Jerk Chicken Quesadilla is a Caribbean-inspired quesadilla fusion recipe made with juicy jerk chicken, sautéed vegetables, and cheese in a flour tortilla seared over a skillet. This quesadilla recipe is a great addition for Taco Tuesday.
These quesadillas with jerk chicken are great for parties as you can prepare all the ingredients well in advance. You just need to assemble and fry them before serving, which shouldn’t take that long. Jerk Chicken Quesadilla pairs well with coleslaw, Fries, Roasted Tomato Salsa or Aji Verde dip.
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Exploring Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
Jamaican jerk seasoning is a blend of Caribbean spices like allspice, scotch bonnet peppers, thyme, garlic and much more, that can be used to flavor all meats. It is so versatile that you can also add it to different cuisines and create dishes like Jerk Shrimp Pasta or Jerk Chicken Dum Biryani.
Choose your seasoning based on your spice tolerance. Choose a mild jerk seasoning if you prefer the chicken to be less spicy, as you can really feel the heat of the scotch bonnet peppers in a hot & spicy version.
Quesadilla Folding and Cooking Techniques
Two techniques to fold a quesadilla
Half-moon fold: Place your fillings on one half of the tortilla and fold the other half over the filling to create a half-moon shape. Cut the quesadilla into 3 triangles after cooking.
Blanket fold: Place your fillings covering the entire tortilla and place another tortilla over it. Cook the quesadilla over a pan and cut it into 6 triangles like a pizza.
Preparing a Quesadilla with four cooking methods
Skillet method: Cooking quesadillas over a stovetop pan is a traditional and most used technique. Cook the quesadilla over a non-stick skillet on both sides until the cheese melts and the tortilla is golden brown.
Air fryer method: Place the quesadilla in the air fryer basket and cook for 5 to 7 minutes at 375°F (190°C) and flip it over half way through. You can also spray or lightly brush oil over the outer layer of the tortilla for a crispy golden exterior.
Oven-baked method: Assemble the quesadillas and place them on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese melts and edges turn crispy.
Panini Press or Grilling method: Preheat your panini press or indoor grill. Place the quesadillas in the press or on the grill and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and grill marks are visible over the tortilla.
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs: Use chicken thighs as they are more juicy and flavorful than chicken breasts.
- Red and Green bell pepper: Cook the sliced bell peppers over high heat for a minute to ensure they do not turn mushy.
- White onion: Searing the sliced onions over the skillet caramelizes it and brings out the natural sweetness which balances the spicy jerk chicken.
- Jamaican jerk seasoning: You can prepare it at home, store-bought is quick and saves time if you are cooking in big batches for a family-style meal.
- Flour Tortillas: Ensure the tortillas are fresh and pliable for easy folding. You can choose corn tortillas for a different texture and flavor.
- Cheese: Any blend of cheeses works fine. I went with Tex-Mex Cheese as it was selling at a discount in the store.
- Cilantro: Adds a nice freshness to quesadillas. You can omit it if you don’t like cilantro.
- Lime juice: Adds a zesty kick to the jerk chicken. Save some wedges for later while serving.
- Salt to taste: Add less as Jerk seasoning has salt too. You can adjust later.
- Olive oil: Add oil while frying the quesadillas for a crispy fried texture.
See recipe card for quantities.
Walk through the Recipe
We start off by marinating the sliced chicken with Jamaican jerk seasoning, olive oil, lime juice and salt to taste. Coat the chicken well with the marinade and set it aside for 30 minutes to ensure the flavors develop.
We now cook the marinated chicken with olive oil for 7 to 10 minutes on medium to high heat in a skillet. Toss the chicken around to get a nice sear and cook until slightly charred. Set the chicken aside once cooked.
Now add the onions to the skillet and sauté until slightly caramelized. We then add in sliced red and green bell peppers and sauté for a minute before setting it aside.
It’s time to assemble the quesadilla. Place a tortilla on a flat surface and add cooked Jerk chicken, sautéed veggies, cilantro and a generous amount of cheese on one half of the tortilla.
Fold the other half and press it gently to form the quesadilla shape. Cook the quesadilla in the same skillet over low to medium heat until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are golden brown on both sides.
Repeat the same step for the remaining quesadillas and slice into thirds once finished.
Sprinkle over chopped cilantro and serve the hot Jerk Chicken Quesadilla with lime wedges. Pair the quesadillas with your favorite salsa, guacamole or sour cream.
Substitutions
- Flour tortillas: Corn tortillas, Whole wheat tortillas or spinach tortillas.
- Chicken thighs: Chicken breasts
- Cilantro: Parsley
Tips
- Sear the chicken well: Slice the chicken thin for better distribution of jerk seasoning. Cook it over a heavy bottom pan to ensure a nice sear and for even cooking.
- Balance the heat: Be mindful of the spice level in the jerk seasoning. Adjust the amount of jerk seasoning added to the chicken marinade based on your spice tolerance.
- Cooking technique: Fry the quesadillas in a non-stick skillet over low to medium heat to ensure the cheese melts without burning the tortilla. Use a spatula to gently press the quesadilla down to ensure the edges touch the pan for an even golden brown tortilla.
- Cheese hack: Add cheese over the tortilla before adding the chicken and vegetables, and then add more cheese over it. This helps bind the quesadilla together and prevents it from falling apart after cooking it.
FAQs
Yes, you can cook the marinated chicken and chop the vegetables ahead of time. However, it's best to assemble and cook the quesadillas before serving to maintain freshness and ideal texture of the tortillas.
You can prepare Jerk chicken tacos, assemble and cook the quesadillas for another time or prepare a Rasta Pasta with Jerk chicken.
Yes, you can assemble and cook all the quesadillas in advance. Do not cut them. Lay them flat over a sheet pan and place it in a preheated oven at 250 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes to keep them warm before serving.
Recipe
Jerk Chicken Quesadilla
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken thighs, sliced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, finely sliced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, finely sliced
- 1 large white onion, sliced
- 2 tablespoon Jamaican jerk seasoning
- 4 large flour tortillas
- 2 cups cheese, shredded
- 3 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Salt to taste
- Olive oil for frying
- Lime wedges (for serving)
Instructions
- In a bowl, toss the chicken slices with Jamaican jerk seasoning, 2 tablespoon olive oil, lime juice and salt to taste. Ensure the chicken is well coated and marinated for 30 minutes.
- Heat a skillet on medium-high heat and cook the marinated chicken for 7 to 10 minutes. Toss the chicken around to get a nice sear and cook until slightly charred. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan sauté red and green bell peppers and onions in olive oil for 1 to 2 minutes and set aside.
- Place a tortilla on a flat surface and spread out a scoop of Jerk chicken, sautéed onions and bell peppers, cilantro and a generous amount of cheese on half of the tortilla. Fold the other half to form the quesadilla shape.
- Cook the assembled quesadilla over low to medium heat in the same skillet until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are golden brown on both sides.
- Repeat for each quesadilla. Slice the quesadillas into thirds and serve with salsa, guacamole, or sour cream, and some lime wedges.
Video
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
- Prawns Koliwada (Mumbai-style spicy fried shrimps)
- Sumac Fries
- Crispy Brussels Sprouts Recipe (Indian style)
- Spicy Stir Fry Squid (Chinese style)
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Christopher Dcunha
The recipe looks delicious. Wanted to know which jerk chicken seasoning did you use? Or which one would you recommend? Could I go with any brand?
Brendon
Thank you Christopher. I just updated the post, under the ingredients section, with the seasoning I used.
You can go with any brand you like.