Tandoori Chicken Quesadilla (Printable)

Juicy tandoori-spiced chicken with creamy yogurt sauce and melted cheese inside crispy tortillas.

# What You'll Need:

→ Tandoori Chicken

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
02 - 120 ml plain Greek yogurt
03 - 15 ml lemon juice
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
06 - 1.5 tsp ground cumin
07 - 1.5 tsp ground coriander
08 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
09 - 1 tsp garam masala
10 - 0.5 tsp turmeric powder
11 - 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
12 - 0.5 tsp salt
13 - 15 ml vegetable oil

→ Yogurt Sauce

14 - 120 ml plain Greek yogurt
15 - 15 ml fresh cilantro, chopped
16 - 15 ml lemon juice
17 - 0.5 tsp ground cumin
18 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ Quesadilla

19 - 4 large flour tortillas
20 - 170 g shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese
21 - 0.5 small red onion, thinly sliced
22 - 1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced
23 - Butter or oil, for greasing pan

# How To Make It:

01 - Combine yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, garam masala, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and salt in a bowl. Add chicken strips and toss to coat evenly. Marinate for at least 15 minutes or refrigerate up to 2 hours.
02 - Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fully cooked and lightly charred. Remove from heat.
03 - Whisk together yogurt, chopped cilantro, lemon juice, ground cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
04 - Place one tortilla on a flat surface. Evenly sprinkle one quarter of the cheese over half the tortilla. Layer with one quarter of the cooked chicken, red onion slices, and green bell pepper. Drizzle lightly with yogurt sauce, then fold the tortilla in half. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
05 - Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat and lightly grease with butter or oil. Cook each quesadilla for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown and cheese is melted.
06 - Slice quesadillas into wedges and serve hot with extra yogurt sauce.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 35 minutes, which means you can feed a crowd without spending your whole evening in the kitchen.
  • The tandoori spice blend is bold enough to make you feel like you're doing something adventurous, but the creamy yogurt sauce keeps it approachable and balanced.
  • It's the kind of dish that turns everyday ingredients into something memorable, and everyone always asks for the recipe.
02 -
  • Don't skip the marinating step—those spices need time to bond with the chicken, or you'll end up with flavored chicken instead of tandoori chicken.
  • The pan temperature matters more than you think; too low and your quesadilla steams instead of crisps, too high and the outside burns before the cheese melts.
  • Less yogurt sauce in the filling is better than more—too much and your quesadilla becomes soggy and falls apart.
03 -
  • Prep your chicken and vegetables ahead of time so you're not scrambling when guests arrive—the actual cooking happens in minutes once you're ready.
  • If you're making more than a couple quesadillas, keep the first batch warm in a low oven while you finish the others so everyone eats hot food at the same time.
Go Back