Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas

Here’s a recipe you won’t see every day. Get all of the assembly out of the way ahead of time so that all you have to do when you are hungry is put one of these in a skillet. No thawing necessary. Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas are one of my favorite quick and easy meals to prep because they taste amazing, cook fast, and can feed one to one hundred.

Okay maybe one hundred is a bit of a stretch — that would be an awful lot of freezer space. But, this particular freezer meal is so easy to scale! More mouths to feed? Just pull out a few more quesadillas. I love baking them in the oven all at once when our table is full. (And I love a full table!) If you aren’t sure about the Buffalo flavor profile, try Spinach and Artichoke Quesadillas instead.

Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas Recipe

Ingredients for Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas

• 12 flour tortillas, large
• 1 cup chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cooked, shredded.
• 1/3 cup Franks red hot sauce
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 purple onion, diced
• 2 jalapeños, sliced and halved
• 2 cups Tex-Mex cheese, shredded
• 2 large (gallon) freezer bag or reusable silicone bag

How to Make Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas

Assembly Instructions

1. In a bowl, mix together the shredded chicken and Frank’s red hot sauce.
2. On half of each tortilla, sprinkle some cheese, chicken, red pepper, onion, and jalapeño slices.
3. Fold the other half over to close.
4. Place uncooked quesadillas on a cookie sheet in a single layer and freeze.
5. Once frozen, carefully transfer to a large resealable freezer bag (about 4 will fit in a bag), seal, and freeze.

Skillet Cooking Instructions

1. Cook from frozen.
2. Remove one or more quesadillas from the bag.
3. Cook in skillet, covered on medium heat, flipping partway through.
4. Quesadilla is done when the cheese is melted and the tortilla is golden brown.

Oven Cooking Instructions

1. Cook from frozen.
2. Remove one or more quesadillas from the bag.
3. Place on baking sheet and cook in 350°F oven for 7 minutes, and then check for doneness.
4. Quesadillas should have melted cheese and be golden brown when done.

Air Fryer Cooking Instructions

1. Cook from frozen. Preheat the air fryer to 350°F.
2. Place quesadilla in air fryer and cook for 8 minutes, flipping half way.
3. Quesadillas should have melted cheese and be golden brown when done.

My first one burned. What should I do?

Turn down the heat, and wait a couple of minutes for your skillet to cool slightly. Since we are cooking these from frozen, they need to be cooked over medium heat to prevent burning.

I have a convection oven. How would this work?

Quesadillas are perfect for a convection oven, which is nothing more than a giant air fryer. If cooking at 350ºF with the convection setting, keep an eye on the quesadillas as they will cook faster than the traditional method. Check after five minutes or keep the oven light on and check often.

I want my quesadillas crispy. What can I change?

Add a layer of cooking spray to your skillet. Butter or oil in small amounts will also work. Butter burns easily, so turn down the heat. If you are cooking the quesadillas in an oven or air fryer, spritz the flour tortillas on the outside with a bit of cooking spray.

Do I have to freeze these Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas?

No. You can cook and serve them right away or cook some and freeze the others. If you are batch-freezer cooking on the weekend, make 100 quesadillas and save just enough for dinner in the oven after your long, hard day of work.

Can I make this recipe gluten-free?

Yes. If you are using corn tortillas, keep each one flat instead of trying to fold them over. Use two per quesadilla for the top and bottom. Freeze on sheet trays, then move to a freezer bag after they are frozen. If you want folded tortillas, use those made with gluten-free flour. Corn tortillas will break to easily and do not fold well but they do fry up easily and have amazing flavor so it’s a toss-up.

Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas Recipe Ideas

It’s a great idea to have these on hand for your teens to make a quick and easy protein snack after school or practice. Cook one or two at a time and just leave the rest in the bag for later.

This recipe is incredibly versatile. Leave out the hot sauce and hot peppers to have a simple, plain version of chicken quesadilla. Add salsa and the hot peppers for a more traditional chicken quesadilla. For a softer approach to flavor, try using ranch dressing in place of the hot sauce and go easy on the peppers. Be sure to label the bags so you know which bag has which flavor of quesadilla inside.

How do I store Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas

One of the best things about this recipe is that you can cook exactly what you need — so leftovers might not be plentiful. Leftovers can be saved in the refrigerator in an airtight container for a few days and reheated in the microwave as needed.

What to Serve with Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas

Traditional Buffalo flavors would dictate that these be served with blue cheese dressing for dipping. We prefer sour cream. However, ranch dressing, mashed avocado, or guacamole would also work for dipping. In addition, they can be served with corn cake, black beans, or a fresh fruit salad. Perfect as an appetizer, whip up a batch of these for your next game day or potluck because they go great with any party food!

Print

Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

Servings: 4

Calories: 372 kcal

Ingredients

• 12 large flour tortillas
• 1 cup chicken breasts, boneless, skinless cooked, shredded,
• 1/3 cup Franks red hot sauce
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 purple onion, diced
• 2 jalapeños, sliced and halved
• 2 cups Tex-Mex cheese, shredded

Instructions

Assembly Instructions

1. In a bowl, mix together the shredded chicken and Frank's red hot sauce.

2. On half of each tortilla, sprinkle some cheese, chicken, red pepper, onion, and jalapeño slices.

3. Fold the other half over to close.

4. Place uncooked quesadillas on a cookie sheet in a single layer and freeze.

5. Once frozen, carefully transfer to a large resealable freezer bag (about 4 will fit in a bag), seal, and freeze.

Skillet Cooking Instructions

1. Cook from frozen.

2. Remove one or more quesadillas from the bag.

3. Cook in skillet, covered on medium heat, flipping partway through.

4. Quesadilla is done when the cheese is melted and the tortilla is golden brown.

Oven Cooking Instructions

1. Cook from frozen.

2. Remove one or more quesadillas from the bag.

3. Place on baking sheet and cook in 350°F oven for 7 minutes, and then check for doneness.

4. Quesadillas should have melted cheese and be golden brown when done.

Air Fryer Cooking Instructions

1. Cook from frozen.

2. Preheat the air fryer to 350°F.

3. Place the quesadilla in the air fryer and cook for 8 minutes, flipping halfway.

4. Quesadillas should have melted cheese and be golden brown when done.