Smoky BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

Overview

These Smoky BBQ Chicken Quesadillas are the definition of comfort food made simple. Tender chicken breast is seasoned and cooked with smoky spices, then folded into golden flour tortillas with shallots, tangy BBQ sauce, and gooey mozzarella. Each quesadilla is crisped in butter and oil until perfectly golden, then finished with a drizzle of smoky red pepper crema and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro. Fast, cheesy, and crowd-pleasing, this is weeknight cooking at its best.

This recipe is inspired by HelloFresh, which we originally used to make this at home.

• Serves: 6
• Prep Time: ~5 minutes
• Cook Time: ~15 minutes

Estimated Calories & Sources

Ingredient	Quantity	Calories	Source
Organic Chicken Breast	30 oz (850 g)	~1,400 kcal	FatSecret
Mozzarella Cheese	3 cups (12 oz / 340 g)	~1,008 kcal	FatSecret
Flour Tortillas (large)	6 tortillas (12 oz / 340 g)	~720 kcal	FatSecret
Shallots	3 medium (150 g)	~60 kcal	FatSecret
Cilantro	¾ oz (20 g)	~7 kcal	FatSecret
BBQ Sauce	12 tbsp (9 oz / 255 g)	~495 kcal	Nutritionix
Smoky Red Pepper Crema	6 tbsp (3 oz / 85 g)	~300 kcal*	Estimated (varies by brand; sour cream + roasted red pepper base)
Fry Seasoning	3 tbsp (24 g)	~30 kcal	Estimated (varies by brand)
Olive Oil/Butter (for pan)	~3 tbsp total (42 g)	~360 kcal	FatSecret

Total (approx): 4,380 kcal
Per serving (6 servings): ~730 kcal

Ingredients

Produce

• 3 Shallots (finely diced)
• ¾ oz Cilantro (roughly chopped)

Pantry

• 6 Large Flour Tortillas
• 3 tbsp Fry Seasoning
• 12 tbsp BBQ Sauce
• 6 tbsp Smoky Red Pepper Crema
• Butter
• Cooking Oil / Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper

Dairy

• 3 cups Mozzarella Cheese

Protein

• 30 oz Organic Chicken Breast

Instructions

Step 1: Prep

1. Wash and dry all produce.
2. Halve, peel, and finely dice shallots.
3. Roughly chop cilantro.

Step 2: Cook Chicken

1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels.
2. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
3. Add chicken; season with fry seasoning, salt, and pepper.
4. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through (4–6 minutes).
5. Transfer chicken to a plate. Wipe out pan.

Step 3: Assemble Quesadillas

1. Place tortillas on a clean work surface.
2. Sprinkle half the mozzarella onto one side of each tortilla.
3. Top with chicken, shallot, BBQ sauce, and half the cilantro.
4. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.
5. Fold tortillas in half to seal.

Step 4: Pan-Sear Quesadillas

1. Heat a drizzle of oil and ½ tbsp butter in the same pan over medium heat.
2. Add quesadillas and cook until golden brown, 1–2 minutes per side.
3. Add more butter or oil as needed.
4. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate.

Step 5: Finish & Serve

1. Cut quesadillas into wedges.
2. Drizzle with smoky red pepper crema.
3. Garnish with remaining cilantro.
4. Serve warm.

Notes

• Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
• For extra crispy tortillas, lightly brush with oil before pan-searing.
• Adjust sweetness by using a tangier BBQ sauce if preferred.