Description
These Cheesy Hot Honey Chicken Quesadillas are a perfect blend of sweet, spicy, and savory flavors. Tender chicken breasts seasoned with smoky spices are tossed in a spicy honey sauce, then layered with gooey cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses between warm flour tortillas. Grilled to golden perfection and served with a cool jalapeño cream sauce, these quesadillas make an irresistible quick meal or snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Sauce
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2–3 tablespoons hot sauce
Jalapeño Cream Sauce
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1–2 fresh jalapeños, deseeded and chopped
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
Quesadillas
- 8 large flour tortillas
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 tablespoons butter, for grilling
- Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces with smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Cook the chicken for about 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through.
- Make hot honey sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together honey and hot sauce. Pour the mixture over the cooked chicken in the skillet and toss until the chicken is evenly coated. Keep the chicken warm while preparing the sauce and quesadillas.
- Prepare jalapeño cream sauce: In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, chopped deseeded jalapeños, lime juice, and salt. Mix until smooth and refrigerate until ready to serve to enhance the flavors.
- Assemble quesadillas: Lay one flour tortilla flat on a clean surface. Sprinkle an even layer of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese on top. Add a portion of the hot honey chicken over the cheese, then sprinkle a little more cheese on top. Cover with a second tortilla.
- Grill quesadillas: In a clean skillet, melt a tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Carefully place the assembled quesadilla in the skillet and cook for 2–3 minutes per side until the tortillas are golden brown and the cheeses have completely melted. Repeat with remaining quesadillas, adding butter as needed.
- Serve and garnish: Slice each quesadilla into wedges. Serve warm with the chilled jalapeño cream sauce on the side. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro for a burst of fresh flavor.
Notes
- For extra heat, leave some seeds in the jalapeños in the cream sauce.
- You can substitute chicken with cooked shredded rotisserie chicken for a quicker version.
- Use gluten-free tortillas to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Adjust the amount of hot sauce in the honey sauce according to your preferred spice level.
- Leftover quesadillas can be reheated in a skillet or air fryer for best texture.
