Blackened Chicken Quesadillas with Tomato Salsa and Lime Crema

These blackened chicken quesadillas bring together juicy seasoned chicken, tender red onion and two kinds of melty cheese inside crisp flour tortillas.

A quick tomato-onion salsa and lime-sour cream drizzle add freshness and tang, while hot sauce lets everyone finish their plate with just the right amount of heat.

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Ingredients

1 unit Red OnionView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

10 ounce Chicken Breast StripsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon Blackening SpiceView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit LimeView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Roma TomatoView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon Sour CreamView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 unit Flour TortillaView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.5 cup Mozzarella CheeseView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.5 cup Mexican Cheese BlendView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 teaspoon Hot SauceView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

3 teaspoon Vegetable OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon ButterView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Salt, to tasteView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Pepper, to tasteView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Wash and dry the produce. Halve, peel and finely dice the red onion. Pat the chicken breast strips dry with paper towels.
2. Set aside 2 tablespoons diced onion for the salsa. Heat a large drizzle of vegetable oil in a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, remaining onion, blackening spice, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and wipe out the pan.
3. While the chicken cooks, zest the lime, then cut it into quarters. Finely dice the Roma tomato. In a medium bowl, combine the tomato with 1 tablespoon of the reserved onion, adding more reserved onion if desired. Squeeze in the juice from 1 lime wedge and season with salt and pepper.
4. In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, lime zest to taste and the juice from 1 lime wedge. Add water 1 teaspoon at a time until the mixture is thin enough to drizzle. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Lay the flour tortillas on a work surface. Sprinkle the mozzarella and Mexican cheese blend over one half of each tortilla. Spoon the cooked chicken filling over the cheese, then fold the tortillas in half.
6. Heat another drizzle of vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon butter in the wiped-out pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches if needed, add the folded quesadillas and cook until golden brown on the first side, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is browned and the cheese is melted, about 1 minute more. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
7. Move the quesadillas to a cutting board and slice each into thirds. Serve with the tomato salsa, lime crema, hot sauce to taste and any remaining lime wedges on the side.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

How do I know when the chicken filling is done?

The chicken should be browned on the outside and cooked through after about 4 to 6 minutes over medium-high heat, depending on the size of the strips.

Can I adjust the heat level?

Yes. The blackening spice seasons the chicken and the hot sauce is served at the end, so you can add as much or as little hot sauce as you like.

Why use both mozzarella and Mexican cheese blend?

The recipe uses mozzarella and Mexican cheese blend together for a creamy, melty quesadilla filling.

What should I do if the lime crema is too thick?

Stir in water 1 teaspoon at a time until the sour cream mixture reaches a drizzleable consistency.