Quick Chicken and Zucchini Quesadillas Recipe

Updated February 10, 2025

Cheesy chicken-and-zucchini quesadillas are a quick and easy weeknight meal. . Nick Kindelsperger

Basic cheese-and-tortilla quesadillas are a quick snack, but by adding simple ingredients like sweet sautéed zucchini, smoky chipotle chilies, and shredded roast chicken, they become a weeknight meal that still takes almost no time to make.

Why this recipe works:

Leftover or store-bought roast chicken can be shredded quickly, without the need to cook it first.
By slicing the zucchini super thin, it cooks quickly, adding very little time to the recipe's preparation.

Recipe Details

Quick Chicken and Zucchini Quesadillas Recipe

Prep 10 mins

Cook 35 mins

Active 25 mins

Total 45 mins

Serves 4 servings

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Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 chipotles, chopped, plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce from 1 (7-ounce) can
2 cups shredded roast chicken meat (1 pound)
1/2 pound Mexican melting cheese, such as queso Oaxacan, or Monterrey Jack, grated on a box grater
8 tortilla corn tortillas
Guacamole, for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 250°F and set a heat-proof plate in it. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, garlic, and zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion and zucchini slices are tender and starting to brown, about 7 minutes. Stir in chipotle and adobo sauce and cook for 1 minute. Stir in chicken and cook until warm, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, transfer mixture to a large bowl, and set aside.
Wipe out skillet and heat over medium heat. Working one at a time, warm tortillas in the skillet until pliable, about 10 seconds per side, then transfer to a work surface. Scoop 3 tablespoons of chicken filling and a generous sprinkling of cheese on top, and fold in half over the filling.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the skillet over medium heat until foaming. Add half of the quesadillas in a single layer, turning to coat both sides in butter. Cook quesadillas until lightly browned and crusty on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and brown on the other side, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Transfer cooked quesadillas to the plate in the oven, and repeat process with remaining quesadillas and butter. Serve with a generous dollop of guacamole on the side.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
609	Calories
40g	Fat
30g	Carbs
35g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	609
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 40g	51%
Saturated Fat 20g	99%
Cholesterol 137mg	46%
Sodium 633mg	28%
Total Carbohydrate 30g	11%
Dietary Fiber 6g	21%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 35g
Vitamin C 17mg	83%
Calcium 480mg	37%
Iron 2mg	12%
Potassium 701mg	15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.