June 12, 2020

Pepper Jack Chicken Quesadillas with Cilantro Lime Chimichurri

Stuffed with melted cheese and spicy chicken, and topped with salsa and chimichurri, these quesadillas are perfect for a summer Tex-Mex dinner. These Pepper Jack Chicken Quesadillas are interesting enough to please adults, but easy to customize for picky kids. To serve these to children, I would fill their quesadillas with a mild cheddar cheese and the chicken, and serve them with the salsa and chimichurri on the side.

I start these quesadillas by roasting the chicken. While the chicken bakes, I make all the other components, and then as soon as the chicken finishes, the quesadillas only take a few minutes to fry up. If you have a long griddle, you can even fry multiple quesadillas at one time.

Pepper Jack Chicken Quesadillas with Cilantro Lime Chimichurri

Cheesy chicken quesadillas topped with a cilantro chimichurri and tomato salsa.

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 30

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Tex-Mex

Servings

Equipment

Food processor

Ingredients

For Pepper Jack Chicken Quesadillas:

1 chicken breast with skin and bones
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. onion powder
¼ tsp. ground cumin
¼ tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. chili powder
1 cup chopped red pepper
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove sliced garlic
1 tbsp. lime juice
8 flour tortillas
2 cups pepper jack cheese
4 tsp. butter
1 cup sour cream

For Cilantro Lime Chimichurri:

1 cup cilantro
¼ cup pickled jalapenos
2 tbsp. chopped onions
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. lime juice
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

For the salsa:

2 chopped plum tomatoes
1 minced jalapeno
½ cup minced red onion
1 clove minced garlic
2 tbsp. lime juice

Instructions

For the Pepper Jack Chicken Quesadillas:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Place the chicken breast on a sheet pan, and sprinkle with the spices, plus a pinch of kosher salt, on both sides. Place on a sheet pan and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake for 50 minutes.
Remove skin and bones, and chop chicken into bite sized pieces. Put them in a bowl and add pan drippings.
While the chicken bakes, heat the other tablespoon of oil in a skillet and fry the pepper, onion and garlic until tender. Add the lime juice and season the vegetables with kosher salt and pepper.
Mix the chicken with the cheese. Divide the chicken and cheese between 4 tortillas. Top with 4 more tortillas, and fry each one in butter, on medium heat, until they're browned and the cheese has melted.
Top with chimichurri, salsa, and sour cream and serve.