Quesadilla is a quick-cooking Mexican snack that consists of tortillas folded in half (wheat or corn), fried in a frying pan, stuffed with vegetables, meat or poultry. A necessary component of the quesadilla filling is cheese. And the best cheese is the one that melts efficiently. The main difference from similar dishes - burritos or enchiladas - is that the tortilla is folded in half, and the filling is not wrapped in it.
Classic recipe
Chicken quesadilla, the recipe for which is affordable and appetizing, turns out to be very aromatic and tasty, and dietary meat in combination with vegetables is suitable even for those who are watching their figure and counting calories.
What ingredients will you need?
To prepare a classic Mexican tortilla you will need the following set of ingredients:
Tortilla | Corn flour | 120 g |
Wheat flour | 120 g | |
Vegetable oil | 2 tbsp. l. | |
Hot drinking water | 120 ml | |
Salt | 0.5 tsp | |
Filling | Chicken fillet | 0.5 kg |
Fresh tomatoes | 2 pcs. | |
bell pepper | 1 PC. | |
Garlic cloves | 1-2 pcs. | |
Hard grated cheese | 150 g | |
Salt in a mixture of ground peppers | 1 tsp. |
Step-by-step cooking process
To make corn tortillas you will need to prepare the dough:
- Combine sifted flour of both types with salt and add hot water with refined sunflower oil, knead the dough until smooth and homogeneous, wrap in a plastic bag and leave for half an hour for better elasticity.
- Meanwhile, you can fry small pieces of chicken fillet until tender in a hot frying pan with a little oil, salt and ground pepper.
- Washed sweet bell peppers must be freed from seeds and stalks, then cut into small cubes and fried in a hot frying pan until soft.
- Next, you need to add chopped garlic and spices to the pepper, continue frying over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- The pulp of fresh tomatoes must be grated to simultaneously remove the skin from the fruit, and also placed in a frying pan to evaporate excess liquid and thicken the sauce.
- Now you need to divide the dough into 6 equal parts and roll each one between sheets of parchment paper into a very thin layer with a diameter of about 20 cm.
- Then all the pieces should be fried one by one very quickly in a dry frying pan on both sides until golden brown marks appear, without overdrying the cakes so that they do not break when bent.
- The fried flatbreads should be stacked and covered with a clean towel. If the quesadilla will not be cooked right away, then the cooled tortillas must be transferred to a bag and put in the refrigerator.
- To assemble the dish, you need to completely cool all the components of the filling, after which you can put grated cheese on half the tortilla, then lay out the pieces of fried chicken, and then evenly distribute the vegetable sauce. Fold the other half of the cake over and press lightly.
What can I add?
Hot chili peppers are traditionally added to vegetable sauce. Chicken fillet can be boiled or baked, which will reduce the calorie content and make the dish even more dietary. When assembling the flatbread, you can add finely chopped green or sweet onion rings, olives, and sweet corn kernels. You can add grated cheese again on top of the laid out filling.
Rules for serving dishes, decoration
Before serving, quesadilla must be fried in a dry frying pan or grill so that the tortilla dries and browns, the cheese inside melts, and the filling warms up slightly. Then the dish can be placed on a plate, cut into 3-4 parts and served with additional salsa, guacamole or sour cream with herbs and garlic.
How to cook Mexican quesadilla
Cut the chicken into cubes, add salt and pepper and fry in a frying pan in a small amount of oil.
Chop the onion and pepper.
We also fry the onions and peppers in a frying pan.
Open a jar of hot pickled jalapenos.
Then add a drop of oil to the pan and add the tortilla. Fry it on each side for 10 seconds. Then we do the same with the second tortilla.
First put the onion and pepper on the tortilla, then the chicken, peppers and the last layer is grated cheese.
Cover it with the second tortilla and press it down with a spatula. It is important not to burn the tortilla, so reduce the heat to low. Then we do a difficult maneuver - flip the quesadilla. Warm it up a little and put it on a plate.
We perform this maneuver three times (6 tortillas in total). Then we cut it and serve it with some tasty sauce. For example, with pesto or salsa sauce. Bon appetit!
Spicy Mexican quesadilla
Chicken quesadilla (the recipe for traditional Mexican fast food is not difficult to prepare, and the spicy, aromatic vegetable sauce in the filling emphasizes the juiciness of the meat and the crispy tortilla) is great for both a family lunch and a picnic.
Preparation next.
What ingredients will you need?
To prepare the national Mexican sandwich you will need:
- 6 pcs. corn tortilla;
- 200 g chicken breast;
- 150 g grated hard cheese;
- 1 hot chili pepper;
- 50 g canned cholopeno pepper;
- 3-4 cloves of garlic;
- 2 onions;
- 2 sweet bell peppers of different colors;
- 3 tbsp. l. vegetable oil;
- 4 tbsp. l. tomato paste;
- 2 fresh tomatoes;
- 50 g ground smoked paprika;
- 0.5 tsp. freshly ground black pepper;
- 20 g ground cumin;
- 2 tbsp. l. lemon juice.
Step-by-step cooking process
The cooking process does not take much time:
- The peeled onion must be fried together with cloves of garlic in a deep frying pan until light golden brown.
- Then add the diced chicken breast, chili pepper and canned jalopeño pepper to the pan, stirring, continue frying over high heat until golden brown.
- In parallel with this process, you can bake whole sweet bell peppers in the oven until lightly charred, then remove seeds and stems, chop the flesh and add to the frying pan with the chicken.
- After this, you need to add tomato paste, salt and spices to the remaining ingredients, mix everything thoroughly, reduce the heat and bring to readiness.
- Now you need to prepare the sauce for serving. To do this, you need to finely chop fresh tomatoes without skin, an onion with garlic, add chopped jalopeño pepper, Tobasco, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and spices.
- To assemble the quesadilla, place grated cheese on half of the tortilla, then spread the filling over it, cover with the other half of the tortilla, and fry the dish in a dry frying pan.
Rules for serving dishes, decoration
The finished quesadilla should be transferred to plates, divided into pieces, served with chilled salsa and leafy green salad.
Quesadilla stuffed with chicken, avocado and cheese
This dish is quite elegant and contains avocado and red onion. This quesadilla can be served at the holiday table as an appetizer or a full meal.
Ingredients:
- avocado – 2 medium-sized fruits;
- Gouda or Cheddar cheese - 300-350 grams;
- chicken breast – 400 grams;
- tortillas – pack of 4 pieces;
- red onion – 1 piece;
- chili - 1 piece;
- tomatoes, tomato paste – 3 pieces (200-250 ml);
- lemon or lime – 1 fruit;
- garlic – 2 cloves;
- greens - to your taste;
- vegetable oil for frying:
- spices.
Approximate cooking time: 30 – 40 minutes.
Calorie content: about 190 kcal per 100 grams of dish.
Cooking method:
- Cut the breasts into cubes and fry well in olive oil;
- Peel the avocado, mince it, grind it in a blender or simply cut it, and then sprinkle with lime or lemon juice to prevent it from darkening;
- Chop the chili pepper very finely. Bring the tomatoes to a homogeneous mass, removing the skins. Mix avocado, tomatoes, pepper in a blender, adding a clove of garlic. Season and add salt, finely chop the red onion and mix with the resulting sauce;
- Pour the sauce over the meat and bring to a boil, add herbs;
- Carry out the remaining steps according to the already known scheme - prepare a tortilla sprinkled with cheese, lay out the filling and beautifully fry the quesadilla.
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Mexican flatbread with chicken and mushrooms
Chicken quesadilla (the recipe can be varied by adding mushrooms) is a tasty dietary dish that can satisfy hunger for a long time and keep you feeling full.
Chicken quesadilla. Mexican tortilla recipe with mushrooms.
Preparation next.
What ingredients will you need?
For a hearty snack or light dinner you will need a set of available products:
- 6 pcs. tortillas;
- 300 g chicken fillet;
- 150-200 g champignons;
- 100 g grated hard cheese;
- 1 onion;
- 1 fresh tomato;
- 1 sweet bell pepper;
- 3-4 cloves of garlic;
- hot hot pepper to taste;
- 0.5 tsp. salt;
- 0.5 tsp. freshly ground black pepper;
- 1 bunch of fresh herbs.
Step-by-step cooking process
To prepare this hearty and tasty dish, you need to wash and peel all the vegetables:
- The onion, cut into small cubes, needs to be fried in vegetable oil until transparent.
- Then you can add fresh champignons cut into thin slices into the pan and continue frying, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has completely evaporated.
- After this, you can salt the mushrooms and onions, and then place a straw of sweet bell pepper.
- After 3-5 minutes. You can add chicken meat cut into small pieces to the vegetables, add salt and pepper, and fry for 5-7 minutes. over high heat, stirring constantly.
- After this, you need to add chopped garlic, hot pepper and spices to the chicken and fry for 1-2 minutes.
- Next, pour all the ingredients in the frying pan with chopped fresh tomato pulp, mix thoroughly and reduce the heat, simmer until tender. The sauce should thicken.
- At the end, you need to add chopped herbs, cover the dish with a lid and cool.
- Next, you should form the quesadilla with grated cheese and prepared filling.
What can I add?
You can also successfully use frozen, canned champignons or wild mushrooms. Instead of tomato sauce, in this case you can pour the ingredients with sour cream, which will give the filling a more delicate and mild taste.
Rules for serving dishes, decoration
Before serving the dish, the flatbreads should be fried on the grill or in a dry frying pan to melt the cheese. Serve the quesadillas immediately, cutting each into several pieces. You can use mayonnaise as a sauce.
Mexican flatbread with guacamole
Chicken quesadilla (recipe can be adjusted to taste based on available ingredients) pairs harmoniously with traditional avocado sauce.
Preparation next.
What ingredients will you need?
To prepare this national Mexican dish you will need the following set of ingredients:
The basis | Corn tartilla | 6 pcs. |
Cured chicken meat | 350 g | |
Grated hard cheese | 200 g | |
Filler | bell pepper | 1 PC. |
Canned Sweet Corn | 100 g | |
Fresh tomato | 2 pcs. | |
Guacamole | Avocado | 1 PC. |
Lime | 1 PC. | |
Shallot | 1 PC. | |
Olive oil | 1 tbsp. l. | |
Green cilantro | 3 pcs. | |
Chilli | 0.5 pcs. | |
Salt | 0.5 tsp. |
Step-by-step cooking process
To prepare this bright and beautiful dish, you will need to prepare all the vegetables, wash and peel them:
- You will need to remove the pit from the avocado, transfer the pulp into a deep small bowl and mash with a fork until pureed, then squeeze out the lime juice and mix thoroughly so that the color does not change.
- Next, you need to chop the cilantro, chili pepper and shallots, add avocado puree, season with salt, spices and olive oil, mix all the ingredients well again.
- Now you should cut fresh tomatoes into thin slices, drain off the excess juice, add chopped bell peppers and corn without liquid, sprinkle everything with olive oil and salt, pepper and mix.
- Smoked chicken meat must be cut into small pieces.
Now you can form a quesadilla by placing grated cheese on half of the tortilla, then vegetable filling, place pieces of smoked chicken meat on top and pour guacamole sauce over everything, cover with the other half of the tartilla.
What can I add?
You can add more fresh herbs or prepare a leaf salad, which will perfectly emphasize the freshness of this light dish.
Rules for serving dishes, decoration
The quesadilla must be fried in a dry frying pan until the cheese melts. Serve cut into small triangular segments with guacamole or salsa.
Mexican appetizer with beans and corn
This chicken quesadilla recipe can be made even more satisfying and nutritious by adding canned corn and beans to the filling.
Preparation next.
What ingredients will you need?
A complete Mexican-style dinner can be prepared with the following ingredients:
- 3 chicken breasts;
- 100 g hard grated cheese;
- 1 can of canned beans in tomato sauce;
- 1 can canned sweet corn;
- 1 bunch of fresh parsley;
- 1 onion;
- 2 sweet bell peppers;
- 6 tortillas;
- 3 tbsp. l. spicy tomato sauce;
- 5-6 cloves of garlic;
- 0.5 tsp. ground paprika;
- 0.5 tsp. mixture of freshly ground peppers;
- 1 pinch of salt.
Step-by-step cooking process
To prepare quesadillas, you will need to wash and peel the vegetables:
- The onion with garlic must be chopped and fried in a deep frying pan until light golden brown.
- Then you can add finely chopped chicken meat to the pan, pepper and salt. Fry, stirring, over high heat until golden brown.
- Then cut the sweet bell pepper into thin strips and fry it until soft over medium heat, stirring along with the other ingredients.
- Then you can mix the prepared filling with canned corn and beans, add hot tomato sauce and ground paprika, and then chopped herbs, heat and turn off the heat.
- Sprinkle half of the tortilla evenly with grated cheese, then lay out a thick layer of filling, sprinkle more cheese on top and cover with the other half of the tortilla.
What can I add?
You can make your own spicy tomato sauce using fresh or canned tomatoes with chili peppers, onions and garlic. Quesadillas can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for several days, reheating as needed in the microwave or oven.
Rules for serving dishes, decoration
Before serving, the tortillas must be fried in a dry, hot frying pan so that the cheese melts. You can serve quesadillas with vegetable salad and tomato sauce.
Chicken quesadilla classic recipe
Ingredients:
- Onion – 1 head
- Chicken fillet – 1 pc.
- White cheddar cheese – 50 gr.
- Tortillas – 2 pcs.
- Tomato paste – 100 gr.
General information:
- Cooking time: 30 minutes;
- Number of servings 6.
Cooking method:
- Prepare the required ingredients. First you need to finely chop the onion and fry it until light golden brown in a small amount of oil. Transfer to a bowl.
- Cut the chicken fillet into thin cubes (no more than 1 cm thick) and fry in olive oil over high heat for 2 minutes, stirring. Add tomato paste, pepper and salt, stir, keep on fire for another half a minute and transfer the meat to the onion.
- Grate the cheese on a coarse grater. This could be cheddar, parmesan, gouda, or other hard or semi-hard cheese.
- Place one tortilla in a hot, dry frying pan and sprinkle with a layer of cheese. Place a layer of filling on top of the cheese and another layer of cheese on top. Then cover with the second tortilla.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes, then carefully flip and cook on the other side for another 1-2 minutes. Cut the quesadilla into four pieces. Serve hot.
Quesadilla with chicken and beans
This savory Mexican appetizer can be made with an interesting sauce made from roasted vegetables and refried beans.
Preparation next.
What ingredients will you need?
For this hearty and tasty dish you will need the following ingredients:
- 6-8 pcs. wheat or corn tortilla;
- 150 g grated hard cheese;
- 2 chicken breasts;
- 3-4 fresh tomatoes;
- 2 sweet bell peppers;
- 1 can of canned beans;
- 3 tbsp. l. olive oil;
- 1 onion;
- 5 cloves of garlic;
- 1 tsp. ground chili pepper;
- 2 tsp. ground black pepper;
- 1 tsp. paprika;
- 2 bunches of fresh herbs.
Step-by-step cooking process
First you need to boil the chicken breast in a small amount of water with seasonings and salt.
Then you need to remove the meat and cut it into pieces, and strain the broth:
- Washed tomatoes and peppers must be baked in the oven or on the grill until light charring spots form on the skin, then the vegetables must be removed, the skins removed, the seeds and stalks discarded, the pulp crushed and poured with olive oil, salt, chopped garlic, herbs and spices.
- In a deep frying pan, heat a little olive oil and fry the chopped onion until tender, then add chopped garlic and ground chili pepper, add salt and stir.
- After this, you need to add canned beans with chicken broth and cook for 10-15 minutes, then mash the beans and add chopped herbs.
- Now you can start assembling the quesadilla by placing some cheese on half of the tortilla, then spreading 1 tbsp. l. paste from fried beans, lay out pieces of boiled chicken and pour over spicy sauce from baked vegetables, again put a little grated cheese on top, cover with the other half of the tortilla.
Rules for serving dishes, decoration
Before serving, quesadillas need to be fried on both sides, then cut into small portions and placed on a plate. You can serve stuffed flatbreads with various hot sauces, fresh herbs and sour cream.
Quesadilla with mushrooms and cheese
Ingredients:
- 8 tortillas;
- 1 tbsp. l. olive oil;
- 2 finely chopped tomatoes;
- 300 g chopped champignons;
- 1–2 cloves of garlic;
- 250 g grated Gouda, Emmental or cheddar cheese;
- 4 chopped green onions;
- salt pepper.
General information:
- Cooking time: 25 minutes;
- Number of servings 8.
Cooking method:
- Add garlic and mushrooms to heated oil in a frying pan and cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, salt, pepper and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer to a plate and cool slightly.
- Then place part of the mushroom filling, cheese on half of each tortilla, sprinkle with green onions and cover with the other half of the tortilla.
- In heated oil in a frying pan, fry the quesadillas on both sides (1-2 minutes each) until “scorched” and the cheese melts.
Quesadilla with chicken and pineapple
A spicy, spicy appetizer with a classic combination of fresh pineapple, juicy chicken and delicate melted cheese will be appropriate for a family dinner or a holiday table.
Preparation next.
What ingredients will you need?
For this dish you will need the following ingredients:
- 8 tortillas;
- 200 g hard grated cheese;
- 3 pcs. chicken fillet;
- 0.5 pcs. fresh pineapple;
- 3 tbsp. l. spicy tomato sauce;
- 0.5 tsp. freshly ground black pepper;
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika;
- 1 tbsp. l. soy sauce;
- 1 bunch of fresh herbs.
Step-by-step cooking process
The preparation of the dish begins with marinating the chicken in soy sauce and spices:
- Meanwhile, cut fresh peeled pineapple into thin long slices and grill, then cool and cut into small pieces.
- Then you need to grill the marinated chicken fillet until cooked, also cut into small pieces and season with spicy tomato sauce with ground paprika and pepper.
- After this, you need to chop the greens and also add them to the chicken.
- To assemble the quesadilla, you need to put cheese on half of the tortilla, distribute chicken with sauce and pineapple pieces on top, and then sprinkle with cheese again, cover with the other half of the tortilla and press down a little.
Before serving, fry the dish on both sides until golden brown and crispy.
What can I add?
You can add rings of hot jalopeno pepper. You can also make your own tomato sauce according to your own taste.
Rules for serving dishes, decoration
The finished dish must be cut into portions and placed on a large beautiful plate. You can decorate it with pieces of fresh pineapple and green leaves.
Chicken quesadilla
Ingredients:
- Tortillas – 4 pcs.
- Chicken breasts – 3 pcs.
- Red beans – 200 gr.
- Corn – 100 gr.
- Bell pepper – 1 piece.
- Tomato – 1 pc.
- Parsley.
- Mexican spices.
- Guacamole (avocado, lemon juice, salt, olive oil).
- Sour cream.
- Cheddar cheese.
General information:
- Cooking time: 30 minutes;
- Number of servings 4.
Cooking method:
- First you need to fry the chicken in a small amount of vegetable oil in small pieces. Add spices to the chicken, spiciness to your taste.
- In a frying pan with vegetable oil, fry the bell pepper, add beans, corn, tomato, parsley, maybe chili pepper, salt and sugar to taste.
- Place a tortilla in a dry cast-iron frying pan, sprinkle with grated cheese, put vegetables, chicken, and more cheese on top, cover with a second slice, press down slightly. Place in a preheated oven for 8–10 minutes at 170 degrees.
- Prepare guacamole: mix peeled avocado, a little lemon juice, salt, and olive oil in a processor (check the amount according to the ripeness of the avocado).
- Place the quesadilla and cut into sections. Serve with sour cream and guacamole, which takes the edge off. Bon appetit!
Useful tips and tricks
Mexican quesadillas are usually assembled on a corn or wheat tortilla, which can be purchased at the supermarket and replaced with thin pita or pita bread if necessary. If desired, such flatbreads are not very difficult to make yourself, but it is recommended to use half the proportions of wheat and corn flour.
Adviсe:
- An essential component of the dish is hard cheese, which must be grated. Strongly flavored varieties such as cheddar are recommended, but you can also find options with mozzarella.
- You can take any type of cheese. The main condition is that it melts well. This is required by the cooking process so that the filling components do not disintegrate in the finished dish. Therefore, it is especially important to pay attention to the edges of the flatbread so that they stick together well during frying, then the juicy filling will not fall out of the dough envelope.
- You can make your own salsa and guacamole to top your quesadillas and store any leftovers in the refrigerator for about a week.
- It is also recommended to add a lot of different greens, cilantro, parsley, dill and basil to the filling in different quantities and combinations, this gives the dish a spicy taste and aroma.
- The dish responds very well to the addition of garlic and hot pepper, and is also friendly with various spices, especially ground sweet or smoked paprika.
- In addition to traditional Mexican sauces, quesadillas can be served with spicy tomato ketchup, mayonnaise, sour cream with herbs and garlic, or yogurt with mustard.
- It is recommended to fry the dish only in a dry frying pan or grill, but you can experiment with butter.
- You can add juicy pieces of fried bacon or smoked sausage to the chicken, which will give the dish an additional new taste and aroma.
- You can also serve the dish with pieces of fresh vegetables, green leaf lettuce, onions, celery stalks, baked asparagus or boiled green beans.
Recipes for Mexican quesadillas with juicy chicken and vegetables are very diverse, but all the options are quite simple to prepare, and the finished dish is very filling and tasty, and in most cases also low in calories, so it’s worth including it in your diet instead of traditional or hot sandwiches .