Make Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla at home in just 5 steps! This recipe includes a copycat Homemade Taco Bell Jalapeño Sauce as well so you can really feel like you’re at Taco Bell from the comfort of your kitchen!
Cheesy, melty, and packed with flavor, this chicken quesadilla is just SO good and healthier than Taco Bell’s!
Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla
Finally sharing a major favorite of mine: Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla with Taco Bell Jalapeño Sauce, of course!
These are so easy to make that it just doesn’t make sense to get them at Taco Bell once you realize you can make them at home, make them taste better, and skip on stuff like propylene glycol alginate and modified cornstarch (yikes!).
So, get your tortillas out and let’s get started!
Why this copycat recipe is worth it:
- Flavor. You get all the cheese, the deliciously tender chicken, and that perfect tang and creaminess of Jalapeño sauce. Nothing beats homemade.
- Copycat Taco Bell Jalapeño sauce and enough for filling and dipping! It’s creamy, warm, tangy, and melts beautifully inside of hot, cheesy quesadillas!
- Quick and easy, ready in just 25 minutes!
- Healthier than Taco Bell. While these quesadillas will never be healthy, they’re surely healthier than Taco Bell’s. You get to choose high-quality ingredients and skip on propylene glycol alginate, to name one (yes, they actually use it in quesadillas).
Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla Ingredients
Tortillas. Look, if you have extra time on hand and want to go 100% from scratch, I recommend you make them at home. Here are my Homemade Mexican Flour Tortillas that are actually GOOD. I do, in fact, eat them plain lol. If not, feel free to use your favorite brand!
Chicken. Rotisserie chicken works great here but if you want to go 100% homemade you can cook 1 lb of chicken in a skillet with 1 tbsp butter or oil and lots of cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper, and a hint of oregano if desired. Leftover chicken also works as long as it wasn’t seasoned with something that has nothing to do with this recipe.
Cheese. Taco Bell uses a mix of 3 cheeses: part-skim mozzarella cheese (yes, part-skim lol), Monterey Jack, and American Cheese with peppers so there you have the exact combo! Other options that work great are young Gouda and Cheddar. I recommend part mozzarella for the melty cheesiness and part Monterey Jack, Gouda, or Cheddar for flavor, if you want to keep it simple. Just Gouda or Cheddar also works but I don’t recommend just mozzarella because it lacks flavor.
Mayonnaise as a base for the sauce.
Sour cream for the sauce. Taco Bell relies on buttermilk to deliver that tang but for a homemade sauce, sour cream makes more sense, both texture and flavor-wise.
Pickled jalapeños. You want to use both the jalapeños and some of their juice too.
Spices. Garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne (optional). Go all in with the spices because you want ALL the flavor!
Salt and pepper.
How to make Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla at home
STEP ONE: Make the jalapeño sauce. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, pickled jalapeño juice, pickled jalapeños, garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper to a small bowl and mix until fully combined. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.
STEP TWO: Prepare the chicken*. If using rotisserie or plain leftover chicken, shred the chicken using two forks or your hands. Add the shredded chicken and part of the Jalapeño sauce to a medium bowl and mix until combined and creamy.
STEP THREE: Assemble the Chicken Quesadillas. In a skillet over medium heat, add a tortilla, top with cheese, chicken, more cheese, and another tortilla. Cook until the bottom tortilla is golden (about 1 minute), then flip and cook until golden again (about 30-60 seconds). Repeat with remaining tortillas. Slice each prepared quesadilla into wedges (if desired) and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Make-Ahead and Storing Instructions
Make-Ahead Instructions: I don’t recommend making these ahead of time as they’re best eaten hot when the cheese is still melty.
Storing Instructions: I don’t particularly recommend storing quesadillas as they have to be reheated and the sauce may melt and leak out but it can be done. Store any leftover quesadillas in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days, reheat in a skillet over medium heat until hot.
HAPPY COOKING!! I hope you’ll love this Copycat Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla recipe with sauce as much as I do!
PS: Please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ⭐️ if you make it! Your comments make my day!! You can also tag me on Instagram @itsdamnspicy 🌈💘
More copycat recipes you’ll enjoy:
Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla
Ingredients
For The Taco Bell Jalapeño Sauce
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) sour cream
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) pickled jalapeno juice (from the pickled jalapenos)
- 3 tbsp (15 g) pickled jalapenos (minced)
- 1 clove garlic (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp cayenne powder
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
For The Chicken Quesadillas
- 8 medium flour tortillas (I make my own with this recipe)
- 4 cups (800 g) shredded rotisserie chicken* (see notes in the recipe card down below if you want to cook your own chicken)
- 4 cups (460 g) shredded cheese blend (Monterey Jack, American Cheese, and Mozzarella recommended) (make your own blend if you can't find a pre-made one, other cheeses that work are young Gouda and Cheddar cheese)
Instructions
- Make the jalapeño sauce. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, pickled jalapeño juice, pickled jalapeños, garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper to a small bowl and mix until fully combined. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.
- Prepare the chicken*. If using rotisserie or plain leftover chicken, shred the chicken using two forks or your hands. Add the shredded chicken and part of the Jalapeño sauce to a medium bowl and mix until combined and creamy.
- Assemble the Chicken Quesadillas. In a skillet over medium heat, add a tortilla, top with cheese, chicken, more cheese, and another tortilla. Cook until the bottom tortilla is golden (about 1 minute), then flip and cook until golden again (about 30-60 seconds). Repeat with remaining tortillas. Slice each prepared quesadilla into wedges (if desired) and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
📷 DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?! Tag @damnspicy on Instagram!
Leave a Reply