Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas with Avocado Crema

I would make these Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas every day if I wasn’t tempted to eat the whole batch every time. They’re THAT good!

Sometimes I’m in the mood to eat something fancy, but most of the time I just want something easy and cheesy. I love these Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas! You can make the chicken mixture ahead of time, so it’s easy to put together the quesadillas when you’re hungry. Plus, they’re way more flavorful than using plain grilled chicken.

The Avocado Crema is the perfect condiment for these quesadillas. It contrasts the heat from the chipotle really well and cools down each bite. Just quickly puree the ingredients in a food processor and you’re done. If you have any leftover, it’s a great dip for chips or veggies!

Ingredient Notes:

• Chipotle Peppers in Adobo – They come in a can and are easy to find in any grocery store. For this recipe, you’ll use the whole peppers AND the sauce that they come in.
• Cumin – I love buying these whole cumin seeds from Burlap & Barrel. Sure, you need a spice or coffee grinder to grind up the seeds, but the cumin is so much fresher and flavorful that way.
• Avocado Oil – i like using avocado oil here because it’s a healthy choice, but you can use any neutral oil for this recipe.
• Agave – Honey is okay to substitute for agave, if you don’t have any agave at home.
• Tortillas – You can use whichever tortillas you’d like. If you’re not gluten-free and prefer to use full-size flour tortillas, use those. But I love using Siete Foods Cassava Flour tortillas. They’re somewhere in between a taco-sized tortilla and a large flour tortilla. I was able to make 8 quesadillas from them.
• Mexican Cheese Blend – You can use any brand of Mexican cheese blend that you’d like. You can even use more cheese than the amount I have in my recipe, if you like an extra cheesy quesadilla. But I love Tillamook’s cheese blend, which you can find at many grocery stores, or right here.
• Cilantro – I haven’t tested out the Avocado Crema with any other herbs, but if you hate cilantro, you may be able to try scallion greens instead.

Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas with Avocado Crema

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Marinating Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 2 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Latin

Servings 4

Equipment

• 1 Food Processor (I used a mini one)
• 1 Medium Mixing Bowl or Ziplock bag for marinating
• 1 Medium Pan
• 1 Spatula

Ingredients

  

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For the Quesadillas:

• 3 whole chipotle peppers in adobo from can of chipotles in adobo
• 3 tablespoons adobo sauce from can of chipotles in adobo
• 2 cloves garlic peeled and kept whole
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil plus more for cooking
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon agave
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 chicken thighs about 18 oz. total
• ½ yellow onion peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 ½ cups chicken stock
• 4-8 Tortillas depending on size (I used 8 Siete Foods Cassava Flour Tortillas, which are smaller than classic flour tortillas)
• 16 oz. Mexican cheese blend
• Avocado Crema recipe below

For the Avocado Crema:

• 1 avocado
• ¼ cup cilantro leaves and thin stems packed
• 1 lime juiced
• 1 tablespoon sour cream
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon water
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

 

For the Quesadillas:

• In the bowl of a food processor (I used a mini one), combine the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, garlic cloves, cumin, oregano, avocado oil, apple cider vinegar, agave, 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt (double this amount of salt if doubling the recipe), and freshly ground black pepper. Run until smooth.
• In a medium mixing bowl, toss the chicken with the chipotle marinade. Let sit for at least 1 hour, up until overnight (If marinating longer than an hour, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Let it come to room temperature before cooking).
• When ready to cook, heat a drizzle of avocado oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-7 minutes, until golden and softened.
• Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the paste is fragrant and darkened in color.
• Add the chicken stock and chicken thighs with the marinade, making sure to scrape all the marinade from the bowl into the pan. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, partially cover pan, and cook for 40-45 minutes, until the chicken is starting to fall apart.
• Transfer chicken pieces to cutting board, while continuing to cook the sauce, and shred with two forks. Transfer back into the sauce and raise the heat to medium. Cook until the sauce has thickened and almost evaporated and is coating the chicken, about 5 minutes. Taste and season with Kosher salt, as needed.
• Transfer chicken mixture to a plate or bowl. Rinse and wipe the pan clean.
• Heat a small bit of avocado oil in the same pan over medium heat. Add tortilla and as much cheese as you’d like, sprinkled over the entire tortilla. Then add as much of the chicken mixture as you’d like over half of the tortilla. With a spatula, fold the non-chicken side of the tortilla in half over the chicken side, lightly pressing down to fold. Cook until crispy and golden on both sides, flipping over when needed. You should be able to make 4 quesadillas if using large tortillas, or 8 quesadillas if using smaller tortillas.
• TIP: Quesadillas can be kept warm on a parchment-lined sheet pan in a 250°F oven while you make the remaining quesadillas.
• If using a larger tortilla, cut into wedges. If using smaller tortillas, cut in half crosswise, or leave whole. Serve warm with the avocado crema on the side, for dipping.

For the Avocado Crema:

• In the bowl of a food processor (I used a mini one), combine the avocado, cilantro, lime juice, sour cream, mayonnaise, water, cumin, and a big pinch of Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Puree until as smooth as possible. Taste and season with more salt and freshly ground black pepper, if desired.

Notes

Quesadillas are best eaten fresh. 

Chipotle Chicken mixture can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Avocado Crema can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Keyword delicious, Spicy

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