Description
Succulent Taco Bell chicken quesadilla copycat recipe brings restaurant-style magic home with creamy jalapeño sauce and melted cheese. Home cooks can easily replicate this popular fast-food favorite with simple ingredients and quick preparation.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (237 ml) shredded Mexican blend cheese (or cheddar & Monterey Jack)
- 1 cup (237 ml) cooked & shredded chicken (grilled or rotisserie)
- 2 large flour tortillas
- ¼ cup (59 ml) mayonnaise
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) sour cream
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) pickled jalapeno juice
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) finely chopped pickled jalapenos
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) butter (for cooking)
Instructions
- Sauce Preparation: Blend mayonnaise, sour cream, jalapeno juice, chopped jalapenos, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and salt until smooth and creamy, creating a vibrant chipotle sauce with layered flavor complexity.
- Flavor Melding: Chill the prepared sauce for 10 minutes, allowing ingredients to harmonize and intensify the overall taste profile.
- Quesadilla Assembly: Heat griddle or skillet over medium heat, then position tortilla and strategically distribute shredded chicken across one half, ensuring even coverage.
- Cheese and Sauce Layering: Generously sprinkle shredded cheese over chicken, then artfully drizzle chilled chipotle sauce to enhance the flavor dimensions.
- Sealing and Cooking: Fold tortilla’s empty half over filled side, pressing gently with spatula, then cook for 2-3 minutes per side until tortilla transforms into a golden, crispy exterior with perfectly melted cheese.
- Serving: Remove from heat, slice diagonally into triangular sections, and plate immediately with complementary chipotle sauce for optional dipping, creating a restaurant-quality experience.
Notes
- Sauce Intensity Boost: Refrigerate the chipotle sauce for at least 10 minutes to deepen and meld flavors, creating a more complex taste profile.
- Cheese Coverage Technique: Sprinkle cheese generously and evenly to ensure every bite has the perfect cheese-to-chicken ratio, preventing dry spots.
- Heat Control Mastery: Maintain medium heat to achieve a golden-brown, crispy exterior without burning the tortilla or overcooking the chicken.
- Serving Optimization: Slice quesadillas diagonally right before serving to keep the edges crisp and prevent soggy texture, preserving the authentic Taco Bell-style experience.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg