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Home » Recipes » The Best Shredded Chicken Quesadilla with Canned Chicken

The Best Shredded Chicken Quesadilla with Canned Chicken

Filed Under: 30 Days of Back To School Recipes, Father's Day, Game Day, Kid Favorites May 26, 2023

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shredded chicken quesadilla on a plate stacked up 3 slices tall

This shredded chicken quesadilla with canned chicken is a staple in our household. If there’s ever a time when I need to make something quick this shredded chicken quesadilla is what I reach for. I always make sure to keep canned chicken on hand in my pantry. And, in my house, we always have cheese, homemade sourdough tortillas, and salsa (In case of an emergency of course).

Use What You Have In Your Shredded Chicken Quesadillas

You can always add to your shredded chicken quesadilla based on what you have on hand. Adding scallions, grass fed greek yogurt , drained canned corn, black beans, or jalapeno’s are all great options. Spices such as cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder are also great additions to add an extra kick!

Cook Them How You Like

My Personal favorite way to cook a quesadilla, especially a shredded chicken quesadilla, is to heat them on the stove with a little butter over medium low heat until the cheese melts and the tortilla is crispy. However, you can batch bake them at 350 degrees until the cheese melts if that’s quicker for your larger family. It’s also an easy way to make them without using butter. The toaster oven is also a good choice if you’re looking for something like this.

And there is always the microwave option. I personally don’t like this option because it ends up rather soggy, but my kids love it. They don’t like crispy things that much so a soft quesadilla is right up their ally.

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    shredded chicken quesadilla on a plate stacked up 3 slices tall

    Shredded Chicken Quesadilla


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    • Total Time: 10 minutes
    • Yield: 4 1x
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    Description

    If you have fresh shredded chicken on hand, a rotisserie, or canned chicken, this pantry friendly dish will be a hit when you serve it!


    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 1 can chicken (drained or fresh shredded chicken or rotisserie)
    • 1/2 onion (chopped)
    • 2 cups shredded cheddar (or colby jack)
    • 1 jar salsa
    • 8 homemade sourdough tortillas
    • BBQ Sauce (optional)
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    Instructions

    1. In a mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken, diced onion, shredded cheese, and salsa. Mix until everything is evenly combined.
    2. Preheat a pan and melt a small amount of butter in it. Alternatively, you can cook these in the oven on a sheet pan at 350 degrees until the cheese melts.
    3. Take a tortilla and spread a quarter to a third of the chicken mixture evenly onto one half of the tortilla.
    4. Fold the tortilla in half to cover the filling and gently press it down.
    5. Place the folded tortilla in the preheated pan and cook on medium-low heat until the cheese melts and the tortilla turns golden brown and crispy. Flip the quesadilla and cook the other side until it reaches the desired level of crispiness.
    6. Once both sides are crispy and the cheese has melted, remove the quesadilla from the pan and let it cool for a moment.
    7. Repeat the process with the remaining tortillas and chicken mixture until all the quesadillas are cooked. To save on time you can get multiple pans going and cook them all at once.
    8. Enjoy your delicious canned chicken quesadillas! Feel free to serve them with additional toppings like sour cream, guacamole, or salsa.
    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Cook Time: 5 minutes
    • Category: Appetizer, Main Course, Snack
    • Cuisine: Mexican

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    Tagged With: $5 dinner, 5 minute dinner, budget dinner, budget dinners, budget lunch, budget meals, canned chicken, chicken quesadilla, dinner recipe, EasyRecipes, family dinner, family dinner idea, FamilyMeals, lunch ideas, lunch recipe, lunch recipes, pantry friendly, pantry friendly recipe, quesadilla, shredded chicken, weeknight dinner, WeeknightDinners

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    Hi, I’m Maria — a wife and mom of three boys, lifelong food lover, and self-proclaimed “hostess-in-training” following in my grandmother’s footsteps (she's 87 and still hosts us for elegant dinners).

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    After cooking more than 50 turkeys and planning hundreds of dinners, I’ve learned that entertaining doesn’t have to be perfect — just intentional. Read More…

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