Chicken Tinga Quesadillas

With smoky chipotle, fire-roasted tomatoes, and gooey Monterey Jack, you can make these crispy Chicken Tinga Quesadillas in about an hour.

Many quesadilla recipes have two problems. The first is the cooking method: standing over a skillet, flipping them one by one, so either nobody eats at the same time or the first ones get cold and soggy. The second is the tinga itself: when you make the sauce and toss it with chicken that’s already cooked, the flavor stays on the surface. Poaching the chicken directly in the sauce fixes that, and moving the whole operation to the oven fixes the first problem too. All four quesadillas come out at once, evenly golden and shatteringly crisp in a way that’s hard to match in a skillet.

The third thing I changed was how I build the filling. I used to layer the ingredients directly into the tortilla and the quesadillas were always uneven: some bites had too much cheese, others were mostly chicken. It’s so easy to do it better. Folding the shredded chicken, cheese, and green chiles together in a bowl first distributes them all evenly so they melt into each other and stay tucked inside instead of sliding out when you cut into it.

Recipe at a Glance

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 35 minutes
• Total time: 1 hour
• Yield: 4 servings
• Skill level: Moderate

Chicken Tinga Quesadilla Ingredients

• Chicken: You can use boneless, skinless breasts or thighs for this. I prefer thighs because they stay juicier while they poach in the sauce, but breasts work well too.
• Canned Fire-Roasted Tomatoes: Don’t substitute regular diced tomatoes for the tinga, they don’t have the same charred depth as the fire-roasted variety. And you’ll need the juice as part of the poaching liquid, so don’t drain the can.
• Chipotle Hot Sauce and Powder: Using both hot sauce and chipotle chile powder adds layers of heat and flavor. I like a chipotle-based hot sauce here (both Cholula and Tabasco brands make them) for a nice vinegary tang and deep smokiness.
• Dried Oregano: If you can find it, Mexican oregano is the way to go. It has a citrusy note that’s great here, but traditional oregano is just fine too.
• Monterey Jack Cheese: This is my favorite cheese for quesadillas because it melts so smoothly. Cheddar, pepper Jack, or Oaxaca style cheese are also good options. You can also use a mixture.
• Green Chiles: I like mild canned chopped green chiles to add some texture and a little bit of acidity.
• Flour Tortillas: Look for 8-inch flour tortillas. They’re the perfect size for folding into half-moons that fit neatly on a single rimmed baking sheet.

Why This Recipe Works

• Poaching chicken in the sauce: Cooking the chicken directly in the tomato and chipotle mixture seasons the meat from the inside out, so it’s much more flavorful than using pre-cooked chicken.
• Sheet pan baking: Brushing the tortillas with a neutral oil and baking them hot creates an even, golden crunch that’s really hard to achieve in a skillet. And all of the quesadillas are ready to serve at the same time.
• Integrated filling: Mixing the filling ingredients before spooning it into the tortillas means they’re evenly distributed and every wedge holds together.

How to Make Chicken Tinga Quesadillas

Make the tinga: Cook the onion and garlic until soft, then stir in the tomatoes, broth, and spices. Nestle the chicken into the sauce and simmer until it’s tender enough to shred with two forks. Stir the shredded meat back into the sauce and transfer it to a large bowl to cool a bit. Then fold in the remaining filling ingredients.

Assemble the quesadillas: Fold the cheese, cilantro, and green chiles into the chicken mixture. Spoon the filling over half of each tortilla, fold them over, and brush both sides generously with oil.

Bake until crisp: Arrange the quesadillas on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, flip them over, and bake for another 5 minutes until both sides are deep golden brown and the cheese is bubbling.

Storage and Reheating

Store any leftover quesadilla wedges in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you’re just reheating a wedge or two, do it in a little oil in a skillet over medium low heat. If I have several leftover wedges, I like to reheat them on a wire rack set inside a baking sheet in a 375°F oven for about 8 minutes. This lets the hot air circulate so the tortillas re-crisp evenly.