Salsa Verde Chicken Quesadillas
Salsa Verde Chicken Quesadillas are one of our favorite summer dinners. I start these quesadillas by braising boneless skinless chicken thighs in my homemade Salsa Verde. Then, I shred the chicken and put it into flour tortillas along with lots of Colby Jack cheese. Finally, I top the quesadillas with Roasted Corn Salsa and sour cream. We like these quesadillas for several reasons. First of all, I like that I can make all the components of this dish ahead of time. Then, right before serving, I just fry up the quesadillas. Secondly, I like that this is a complete meal. No side dishes are necessary. And, finally, we all love the tender chicken and all the melted cheese.
The Equipment I Used
- A Food Processor- I used this to make the Salsa Verde. If you don’t have a food processor, just mince everything with a knife.
- A Dutch Oven- I like to braise my chicken in an enameled cast iron Dutch oven. But you can use any four quart or larger pot.
The Ingredients Needed for Salsa Verde Chicken Quesadillas
- Chicken- Use boneless skinless chicken thighs. I always use Bell and Evans chicken because I find it to be the most tender.
- Tomatillos- You can find these at markets with good produce sections. Sometimes these come with a husk on them. If so, you’ll need to remove the husk before chopping.
- Chicken Stock- I always use my homemade stock. The recipe is below.
- Cheese- I used Colby Jack cheese, but Monterey Pepper Jack would also be great.
How I Made my Quesadillas
- First, I braised the chicken. It’s important to just simmer the chicken and not boil it. Boiling the chicken will make it tough.
- Next, I roasted the corn for the salsa.
- Finally, I added everything to the tortillas and fried them up. And, I added the salsa on top.
If you like Tex-Mex flavors, you need to try these cheesy and delicious Salsa Verde Chicken Quesadillas.
Salsa Verde Chicken Quesadillas
Quesadillas stuffed with chicken slowly braised in a salsa verde. They're topped with a Roasted Corn Salsa.
Equipment
- 1 Food processor
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tsp. each garlic powder, onion powder, cumin powder
- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 4 chopped tomatillos
- 1 chopped jalapeno
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 tbsp. chopped red onion
- ¼ cup cilantro
- 1 tsp. honey
- ¼ tsp. each kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 4 8-inch flour tortillas
- 3 cups Colby Jack cheese
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 cup sour cream
For the Roasted Corn Salsa:
- 2 ears of corn
- 4 tsp. salted butter
- 1 cup diced plum tomato
- 1 minced jalapeno
- ¼ cup red onion, minced
- ½ cup minced cilantro leaves
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 2 tbsp. lime juice
- ¼ tsp. each kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Begin by preparing the Salsa Verde Chicken: Dry off the chicken thighs all over with paper towels and sprinkle on all the spices. Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat and add the oil. Add a couple of chicken thighs at a time and brown the chicken on both sides. Remove the thighs to a plate after they're browned. After all the chicken is browned put it all back in the pot.
- While the chicken browns, make the Salsa Verde: Put the tomatillos, jalapeno, red onion, cilantro, garlic, honey, salt, pepper, and lime juice in the food processor. Process until finely chopped. Add this mixture to the chicken pot along with the chicken stock. Cover and simmer for 50 minutes. Then, remove the chicken and shred it. With a slotted spoon remove 1 cup of the braised minced vegetables and add this to the chicken.
- While the chicken simmers make the Roasted Corn Salsa: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel the husks of the corn and wrap each cob in foil, with two teaspoons of butter in each packet. Roast for thirty minutes. Cut the corn off the cobs and place the kernels in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and refrigerate until serving.
- Lay out your four tortillas. Place some shredded chicken and cheese on half of each tortilla. Fold the tortillas in half, and cook on medium heat, on a grill pan, or in a cast iron skillet. Use some of the butter to cook each quesadilla. Just cook them long enough to melt the cheese. Serve with the roasted corn salsa and sour cream.
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Chicken Stock
Homemade chicken stock
Ingredients
- 4½ lbs. chicken breasts and wings with skin and bones
- 10 cups water
- 2 peeled onions
- 2 peeled carrots
- 3 peeled parsley roots
- 1 tbsp. kosher salt
- 4 stalks celery
- 1 peeled parsnip
- 2 tbsp. garlic cloves
- 1 cup fresh parsley and fresh dill
Instructions
- Put the chicken and the salt in a large, tall pot and cover with ten cups of cold water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes, skimming any scum that forms.
- Add all the vegetables and herbs and simmer for two and a half hours. Pour the soup through a strainer to remove everything but the broth.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
