05 - Remove quesadillas from heat and let cool briefly. Cut each quesadilla into wedges and serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It takes less than half an hour from start to finish, which means dinner can happen even on your most chaotic evenings.
  • The mozzarella gets perfectly gooey without being greasy, and the spinach sneaks in some greens without tasting like a salad.
  • You can make it with leftover rotisserie chicken or whatever cooked protein is sitting in your fridge.
02 -
  • If your heat is too high, the tortilla will burn before the cheese melts, so keep it at medium and give it time.
  • Wipe the skillet between batches to avoid burnt bits that make the next quesadilla taste bitter.
  • Don't overstuff the tortillas or they become impossible to flip without everything spilling out.
03 -
  • Press down gently with the spatula while grilling to help the cheese glue everything together.
  • Let the quesadilla rest for a minute after cooking so the cheese sets slightly and doesn't ooze out when you cut it.
  • Use kitchen shears instead of a knife for cleaner, faster cuts through the layers.
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