This seriously easy chicken quesadilla recipe is the perfect way to use up leftover chicken. Throw in some scallions, cilantro, and corn kernels, if you have them on hand, and enjoy a delicious cheesy dinner in minutes!

Ingredient notes:
- Leftover cooked chicken – I like to use boneless chicken breasts for this recipe. But this recipe is so versatile you can use any chicken leftovers you have on hand or other protein.
- Cheese – Pepper Jack cheese is a firm favorite. It’s a semi soft cheese studded with a combination of black pepper and hot chilli peppers. You can however use your cheese of choice anything from Gouda cheese to cheddar cheese works too.
- Tortillas – Traditionally corn tortillas are used but we like to use the wheat flour tortillas. You can buy them in 9- or 10-inch size.
- Corn – You can use both fresh or canned corn. Take a look at my corn 101 for some handy tips.
How to make this recipe:
Get your leftover chicken out and slice it into bite-size pieces. Then take a medium bowl and combine the chicken, cheese, corn, scallions, and cilantro.
Take your tortillas and place about a ¼ of chicken mixture on one half. Leave roughly a ½-inch border at the edge and then fold it over and seal it firmly. Continue until all tortillas have been filled.
Melt butter in a 12-inch non-stick skillet and then place two folded quesadillas side by side in one pan. Cook for roughly 2 minutes on each side.
Remove from heat, slice into wedges and serve with optional salsa, sour cream, and/or guacamole.

How do you seal the edges of quesadillas?
Make sure you have a ½-inch border at the edge with no filling on it and seal it firmly. It’s not great when all the good filling oozes out.
What can I put on my quesadillas?
Quesadillas are really so versatile so feel free to experiment. This can be part of your weekly meal prep as there’re so many variations, so it won’t become a monotonous meal.
- Protein – You can choose from beef, chicken, seafood or vegetables.
- Cheese – Try using different cheeses to experience different flavors.
- Different Tortillas – You can even change up tortilla type, try corn or beetroot.
- Spice them up – I like to add jalapenos.
How do you make them crispy?
I like to use butter in my skillet, but don’t be tempted to add more as they then go soggy. You can also use oil if you prefer it.
Side dish ideas:
- Refried beans – super tasty and here’s my Instant Pot version!
- Cilantro lime rice – this rice is a nice addition to make sure your guests don’t leave hungry.
- This corn salsa adds a nice flavor to the meal.
Finish it off with a refreshing frozen beer margarita.
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! Let me know once you’ve tried it by leaving a comment below or sharing a photo and tagging @busy_cooks on Instagram!

Easy Chicken Quesadilla Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups leftover cooked chicken cut into bite-size pieces Note 1
- 7 oz Pepper Jack cheese grated Note 2
- ½ cup corn kernels fresh or canned
- 4 scallions thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 4 10-inch flour tortillas
- 2 tablespoons butter
Optional sides for serving:
- Sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine chicken, cheese, corn, scallions and cilantro.
- Heat a large (12-inch) skillet over medium high heat. Lightly sweep butter all over the bottom of the skillet. (TIP: Use a cold stick of butter.)
- Place 2 tortillas side by side, creating half circles with each tortilla, holding the other halves in the middle.
- On one half of each tortilla, add ¼ of the chicken mixture and spread over half of a tortilla, leaving about ½-inch border at edge. Then fold other half of the tortilla over the filling. Do the same thing on the other tortilla.
- Cook for about 2 minutes, or until the bottom of the tortilla is golden brown and crispy. Slide a spatula under the quesadilla from the folded side and flip. If needed, you can butter the skillet again when you lift the quesadilla before flipping. Cook for another minute or two, or until nice and golden.
- Transfer the quesadillas onto a cutting board, and repeat with the remaining tortillas and chicken mixture.
- Cut into wedges and serve with your favorite sides, like salsa, sour cream and/or guacamole, etc.
Notes
Nutrition
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full nutrition disclosure.
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