If you’ve ever ordered a Chicken Quesadilla from Taco Bell, you know the creamy, slightly spicy sauce is what keeps you coming back. The chicken and melted cheese are delicious, but it’s that signature sauce that turns a simple tortilla-and-cheese into one of the chain’s most popular menu items.
The good news is that you don’t have to visit the drive-thru to enjoy one. This copycat recipe recreates the flavors at home using simple ingredients. Tender chicken, cheese, and a homemade creamy jalapeño sauce come together inside a crispy, golden flour tortilla.
Read next: Taco Bell chicken burrito recipe
The sauce is the star
The sauce is the star of the recipe. It’s made with mayonnaise and seasoned with pickled jalapeños, jalapeño juice, cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper for just the right amount of heat. If you prefer a milder interpretation, use less jalapeños or leave out the cayenne. Those easy changes customize the spice level without sacrificing the creamy texture.
To save even more time, use rotisserie chicken or refrigerated grilled chicken strips instead of cooking chicken from scratch. That’s a great shortcut for busy weeknights and make these quesadillas easy enough to prepare whenever the craving hits.
Serve these Taco Bell-inspired chicken quesadillas with salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or pico de gallo for a fast, satisfying meal.
Taco Bell quesadillas recipe
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
Description
Taco Bell quesadillas recipe with grilled chicken, melted cheeses, and a creamy jalapeno sauce, cooked in flour tortillas for a flavorful copycat meal.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons minced jalapeno slices (from jarred jalapenos)
- 2 teaspoons jalapeno juice (from jarred jalapenos)
- 3/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 dash salt
- 4 flour tortillas
- 4 chicken tenderloins
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
- 2 slices processed American cheese
- butter (for spreading)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl whisk together mayonnaise, minced jalapeno, jalapeno juice, sugar, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken tenderloins and cook, turning at least once, until fully cooked (the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees). Remove from the pan and cut into slices (You can also grill or bake the chicken if you would prefer). - Preheat another large skillet over medium heat. Butter one side of a tortilla. Lay tortilla butter side down and sprinkle with a ¼ cup of cheddar cheese and a ¼ cup of Monterey Jack and a ½ slice of American cheese onto one side of the tortilla. Arrange about a ¼ cup of the chicken slices over the same half covered with cheese. On the empty side spread about 1 tablespoon of the sauce.
- Once the tortilla is browned on the bottom and the cheese has melted, fold the half of the tortilla with the sauce over the half with the cheese and press gently with a spatula. Cut into 3 slices and serve. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 907
- Sugar: 2.6 g
- Sodium: 2135.8 mg
- Fat: 60.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 50.9 g
- Protein: 41.6 g
- Cholesterol: 121.2 mg