Chicken and Spinach Quesadilla (Printer-Friendly)

Golden and crispy quesadilla with shredded chicken, wilted spinach, and melted mozzarella cheese. Quick, easy, and absolutely delicious.

# What You Need:

→ Filling

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
02 - 2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
03 - 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
06 - 1 clove garlic, minced
07 - ½ teaspoon salt
08 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
09 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

→ Assembly

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

# Directions:

01 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, sautéing for 2 minutes until fragrant.
02 - Add spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes until wilted. Incorporate chicken, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika, stirring to combine and heat through. Remove from heat.
03 - Wipe skillet clean. Place a tortilla on a flat surface. Sprinkle ¼ of the cheese evenly over half the tortilla, then top with ¼ of the chicken-spinach mixture. Fold tortilla in half. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
04 - Heat ½ tablespoon butter or olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Grill each quesadilla for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and cheese is melted.
05 - Remove quesadillas from heat and allow to cool slightly. Cut each quesadilla into wedges and serve warm.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It turns pantry odds and ends into something everyone actually wants to eat.
  • The spinach sneaks in without a fight, even with picky eaters.
  • You get that satisfying crunch on the outside and gooey cheese pull on the inside.
  • It comes together faster than ordering takeout and tastes twice as good.
02 -
  • Don't skip wiping the skillet clean before grilling, leftover spinach bits will burn and make the outside taste bitter.
  • If your heat is too high, the tortilla will scorch before the cheese melts, so keep it at medium and be patient.
  • Press down gently with your spatula while grilling to help the cheese glue everything together.
03 -
  • Use a cast iron skillet if you have one, it holds heat evenly and gives you the best golden crust.
  • Shred your own cheese instead of buying pre shredded, it melts smoother and tastes fresher.
  • Don't overfill the tortillas or they'll split open when you flip them, less is more here.
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