Grilled Chicken Avocado Quesadilla (Print Version)

Grilled chicken, creamy avocado, and melted cheese wrapped in crispy tortillas. A satisfying Mexican-American main dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon cumin
05 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Avocado Mash

08 - 2 ripe avocados
09 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
10 - 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
11 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Assembly

12 - 4 large flour tortillas, 10-inch
13 - 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
14 - 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
15 - Cooking spray or olive oil for grilling

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat.
02 - In a bowl, toss chicken breasts with olive oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
03 - Grill chicken for 5-6 minutes per side until cooked through and juices run clear. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly.
04 - In a separate bowl, mash avocados with lime juice, cilantro, and salt until mostly smooth with some chunks remaining.
05 - Lay out tortillas. On half of each tortilla, spread a generous layer of avocado mash. Top with sliced chicken, red onion, and cheese. Fold tortillas in half to enclose the filling.
06 - Heat a large skillet over medium heat and lightly coat with cooking spray or olive oil. Cook quesadillas two at a time for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and cheese is melted.
07 - Remove from skillet, let cool slightly, then cut each quesadilla into wedges. Serve warm.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything comes together in about half an hour, so even weeknight chaos cant stop you.
  • The creamy avocado mash melts into the cheese and creates this luscious texture you cant get any other way.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully in a dry skillet, staying crispy instead of soggy.
  • You can prep the chicken and mash ahead, then assemble and cook whenever hunger hits.
02 -
  • Let the chicken rest after grilling or all the juices will run out onto your cutting board instead of staying in the meat.
  • Dont overfill the tortillas or theyll split when you flip them, I learned this the hard way with cheese oozing everywhere.
  • Cook over medium heat, not high, or the outside will burn before the cheese melts and you will be sad.
  • Press down gently with a spatula while cooking to help the cheese melt and the layers fuse together.
03 -
  • Use a cast iron skillet if you have one, it distributes heat evenly and gives the tortillas an incredible crispy texture.
  • Add a pinch of smoked paprika to the chicken seasoning for a subtle smoky depth that makes people ask what your secret is.
  • If your avocados are browning too fast, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the mash to keep air out.
  • Warm your tortillas for a few seconds in the microwave before assembling so they fold without cracking.
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