Easiest Baked Chicken Quesadillas
on Jan 13, 2020, Updated Dec 22, 2023
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When you are making quesadillas for a crowd, baking them is the way to go. These are super cheesy and flavorful and stuffed full of great things.
Sometimes baking quesadillas in the oven is just the way to go — you can make a lot at once, great for serving a crowd for game day, movie night, or another type of gathering. Brushing them before baking with a bit of oil helps them become nicely browned and flavorful, similar to those cooked in a pan. And baking quesadillas is ridiculously easy.
Spicy Salsa Verde or Salsa Ranchera would be perfect companions to these straightforward chicken quesadillas. If you are serving them for a meal, pairing them with Southwestern Black Bean and Corn Salad, Modern Three Bean Salad, or Cowboy Caviar would also be terrific.
Table of Contents
Baked Chicken Quesadillas Ingredients
With tortillas and a few filling ingredients, you can pull off this Baked Chicken Quesadillas recipe.
- Rotisserie or other cooked chicken – Use any cooked chicken that is seasoned simply. I’d recommend making a simple roast chicken the night before and using the leftovers for this.
- Olives – These are optional as some families don’t like them, but mine loves them!
- Chili powder – Adds a little warm spice.
- Cheese – You can use Mexican shredded cheese, shredded Monterey Jack, shredded Pepper Jack cheese, or half cheddar and half Jack.
- Flour tortillas – I like flour tortillas for quesadillas because they stay flexible longer.
- Olive oil – Gets brushed onto the tortillas to help them crisp up in the oven.
How to Bake Quesadillas
- Prepare the pan: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil, and spray with nonstick spray.
- Make the filling: Combine the shredded chicken, chili powder, and cheese in a large bowl. Some chopped olives are optional.
- Assemble: Brush a tortilla with olive oil, and place it oil side down on a cutting board. Distribute ⅛ of the chicken/cheese mixture over half of the tortilla. Flip the bare half of the tortilla over the filling and place it on the prepared sheet pan.
- Repeat: Repeat the previous steps with the rest of the tortillas and the rest of the filling.
- Bake: Bake the quesadillas for 5 minutes, then carefully flip the tortillas with a large spatula and bake for another 8 to 10 minutes, until the top is browned and crispy.
- Serve: Remove the quesadillas, let them sit on a cutting board for 2 minutes, then cut each half-moon quesadilla into three wedges.
Make Ahead and Reheating
- If you want, you can then cover the quesadillas with plastic wrap and refrigerate them for several hours before baking them — a good make-ahead appetizer.
- Leftover quesadillas can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days and then reheated on a baking sheet in a 300-degree oven for 5 to 7 minutes until warmed through.
FAQs
As a main course, I almost always serve quesadillas with a simple salad, like Romaine Salad with Queso Fresco or Caesar Salad or a straightforward crunchy green lettuce salad. A bean salad or a simply cooked vegetable is also a good pairing.
When you bake your quesadillas, it can be slightly harder to get them crispy. Brush the tortillas with oil before baking to help them brown rather than dry out. Also, make sure to flip the quesadillas partway through baking because the two sides will cook unevenly otherwise and fail to get crispy on both sides.
What to Serve With Baked Chicken Quesadillas
More Quesadilla Recipes
- Overstuffed Chicken and Vegetable Quesadillas
- Cheesy Ground Beef Quesadillas
- Vegetable Quesadillas
- Spinach, Mushroom and Chicken Quesadillas
- Breakfast Quesadillas
Easiest Baked Chicken Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded rotisserie (or other simply cooked chicken)
- ½ cup roughly chopped olives (optional)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 cups (8 ounces) Mexican shredded cheese, or shredded Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese, or half cheddar and half Jack
- 8 8-inch flour tortillas
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Guacamole or diced avocados, sour cream, salsa, and lime wedges (to serve, if desired)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil, and spray with nonstick spray.
- Combine the chicken, olives (if using), chili powder, and cheese in a large bowl. Brush a tortilla with olive oil, and place it oil side down on a cutting board. Distribute ⅛ of the chicken/cheese mixture over half of the tortilla. Flip the bare half of the tortilla over the filling and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas and the rest of the filling.
- Bake the quesadillas for 5 minutes, then carefully flip the tortillas with a large spatula and bake for another 8 to 10 minutes, until the top is browned and crispy. Remove the quesadillas, let them sit on a cutting board for 2 minutes, then cut each half-moon quesadilla into three wedges.
- Serve hot with guacamole, salsa, sour cream and lime wedges, as desired.
Notes
- You can cover the quesadillas on the baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate them for several hours before baking them.
- Leftover quesadillas can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days and then reheated on a baking sheet in a 300-degree oven for 5 to 7 minutes until warmed through.
