Chicken Avocado Quesadilla (Printable Version)

Spiced grilled chicken paired with creamy avocado mash and melted Monterey Jack cheese in a crispy tortilla.

# What You 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 Steps:

01 - Preheat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat.
02 - In a bowl, combine olive oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Toss chicken breasts thoroughly to coat evenly.
03 - Grill chicken for 5-6 minutes per side until internal temperature reaches 165°F and juices run clear. Remove from heat and rest for 5 minutes before slicing 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. Spread generous layer of avocado mash on half of each tortilla. Top with sliced chicken, red onion, and cheese. Fold tortillas in half to enclose filling.
06 - Heat 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 quesadillas from skillet, let cool slightly, then cut each into wedges. Serve warm.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The contrast between warm, crispy tortilla and cool avocado mash is completely addictive.
  • It uses simple pantry spices to make chicken taste like it came from a taqueria.
  • You can have dinner on the table in less than 40 minutes, even on a weeknight.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully in a dry skillet, staying crispy instead of soggy.
02 -
  • Don't skip resting the chicken after grilling, cutting it too soon makes all the juices run out and leaves the meat dry.
  • Medium heat is key when cooking the quesadillas, too high and the tortilla burns before the cheese melts.
  • Use ripe avocados that give slightly when pressed, unripe ones won't mash properly and taste bland.
03 -
  • Press down gently on the quesadilla with a spatula while cooking to help the cheese melt evenly and bond everything together.
  • Slice the chicken thinly against the grain so it's tender and easy to bite through without pulling the filling out.
  • Spread the avocado mash all the way to the edges so every bite has that creamy richness.
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