Barbecued Chicken Quesadillas
on Jun 15, 2020, Updated Aug 27, 2023
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This is 100% worth saving some leftover cooked (or rotisserie!) chicken to make—so easy, super kid-friendly, and you can use bottled sauce and have them ready in minutes.
These quesadillas are an excellent use for leftover barbecued chicken or leftover barbecue sauce – and should you have both in the fridge? You are halfway there.
My favorite way to make quesadillas is in a pan with a tiny bit of butter or olive oil, and the directions for that are below in the recipe. But you can also grill them, and given the fact that these are barbecue themed, that’s a very nice option.
How to Cook Quesadillas on the Grill
Preheat the grill to medium.
Brush one side of all of the tortillas very lightly with vegetable oil. Place half of the tortillas on the grill, right on the grill grate, and watch it carefully until it turns golden brown on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes. A dark brown bubble here or there is fine.
Remove the tortillas and set them aside. Place the rest of the uncooked tortillas on a flat surface, oiled side down. Evenly sprinkle half of the cheese over the tortillas.
Distribute the sauced chicken evenly over the cheese covered tortillas. Distribute the rest of the cheese evenly over the chicken.
Place the cooked tortilla on top of the filling, browned side up. Carefully transfer the tortilla back to the grill and grill the quesadilla until the cheese is melted and the bottom tortilla is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Lower the heat, or even turn it off and let the tortillas sit in the still-hot grill with the lid covered if the bottom is browning too quickly. Remove the quesadillas to a cutting board. Let the quesadilla sit for a minute before you slice each into 6 wedges.
The Best Barbecued Chicken Quesadillas: This is 100% worth saving some leftover cooked (or rotisserie!) chicken to make – so easy, super kid-friendly, and you can use bottled sauce and have them ready in minutes.
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Barbecued Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas
You can use either home cooked chicken (try Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken!) or rotisserie chicken, no difference. And there are cheese choices to be made. I used a Mexican blend here, but you might choose a blend of fontina or Havarti and cheddar, or any shredded and/or crumbled cheese that feels like it would match up nicely with the barbecue flavors. And speaking of that – any barbecue sauce you like is fair game, again store-bought or homemade. We’re just trying to get quesadillas on the table!
What to Serve with Barbecued Chicken Quesadillas:
- Light Green Crunchy Salad
- Mexican Avocado, Corn and Three Bean Salad
- Sautéed Corn and Zucchini in Lemony Browned Butter
- Spicy Cole Slaw
- Asian Kohlrabi and Apple Slaw
Quesadilla Recipes:
- Beefy Chili Cheese Quesadillas
- Steak and Cheese Quesadillas
- Easiest Baked Chicken Quesadillas
- Cheesy Mushroom Quesadillas
- Cheesy Ground Beef and Vegetable Quesadillas
- Pulled Pork Quesadillas
- Chicken, Onion, and Mushroom Quesadillas
- Easy Rotisserie Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas
- Overstuffed Chicken and Vegetable Quesadillas
- Cheesy Ground Beef Quesadillas
- Vegetable Quesadillas
- Spinach, Mushroom and Chicken Quesadillas
- Breakfast Quesadillas
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Barbecued Chicken Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded chicken rotisserie or simply cooked is fine
- ½ cup chopped scallions white and green parts
- ½ cup barbecue sauce homemade or store-bought
- 4 teaspoons unsalted butter divided
- 8 flour tortillas 8-inch
- 3 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese or a combo of cheddar and Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack (12 ounces)
To Serve (Optional)
- Extra barbecue sauce
- Sour cream
- Salsa
Instructions
- Place the chicken, scallions and the barbecue sauce in a medium bowl and toss so that the chicken is nicely coated with the sauce.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add a half teaspoon of butter (or see above for grilling instructions). Place a tortilla in the pan. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the cheese over half of the quesadilla, and distribute 1/8 of the chicken mixture over the cheese. Top that with another 2 tablespoons of the shredded cheese. Flip the bare half of the tortilla over the filling, cover the pan, and sauté for about 2 minutes until the bottom is golden and the cheese has started to melt, then use a spatula to flip the half-moon quesadilla, and continue to cook, uncovered, until all of the cheese is melted and the underside is browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove the quesadilla to a cutting board and let the quesadilla sit for a minute before you slice into 2 or 3 wedges. Repeat until all of the quesadillas are cooked. Serve with barbecue sauce, salsa and sour cream, as desired.
