BBQ Chicken Quesadillas Recipe

Name: BBQ Chicken Quesadillas
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded (Rotisserie or leftover chicken); 1/2 cup BBQ sauce (Your favorite kind); 4 large flour tortillas (Burrito size, 10 to 12 inch); 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (Or Mexican cheese blend); 1 large onion, thinly sliced (Yellow or red onion); 2 tablespoons butter or oil (For cooking onions and quesadillas); 1/2 teaspoon salt (For seasoning); 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (For seasoning); sour cream, salsa, guacamole (For serving, optional)

These BBQ Chicken Quesadillas stack tortillas with shredded chicken tossed in BBQ sauce, melted cheese, and caramelized onions. Crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside. Takes fifteen minutes start to finish and people always eat more than they planned.

Flour tortillas filled with shredded chicken tossed in BBQ sauce, melted cheese, and caramelized onions. Crispy outside, gooey inside. Ready in fifteen minutes using leftover or rotisserie chicken.

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Why You'll Love These BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

I made these BBQ Chicken Quesadillas on a random Tuesday when I had leftover rotisserie chicken and my kids who usually need convincing to eat dinner inhaled three each. My husband asked why I don't make these every week.

What Actually Works: Toss shredded cooked chicken with BBQ sauce. Layer it on a tortilla with shredded cheese and caramelized onions. Top with another tortilla. Cook in a hot skillet until the cheese melts and both sides get crispy and golden. The BBQ sauce makes everything sticky and flavorful, the cheese holds it together, the onions add sweetness. Way better than plain cheese quesadillas and easier than most dinner options. Uses up leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken from the store.

Why Other Methods Fail: Some recipes use too much BBQ sauce and the quesadillas get soggy and fall apart. Others skip caramelizing the onions and lose that sweet depth. A few don't get the heat right so the tortilla burns before the cheese melts. These BBQ Chicken Quesadillas work because you use just enough sauce to flavor the chicken without making it wet, cook the onions properly, and get the temperature right for crispy tortillas with melted cheese.

The thing that changed everything: Actually caramelizing the onions instead of just sautéing them quickly. First batch of BBQ Chicken Quesadillas I made, I threw raw sliced onions in with the chicken thinking they'd cook through. They stayed crunchy and sharp-tasting, completely wrong texture and flavor. Started cooking onions low and slow until they turned golden and sweet. Suddenly the quesadillas had this depth and sweetness that balanced the tangy BBQ sauce. That onion step is the difference between good quesadillas and great ones.

Jump to:

Why You'll Love These BBQ Chicken Quesadillas
What You'll Need for BBQ Chicken Quesadillas
How to Make BBQ Chicken Quesadillas
Top Tip
Ways to Mix It Up
Storing Leftovers
What to Serve With Them
Eya's Take on Making BBQ Chicken Quesadillas
Questions People Always Ask
More Recipes You'll Love
BBQ Chicken Quesadillas
Related
Pairing

What You'll Need for BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

Minimal ingredients that you might already have.

Main Stuff

Cooked chicken, shredded
BBQ sauce
Flour tortillas
Shredded cheese
Onion, thinly sliced
Butter or oil for cooking
Salt and pepper

If You Want Extra

Red onion instead of yellow
Cilantro for garnish
Jalapeños for heat
Bell peppers with the onions
Different cheese like pepper jack
Bacon crumbles

Check the Recipe card for actual amounts.

How to Make BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

Three simple steps and you're eating.

1. Caramelize the Onions

Heat a tablespoon of butter or oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add thinly sliced onions with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes until the onions are golden brown and sweet. Don't rush this. The caramelized onions make these BBQ Chicken Quesadillas special. Set them aside when done.

2. Prep the Chicken

If using rotisserie chicken, shred it with two forks. If using leftover chicken, chop or shred it. Toss the chicken with enough BBQ sauce to coat it but not drown it. You want the chicken flavorful but not dripping wet. Season with a little salt and pepper.

3. Assemble and Cook

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium high heat. Place one tortilla flat. Sprinkle half of it with shredded cheese. Add a layer of BBQ chicken, then some caramelized onions, then more cheese. Fold the tortilla in half. Add a small amount of butter to the pan and place the quesadilla in the skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy and the cheese is melted. Press down gently with a spatula while cooking. Remove and let it rest for a minute before cutting into wedges. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

assembling and cooking bbq chicken quesadillas

You end up with these crispy, cheesy, BBQ-flavored quesadillas that are way more interesting than regular cheese ones.

Top Tip

Don't skip caramelizing the onions for BBQ Chicken Quesadillas. I tried using raw onions thinking it would save time and they were crunchy and harsh against the sweet BBQ sauce. Totally wrong.

Cook the onions low and slow until they're golden and sweet. Takes 10 to 15 minutes but transforms the flavor. The caramelized onions add this sweet depth that makes people ask what makes these quesadillas taste so good.

Also, don't overload with BBQ sauce or the tortillas get soggy. Just enough to coat the chicken is perfect.

Ways to Mix It Up

Different BBQ Sauce - Try sweet, spicy, smoky, or honey BBQ sauce for different BBQ Chicken Quesadillas flavors.

Add Veggies - Include bell peppers, mushrooms, or corn with the onions for more vegetables.

Bacon Addition - Add crumbled cooked bacon with the chicken for smoky richness.

Pepper Jack - Use pepper jack cheese instead of cheddar for spicy BBQ Chicken Quesadillas.

Avocado - Add sliced avocado after cooking for creamy texture.

Pineapple - Add diced pineapple with the chicken for Hawaiian BBQ vibes.

Ranch Drizzle - Drizzle with ranch dressing after cutting for extra flavor.

Storing Leftovers

In the Fridge: BBQ Chicken Quesadillas keep wrapped in foil for two to three days. Reheat in a skillet to crisp them back up or microwave if you don't care about texture. They're never as good as fresh but still edible.

Freezer: Freeze cooked quesadillas wrapped individually for up to two months. Reheat from frozen in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes or until heated through.

Make Ahead: Prep the chicken and onions ahead, store separately, then assemble and cook when ready to eat. Don't assemble ahead or they get soggy.

Serving: Serve hot with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa on the side. Cut into wedges for easier eating.

What to Serve With Them

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas are filling enough for a meal on their own.

Serve with tortilla chips and salsa, guacamole, or queso for appetizers. Side salad balances the richness. Black beans or Mexican rice makes it a full meal.

For dipping, offer sour cream, ranch dressing, extra BBQ sauce, or pico de gallo. People like options.

Keep sides simple since the quesadillas are already flavorful and rich.

Eya's Take on Making BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas are my go-to when I need dinner fast and don't want to think too hard. Grab rotisserie chicken, caramelize some onions, assemble, cook. Fifteen minutes and everyone's happy.

The raw onion mistake happened on a busy weeknight. I was rushing and thought I could skip the caramelizing step. Wrong. The onions were crunchy and sharp and completely threw off the flavor balance. My daughter picked them out which defeated the whole point.

Started taking the extra 10 minutes to properly caramelize the onions and suddenly these went from "fine" to "make these again." That sweet onion flavor against the tangy BBQ sauce makes the whole thing work.

I've made these with homemade BBQ sauce and store-bought. Both are good. Use whatever you have or like. The chicken doesn't have to be perfectly shredded either. Rough chop works fine.

The cheese matters more than you'd think. Good melting cheese like cheddar or a Mexican blend makes these hold together. Pre-shredded works but freshly shredded melts better.

Now these are in my weekly rotation. Make them at least twice a month. Sometimes more if I have leftover chicken that needs using. Takes one pan, minimal ingredients, fast cooking. Perfect for busy nights.

Similar Quick Chicken Dinners Worth Making

Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas - Swap BBQ sauce for buffalo sauce and add blue cheese. Same easy method, spicier flavor.

Chicken Fajita Quesadillas - Use fajita seasoning instead of BBQ with peppers and onions. More Tex-Mex than sweet BBQ.

Teriyaki Chicken Quesadillas - Replace BBQ with teriyaki sauce and add green onions. Asian fusion twist on the same concept.

All three use the same quick quesadilla technique as BBQ Chicken Quesadillas. If you like this style, you'll like those too.

Questions People Always Ask

What to put in a barbecue chicken quesadilla?

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas need shredded cooked chicken tossed in BBQ sauce, shredded melting cheese like cheddar or Mexican blend, and caramelized onions. That's the base. Optional additions include bell peppers, jalapeños, cilantro, bacon, corn, or avocado. The key is not overloading so the quesadilla stays crispy and the cheese can hold everything together. Too many fillings make them fall apart.

What kind of cheese goes well with barbecue chicken?

Cheddar cheese is the classic choice for BBQ Chicken Quesadillas because it melts well and has flavor that stands up to BBQ sauce. Mexican cheese blend (with cheddar, Monterey Jack, and others) works great. Pepper jack adds spice. Gouda or smoked cheddar complement the BBQ flavor. Avoid mozzarella alone as it's too mild and stringy. You want cheese with actual flavor that melts smoothly.

What are the 4 components of an authentic quesadilla?

Traditional Mexican quesadillas have tortilla, cheese (usually Oaxaca or Chihuahua cheese), optional filling like squash blossoms or mushrooms, and are cooked until cheese melts. American-style quesadillas like BBQ Chicken Quesadillas are more loaded with meat, vegetables, and different cheeses. Authentic versions are simpler, focusing on the cheese. Both styles work, just different approaches. These BBQ ones are definitely the American interpretation.

What is good to put in a chicken quesadilla?

For chicken quesadillas beyond BBQ, try seasoned grilled chicken with peppers and onions, buffalo chicken with ranch, chicken with spinach and feta, or chicken with black beans and corn. Always include good melting cheese. Caramelized onions work in almost any version. Avoid watery vegetables like tomatoes that make the tortilla soggy. Keep fillings relatively dry for crispy BBQ Chicken Quesadillas that hold together when you pick them up.

More Recipes You'll Love

After you've made these BBQ Chicken Quesadillas, try my Lemon Bars for dessert that's bright and refreshing after something savory. My Chicken Alfredo Lasagna is perfect when you want another chicken dinner that's more involved. And my Southern Buttermilk Pie handles dessert when you want something simple and classic after your quesadilla night.