Oven-Baked Southwest Chicken Quesadillas with Pineapple Salsa

These oven-baked chicken quesadillas bring together smoky Southwest seasoning, tender chopped chicken, melty Monterey Jack and spicy pepper jack inside crisp flour tortillas.

A quick pineapple, tomato, lime and cilantro salsa adds a fresh sweet-tart contrast that keeps every bite bright and balanced.

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Ingredients

1 unit Green Bell PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 unit Flour TortillasView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

10 ounce Chopped Chicken BreastView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit OnionView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon Sour CreamView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.5 cup Pepper Jack CheeseView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.25 cup Monterey Jack CheeseView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit TomatoView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit LimeView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon Southwest Spice BlendView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.25 ounce CilantroView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

4 ounce PineappleView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

teaspoon (tsp) SaltView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

teaspoon (tsp) Black PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easier cleanup.
2. Wash and dry the produce. Core and thinly slice the green bell pepper. Halve, peel and thinly slice the onion. Dice the tomato and pineapple. Roughly chop the cilantro. Cut the lime into wedges.
3. Place the chopped chicken breast, bell pepper and onion on the prepared baking sheet. Season with the Southwest spice blend, salt and black pepper, then spread everything into an even layer.
4. Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven.
5. While the chicken and vegetables cook, make the salsa. In a small bowl, combine the tomato, pineapple, cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice, salt and black pepper.
6. Place the flour tortillas on a clean work surface. Sprinkle each tortilla with Monterey Jack and pepper jack, then add the cooked chicken, pepper and onion mixture. Fold the tortillas over to make half-moon quesadillas.
7. Return the folded quesadillas to the baking sheet. Bake until the tortillas are golden and crisp and the cheese has melted.
8. Cut the quesadillas into wedges. Serve with the pineapple salsa, sour cream and remaining lime wedges on the side.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

What makes these quesadillas sweet and savory?

The filling is savory from chicken, onion, bell pepper, Southwest seasoning and two cheeses, while pineapple adds a juicy sweet contrast.

What cheeses are used in this recipe?

This recipe uses pepper jack cheese and Monterey Jack cheese.

What should I serve with the quesadillas?

Serve them with the pineapple-tomato salsa, sour cream and lime wedges.

How do I know the chicken is done?

The chicken should be fully cooked through with no pink remaining. For food safety, chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F.

Does this recipe contain common allergens?

Yes. Based on the ingredients, the flour tortillas contain wheat and soy and the cheeses contain milk.