These Air Fryer Chicken Quesadillas are filled with chicken, fajita veggies, and gooey cheese. Serve as a delicious appetizer or an easy dinner at home the whole family will love.
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Fast and easy! Air fryer quesadillas are a go-to when you need something quick for lunch or dinner. Have these ready for the whole family in about 30 minutes.
- A great way to use leftover chicken. Use any plain or lightly seasoned you have in the fridge. If you have leftover chicken from making my Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos or even my Buffalo Chicken Tacos, air fryer quesadillas is the perfect way to repurpose it.
- Easy to customize. Use your favorite cheese, tortillas, bell peppers, protein and more. The ways to customize your quesadillas are pretty much endless.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken - I like to use leftover rotisserie chicken but you can use any leftover cubed or shredded chicken you have on hand. If you are cooking your own chicken from raw first, try my Dutch Oven Whole Chicken and Potatoes or Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken!
- Bell peppers - I like to use a combination of red and green pepper for the best fajita-style quesadillas. Use whatever you have available or prefer. Note that green bell peppers are the most bitter and red bell peppers are the sweetest.
- Spices - I use a blend of cumin, paprika, chili powder, cayenne and salt and pepper to make my own homemade taco seasoning. It seasons the quesadilla filling perfectly and is made with spices you likely have in your pantry.
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Make spicier chicken quesadillas: Use pepper jack cheese or add a diced jalapeno in with the peppers and onion.
- Use soft taco shells: Although quesadillas are typically made with larger tortillas, you can use small flour tortillas and make mini quesadillas if needed.
- Chicken substitutes: Try another protein like cubed steak, chorizo, barbacoa, turkey, or carne asada.
- Vegetarian option: Omit the chicken and enjoy a veggie quesadilla or even just a cheese quesadilla (same air fry time applies). Or for a heartier vegetarian version, substitute the chicken with 1-2 (15-ounce) cans of drained black beans.
Instructions
- Cook the onion and peppers. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the diced onion and peppers in a tablespoon of oil for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the chicken and spices. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, or until the chicken is warm and the spices are well incorporated.
- Sprinkle the tortillas with cheese. Lay the tortillas on a flat surface and sprinkle with a layer of grated cheese.
- Add on the chicken and sprinkle on a top layer of cheese. Make sure to divide the chicken filling and cheese evenly between all three quesadillas.
- Air fry. Fold each tortilla in half and press down gently but firmly to make sure the quesadillas stay folded. Place one quesadilla in the bottom of a lightly greased air fryer basket and air fry for 3 minutes. Flip and air fry for an additional 3-4 minutes until crispy. Repeat with each quesadilla.
- Serve! Serve the hot and crispy cheesy chicken quesadillas with your favorite hot sauce, fresh jalapeños, pico de gallo, Roasted Tomato and Habanero Salsa, guacamole, sour cream, etc.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. If you have taco seasoning that you'd like to use up, substitute the spices called for with 2 tablespoons of pre-made taco seasoning. I recommend tasting and adding additional salt and pepper if needed.
Chicken quesadillas are versatile in that they can be served as a quick and easy appetizer or a filling main meal.
If you want to serve these quesadillas for lunch or dinner, try pairing them with simple sides of rice, beans or even a light green salad.
When serving as an appetizer, serve with other easy finger foods like Air Fryer Pizza Rolls and Air Fryer Dry Rub Wings or easy homemade dips like Spicy Avocado Black Bean Dip, Tomato and Habanero Salsa, and Buffalo Chicken Dip.
Air fryer quesadillas also go great with alcoholic drinks like Skinny Spicy Margaritas, Spicy Watermelon Margaritas, or Frozen Strawberry Moscow Mules!
The easiest way to make a quesadilla crispy is to air fry them at high heat and lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. This will make the tortillas crispy and perfectly golden brown.
In order to successfully flip your quesadilla without the filling falling out, wait for the cheese to be at least partially melted. The cheese will stick to the filling and the tortilla and help keep the filling inside. Then, slide a spatula under the quesadilla and slowly flip it to the other side.
Top Tips
- Grate your own cheese. Instead of buying pre-shredded cheese, opt for grating it yourself from a block of cheese. Pre-shredded cheese is made with an anti-caking agent to help prevent the cheese shreds from sticking together which prevents the cheese from melting as well as it would without the anti-caking agent. Grate the cheese yourself for the best melted quesadillas.
- Test how pliable your tortillas are. If you use flour tortillas, they should fold easily without any ripping. If you use a gluten-free tortilla or another alternative tortilla, it may rip when folding if it is not warmed up first. Check if you need to warm up your tortillas first before filling them to prevent any rips!
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Air Fryer Chicken Quesadillas
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Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 2-3 cups rotisserie or other pre-cooked chicken
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 (8-inch) tortillas
- 1 cup grated cheese, Mexican blend, cheddar, Monterey Jack, etc.
- Olive oil spray
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 425 degrees F.
- Cook the diced onion and pepper in a skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the chicken to the pan with the spices and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- Place tortillas on a flat surface and sprinkle a bit of cheese on half of each tortilla, divide the filling among each tortilla and top with more cheese. Fold each tortilla in half and press down gently but firmly.
- Spray the air fryer basket or tray with olive oil spray.
- Air fry the quesadillas for 3 minutes. Then flip each tortilla and bake for another 3-4 minutes until crispy and the cheese is melted.
- Serve with pico de gaillo, guacamole and hot sauce. Enjoy!
Sarah's Tips
- Grate your own cheese. Instead of buying pre-shredded cheese, opt for grating it yourself from a block of cheese. Pre-shredded cheese is made with an anti-caking agent to help prevent the cheese shreds from sticking together which prevents the cheese from melting as well as it would without the anti-caking agent. Grate the cheese yourself for the best melted quesadillas.
- Test how pliable your tortillas are. If you use flour tortillas, they should fold easily without any ripping. If you use a gluten-free tortilla or another alternative tortilla, it may rip when folding if it is not warmed up first. Check if you need to warm up your tortillas first before filling to prevent any rips!
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