Chicken Quesadilla with Spinach in Butter

Chicken Quesadilla has always been one of my favorite quick-made dishes. I usually tend to make it for lunch as I fill it with protein-rich ingredients such as chicken and cheese although it can be made for breakfast and dinner as well. I did experiment quite a lot with different quesadillas and this is the one which I found to be a perfect mix of taste, calorie intake, and the amount of fullness that it gives me. Without further ado, let’s see how you can make chicken quesadilla with spinach in butter in less than 15 minutes. 

Step 1: Chop the Veggies

I would start by cutting the spinach leaves into small pieces. Note that you can also use frozen spinach cubes or frozen spinach leaves, just be sure to pull them out of the fridge a couple of hours before you want to make the chicken quesadilla. You can see on the image how I like to do it – simply cut the spinach into small pieces. Don’t worry if it looks like too much spinach initially – it will shrink significantly once cooked, as spinach is comprised of over 90% water.

The second veggie that I like to use for my chicken quesadillas is bell peppers. Bell peppers add a unique flavor to this dish plus it adds to the moisture of the chicken once mixed with it. Chop the bell peppers and combine them with the spinach.

Step 2: Cut the meat 

For the meat part, I like to use chicken breasts the most. While other parts of the chicken can be used, they may not cook evenly when combined with the spinach in this recipe. Therefore, chicken breasts are the safest option. Begin by chopping the chicken breasts into small cubes, ensuring they are not too large. This ensures that they cook evenly and are done at the same time as the spinach. Mix the chopped chicken breasts with cut spinach and bell peppers in a bowl and preheat the stovetop.

About the seasoning, I usually just use a bit of salt and pepper. The reason is the fact that I like the taste of spinach so I don’t want to ruin it with too much seasoning. 

Step 3: Fry the mixture in a pan

Add the butter to a pan and wait for it to melt. You don’t need too much butter here – you really just want it to spice the flavor a bit, not add unnecessary grease. The dish will already have moisture from the spinach and bell peppers, so there’s no need to worry about it becoming too dry.

Once the butter has melted, add the chicken, spinach, and bell pepper mixture to the pan. Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, I typically shred the cheese and tidy it up, saving myself the hassle of cleanup afterward.

After 5 minutes, remove the lid and stir the mixture for a few more minutes until the chicken begins to develop a golden-brown color. This ensures that the chicken is cooked through and achieves a delicious bronze hue.

Step 4: Add Tortillas

Once the filling is ready, remove it from the frying pan and place a wheat tortilla on a clean surface. Sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over the tortilla, then add the chicken and spinach mixture on top of the cheese. This layering ensures that the cheese melts faster and evenly distributes throughout the quesadilla.  

Once you folded in half, cook it over medium heat, flipping occasionally, until both sides are golden brown and the cheese is melted. It’s important to note that most store-bought tortillas are usually half-baked, meaning they will cook quickly, typically in under 2 minutes.

Step 5: Enjoy the Chicken Quesadilla with Spinach on Butter!

Once everything’s cooked, just cut the tortilla in half. You’ll see the cheese melting and smelling the spinach. It’s simple, quick, and smells great! This dish is simply spectacular, especially considering it can be prepared in under 15 minutes using everyday ingredients readily available at your local supermarket. Enjoy the deliciousness!