I’m constantly trying to come up with new ways to make high protein meals with rotisserie chicken. These quesadillas are the latest in the research process.
They’re made by air frying or sautéing bell peppers and red onion together before tossing with rotisserie chicken, spices, and hot sauce. Everything is folded inside cheesy flour tortillas and griddled until golden brown.
Easy, delicious, and packed with 28g protein per quesadilla!
Quesadillas are probably my number one go-to for any leftover proteins like rotisserie chicken. They’re just so satisfying and can be a sneaky good source of fiber by incorporating veggies like this recipe and using ingredients like high fiber tortillas.
There are also ingredients like canned beans and corn that can add extra volume and fiber to quesadillas. You can really stretch a pound of shredded chicken by working more ingredients into the filling mixture.
For a few ideas on alternative protein sources, check out my Mexican chicken, bbq chicken, or steak quesadillas. You can also find many pre-cooked shredded chicken options from brands like Kevin’s that work great inside quesadillas like these.
While the filling is the primary focus, don’t sleep on the pairings. Nonfat Greek yogurt is a great sour cream alternative to give your quesadillas and extra boost of protein. It’s also a great base for creamy sauces when blended with things like hot sauce, salsa, spices, and fresh herbs.
I mentioned above that I’m an avid rotisserie chicken user, and I’ve been especially busy as of late. My rotisserie chicken enchiladas are hot off the press and use a blended cottage cheese and green chile enchilada sauce that’s a high protein diet godsend. Other recent creations include lasagna, flatbread, and breakfast burritos.
There’s a full recipe card below you can save to your device or print for your personal recipe database. I hope you enjoy your chicken quesadillas!
Rotisserie Chicken Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 3 Bell Peppers, cut into strips
- 1 Red Onion, cut into strips
- 1 pound Rotisserie Chicken
- 2 Tablespoons Hot Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
For the Quesadillas
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil or Cooking Spray
- 8 Flour Tortillas
- 12 oz Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
Instructions
- Cook the veggies. Toss the sliced peppers and onion together and air fry for 10 minutes at 450ºF or your air fryer's hottest setting. Or sauté the veggies over medium-high heat with a teaspoon of olive oil. You're looking to soften the veggies and pick up a bit of browning.
- Add the chicken and seasoning. Toss the veggies with the chicken, spices, salt, and hot sauce. Air fry or sauté an additional 2-3 minutes to heat the chicken.
- Prep the pan. Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. Add a bit of cooking spray or tiny bit of oil to the pan before adding a tortilla.
- Assemble the quesadillas. Add 1.5 oz (42g) of cheese to each tortilla in an even layer. Add 3.5 oz (about 100g) of the chicken mixture to one side of the tortilla. Use a spatula to fold the tortilla over to seal once the cheese begins to melt. Cook until golden brown on both sides.
- Serve. Slice into triangles or serve unsliced with your choice of garnishes.
One of my favorite leftover snacks as of late. Just pop the little triangles in an air fryer at 325ºF for 8-10 minutes to make them even better (I think) than fresh out of the pan.