Tandoori Chicken Quesadilla (Print Version)

Spiced chicken combined with creamy sauce and melted cheese inside a crisp tortilla for a flavorful fusion meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Tandoori Chicken

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips
02 - 120 ml plain Greek yogurt
03 - 15 ml lemon juice
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1-inch piece ginger, grated
06 - 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
07 - 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
08 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
09 - 1 tsp garam masala
10 - 1/2 tsp turmeric
11 - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
12 - 1/2 tsp salt
13 - 15 ml vegetable oil

→ Yogurt Sauce

14 - 120 ml plain Greek yogurt
15 - 15 ml fresh cilantro, chopped
16 - 15 ml lemon juice
17 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
18 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ Quesadilla Assembly

19 - 4 large flour tortillas
20 - 170 g shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese
21 - 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
22 - 1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced
23 - Butter or oil for greasing pan

# How To Make It:

01 - Combine yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, paprika, garam masala, turmeric, cayenne, and salt in a bowl. Add chicken strips and toss to coat evenly. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes up to 2 hours.
02 - Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add marinated chicken and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until cooked through and slightly charred. Remove from heat.
03 - Whisk together yogurt, chopped cilantro, lemon juice, ground cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
04 - Place one tortilla on a flat surface. Sprinkle one quarter of the cheese over half the tortilla. Top with one quarter of the cooked chicken, red onion, and green bell pepper. Drizzle lightly with yogurt sauce. Fold tortilla in half. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
05 - Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat and grease lightly with butter or oil. Cook each quesadilla for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown and cheese is melted.
06 - Cut quesadillas into wedges and serve immediately with extra yogurt sauce on the side.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like you've been cooking all day, but you'll have it ready in under 35 minutes.
  • The tandoori spice is warm and complex without being overwhelming, and it plays beautifully with melted cheese.
  • Every bite has texture—crispy tortilla, tender chicken, fresh peppers, and that cooling yogurt sauce.
02 -
  • Don't skip the marinating step—it's what makes the chicken tender and infuses it with flavor that just fried chicken won't have.
  • If your tortillas are thin and fragile, they'll tear when you fold them; look for the sturdier ones in the back of the package.
  • The pan needs to be genuinely hot for the quesadilla to get crispy; if you cook it on low heat, it just steams and gets chewy.
03 -
  • If your chicken sticks to the pan, it's not ready to flip—let it sear undisturbed until it releases naturally.
  • Keep a spatula ready when cooking quesadillas because you want to catch that moment when they're golden but before they get dark and crispy to the point of brittleness.
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