Chicken And Green Chile Quesadillas Recipe

The humble quesadilla is arguably one of the most versatile and customizable foods out there. You can keep things super simple and load a tortilla with nothing more than your favorite cheese, or you can get more creative and incorporate various meats, vegetables, and sauces. Recipe developer Julianne De Witt opts for a more creative yet still classic approach to the iconic Mexican fare with her chicken and green chile quesadilla recipe, one that she notes "is easy to prepare and can be on the table in under half an hour."

Thanks to this recipe's ease of preparation, De Witt also highlights the fact that it works just as well for lunch as it does for a busy weeknight dinner. Shredded chicken breasts, Oaxaca cheese, red bell pepper, and canned green chiles make up the bulk of the quesadilla, though you can easily incorporate other goodies into the mix depending on preference. Serving the quesadillas is where things get even more exciting, with the opportunity for various dips, sauces, and sides being practically endless. "I like to serve chicken quesadillas with pico de gallo and sour cream or guacamole on the side," De Witt says, but it would also be good with salsa verde, and if you want to up the spice level, serve it with your favorite hot sauce.

To make these quesadillas, you'll need flour tortillas, chicken breasts, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and salt for seasoning, and avocado oil to cook the chicken. You'll also need epazote, a type of Central American herb, along with red bell pepper, canned green chiles, and Oaxaca cheese for the filling. On the side, you may wish to serve the quesadillas with lime wedges and fresh cilantro, along with any dips, sauces, or condiments of choice.

Mix the garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and salt together.

Sprinkle the spices over both sides of chicken breast.

Place the oil in a frying pan over medium high heat.

Cook the chicken on one side until browned, approximately 5 minutes.

Flip the chicken and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 F, approximately 5 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and rest for 2 minutes.

Shred the chicken breasts.

Place a tortilla in a pan over medium heat.

Add ¼ of the chicken to one side of the tortilla.

Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon epazote over the chicken.

Top with ¾ cup Oaxaca.

Add the red pepper and green chiles.

Close the tortilla and cook for approximately 3 minutes until the tortilla is lightly browned.

Flip the quesadilla and cook for 3 minutes more or until the cheese has melted.

Remove the quesadilla and slice into 3 pieces.

Repeat with remaining quesadillas and serve.

Those very familiar with Mexican and Central American cooking will be aware of epazote, but even if you're not, there's a good chance you can easily imagine what it tastes like. "Epazote is an herb native to Central America and used in everyday cooking in southern Mexico," De Witt explains. "Its flavor can be compared to oregano with hints of citrus and mint." She notes that, like most herbs, you can buy it fresh or dried, though dried is more readily available. If you do find fresh and opt to use that, she also notes that a little bit goes a long way and that fresh epazote does have a rather strong flavor, so use it sparingly. Finally, De Witt also advises adding the herb towards the end of the cooking time, as the flavor doesn't hold up super well in longer, more intensive cooking times.

Though you should be able to find at least dried epazote in most Mexican grocery stores, don't fret if you aren't able to quite pinpoint the herb. Since it's comparable to oregano, you can simply swap that in instead, or you can just omit the herb entirely and go heavy on the cilantro garnish so your quesadilla still has a strong, herbaceous flavor profile.

Originating in Oaxaca, Mexico, Oaxaca cheese is very popular in Mexican cuisine, and particularly in quesadillas since it offers a mild but tasty flavor profile and melts very easily. De Witt describes Oaxaca cheese as "a stringy, semi-firm cow's milk cheese with a lightly salty buttery flavor, somewhat like mozzarella cheese." De Witt also notes that Oaxaca often comes knotted "to preserve its taste and elasticity," though you may also find it shredded or even in the shape of a ball — also similar to fresh mozzarella.

Thanks to its lovely flavor profile, melty quality, and ties to Mexican cuisine, Oaxaca is a natural choice when it comes to making a quesadilla. That said, if you aren't able to find it or have other cheeses that you want to use up, there are other options to get the job done. Shredded mozzarella and Monterey Jack are both great options, offering up a similar flavor profile to Oaxaca along with a similar look and melting quality. You can also opt for a different flavor profile entirely, and go with something like cheddar or pepper Jack, but just make sure you use a cheese that will melt in a similar fashion to Oaxaca so your quesadilla has that necessary "glue" to hold it together.