A Skillet Approach That Keeps Quesadillas Crisp
Fajita quesadillas are a reliable weeknight favorite, but they don’t always turn out the way you expect. Once the peppers and onions start to steam, tortillas can soften before they ever get a chance to brown. With this kind of filling, moisture makes all the difference.
This method takes care of that first. The filling is cooked and set aside before the tortillas go into the pan, which gives the quesadillas the chance to brown evenly and hold their shape once they’re sliced.
It’s the same kind of skillet approach that works well for other pan-cooked dinners where browning matters.
What Makes This Method Reliable
- Cooking the filling first keeps the tortillas from steaming once they hit the pan.
- Letting it sit briefly helps the tortillas brown.
- Lower heat and cheese against the tortilla help the quesadillas hold together as they cook.
A Few Ingredient Notes
You’ll Need
- 1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into small bite size pieces
- 1 packet fajita seasoning
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 cup yellow onion
- 4 large burrito size flour tortillas
- 3 cups shredded fiesta blend cheese
Tips:
- Large flour tortillas make a difference here. They stay in full contact with the skillet, which helps them brown evenly. It even makes clean slicing easier!
- Make sure to finely chop peppers and onion. They’ll soften at the same pace and spread moisture evenly through the filling.
- If you’re already cutting chicken into bite-size pieces, these chicken bites are another quick skillet option.
Putting The Quesadillas Together
Spreading the filling evenly, rather than piling it in the center, helps the tortillas stay flat against the skillet. That steady contact is what allows the surface to brown evenly without bubbling or lifting at the edges.
Serving And Slicing
Full-size quesadillas slice cleanly once the cheese has had a moment to set. Cutting them into wedges works well, since they won’t shift as you cut.
They’re best served right away while the tortillas are still crisp, either on their own or with sides.
Storing and Reheating
Let the quesadillas cool, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Keeping them flat helps prevent the filling from shifting and the tortillas from bending as they chill.
To reheat, a skillet or oven works best for bringing back the tortilla’s crispness and keeping the quesadillas intact. Reheating in the microwave alone tends to soften the tortillas and can cause the filling to loosen and slide.
It’s the same kind of no-fuss dinner as these skillet enchiladas, cooked and served straight from the pan.
Fajita Quesadilla
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound chicken breast, boneless and skinless (cut into small bite size pieces)
- 1.4 ounce fajita seasoning
- 5 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin (Divide 2 tablespoons for seasoning, 2 tablespoons cooking chicken breast and veggies, 1 tablespoon for tortilla shells)
- 1 red bell pepper (washed, dried, deseeded and diced)
- 1 green bell pepper (washed, dried and deseeded and diced)
- 1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 large burrito size flour tortillas
- 3 cups fiesta blend cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Add the chicken to a medium size bowl.
- Use tongs to toss the chicken breast, fajita seasoning and 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Set it aside.
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a 10 to 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium high heat.
- Saute the seasoned chicken breast until cooked through and no longer pink, about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a heat proof bowl.
- Add the diced bell peppers and onion to the skillet and cook until the onion is opaque and the bell peppers are softened.
- Re-add the cooked chicken and stir to combine. Once warmed, transfer back to the heat proof bowl.
- Lower the temperature to medium, and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet.
- Next place 1 tortilla to the skillet.
- Sprinkle ¾ cup shredded fiesta blend cheese to half of the tortilla.
- Top the cheese with ¼ of the chicken and vegetable mixture.
- Fold the other half of the tortilla over the chicken and vegetables.
- Cook the tortilla until the bottom of the tortilla is golden brown, then flip over to brown the other side of the tortilla, about 1 to 3 minutes per side. Repeat the process for the remaining 3 tortillas.
- Transfer to a cutting board, and using a large kitchen knife, or pizza cutter to slice the quesadillas into 3 triangles. (You can also slice into 4 pieces) Serve while hot.
Notes
- Any color of bell pepper can be used in place of the red and green.
- Smaller tortillas can be used to stretch out the recipe.
- Shredded cheddar, colby jack, pepper jack or even shredded chihuahua cheese can be used in the fajita quesadillas.
Nutrition
Comments
Anne & Colin says
My son colin and I made this for family dinner…amazing flavors and just so fun to make…I bit hard to flip but we worked through it…huge hit with the family!!!
Atta says
Could I do this with pork, and if so what cheese would work best?
I’m thing now of a white cheese like gruyer maybe.