Chicken and Spinach Quesadilla (Printable)

Golden, crispy quesadilla with juicy chicken, tender spinach, and melted mozzarella—ready in just 30 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Filling

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
02 - 2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
03 - 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
06 - 1 clove garlic, minced
07 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
08 - 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
09 - 0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika

→ Assembly

10 - 4 large flour tortillas, 10-inch
11 - 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil for grilling

# How-To Steps:

01 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant.
02 - Add spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes until wilted. Add chicken, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Stir to combine and heat through. Remove from heat.
03 - Wipe skillet clean. Place a tortilla on a flat surface. Sprinkle one quarter of the cheese evenly over half the tortilla, then top with one quarter of the chicken-spinach mixture. Fold tortilla in half. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
04 - Heat 0.5 tablespoon butter or olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Grill each quesadilla for 2-3 minutes per side until golden and cheese is melted.
05 - Remove quesadillas from heat and let cool slightly. Cut each quesadilla into wedges and serve warm.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It rescues leftovers and wilting greens without tasting like leftovers at all.
  • You get that restaurant style crispy crust at home with just butter and patience.
  • It feels indulgent but sneaks in spinach and protein without anyone noticing.
  • The whole thing comes together faster than delivery and tastes twice as good.
02 -
  • Don't overfill the tortillas or they'll split when you flip them, less is more when it comes to keeping things tidy.
  • Medium heat is your sweet spot, too high and the outside burns before the cheese melts, too low and you lose that crispy texture.
  • Wipe the skillet between quesadillas to prevent burnt bits from sticking to the next one.
03 -
  • Press the quesadilla gently with the spatula while it cooks to help the cheese melt faster and bind everything together.
  • Use a pizza cutter to slice them into wedges quickly and cleanly without squishing the filling out.
  • If you're making a big batch, keep finished quesadillas warm in a 200°F oven on a baking sheet until you're ready to serve.
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