Chicken Avocado Quesadilla (Printable)

Tender grilled chicken, creamy avocado, and melted cheese folded in a crispy tortilla. A delicious 35-minute main dish.

# What You'll 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 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 Make It:

01 - Preheat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. In a mixing bowl, toss chicken breasts with olive oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
02 - Grill chicken for 5-6 minutes per side until cooked through and juices run clear. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly.
03 - In a separate bowl, mash avocados with lime juice, cilantro, and salt until mostly smooth with some small chunks remaining.
04 - Lay out tortillas. Spread a generous layer of avocado mash on half of each tortilla. Top with sliced chicken, red onion slices, and shredded cheese. Fold tortillas in half to enclose filling.
05 - Heat a 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.
06 - Remove quesadillas from skillet and let cool slightly. Cut each quesadilla into wedges and serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than ordering takeout and tastes ten times better.
  • The creamy avocado mash against the warm melted cheese creates the perfect texture contrast.
  • You can prep the chicken ahead and assemble these in minutes on a busy weeknight.
  • Even picky eaters who claim they don't like avocado end up asking for seconds.
02 -
  • If you skip resting the chicken after grilling, all the juices run out when you slice it and it turns dry.
  • Don't overfill the tortillas or they'll split open when you flip them, I learned this the messy way.
  • Medium heat is key for cooking the quesadillas, too high and the tortilla burns before the cheese melts.
  • If your avocados aren't ripe enough, the mash will be lumpy and lack that creamy texture that makes this dish work.
03 -
  • Warm your tortillas for 10 seconds in the microwave before assembling so they fold without cracking.
  • Use a cast iron skillet if you have one, it gets the tortilla extra crispy and holds heat evenly.
  • Add a pinch of smoked paprika to the chicken seasoning for a deeper smoky flavor that really stands out.
  • Press down gently with a spatula while the quesadilla cooks to help the cheese melt faster and seal the edges.
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