Shushanik enjoys sharing recipes of dishes from her home country. She also likes discovering new dishes and sharing them with her readers.

Today, I will be sharing a popular Mexican dish: the chicken quesadilla. There are dozens of quesadilla variations (depending on which part of the country you're in), and this variant is very tasty.

I'll be explaining how to make your own homemade tortillas; however, if you are short on time, you can buy ready-made tortillas in your local supermarket. Then, you'll only need to make the filling.

What Is a Quesadilla?

Quesadilla is a Mexican dish which consists of two tortillas with filling, which should contain cheese (actually, the name "quesadilla" is derived from Spanish words "queso," which means "cheese"). While melting, the cheese bonds both tortillas together. I will be making a version with two tortillas, but it can also be made with one folded tortilla.

Though I am sharing a recipe that uses chicken, you can also make these with beef or ham as well.

Cook Time

Ingredients for the Tortillas

• 0.5 lbs (250g) of flour
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• a pinch of sugar
• 3/4-1 glass of water

Ingredients for the Filling

• 3 chicken fillet
• 1 big tomato
• 1 big sweet bell pepper
• 1 eggplant
• 1 onion
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• 1 can of sweet corn
• garlic
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2-3 tablespoons of tomato paste or chili sauce
• Gouda cheese
• ground cumin
• oregano
• paprika
• black pepper

Instructions

1. To make tortillas: mix flour, salt, baking powder, sugar and vegetable oil.
2. Gradually add water, knead soft, not sticky dough.
3. Leave dough for 20 min.
4. Divide the dough onto 10-12 pieces, roll each piece into a tortilla.
5. Fry each tortilla on a heated pan without butter or oil, each side for 30-60 seconds.
6. To make the filling: slice chicken fillet on thin slices, add all the spices (ground cumin, oregano, paprika, black pepper), salt, minced cilantro and garlic.
7. Add 2 tablespoons of oil olive, stir everything and put it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
8. Chop onion, bell pepper, tomato and eggplant, and fry them on a pan.
9. In 20-30 min take out marinated chicken fillet from the fridge and fry it.
10. Mix fried vegetables with the fried meat, add corn and 2-3 tablespoons of tomato paste (or chili sauce). The filling is ready!
11. To make chicken quesadilla: put thinly sliced cheese on the tortilla, then put filling, then thinly sliced cheese once again, and another tortilla on top. And put it into the microwave for 30-50 seconds.
12. Cut chicken quesadilla on 4 parts and serve with sour cream.

Step-By-Step Photo Instructions

Mix flour, salt, baking powder, sugar and vegetable oil

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Variations

There are many quesadilla variations, and you can even create your own, adding whatever ingredients you choose. Quesadillas can be made with goat cheese, spinach, tofu, zucchini, black beans, ham, pork, or roast beef. "Authentic Mexican" quesadillas are the ones with avocado or guacamole, serrano chiles, and parsley. You can even get creative and make dessert versions with chocolate, fruits, caramel, and whipped cream. This dish is so versatile that anyone can invent their own!

Comments

Tori Leumas on October 20, 2012:

Yummy! This looks really good! I'm glad you posted how to make your own tortillas! Since I'm gluten free, I can't eat flour tortillas. Now I can try my hand at making my own with gluten free flours.