Quesadilla with Grilled Chicken and Jack Cheese

The Best Chicken Quesadilla

This Chicken Jack Quesadilla makes all the difference between what you’d get served at your favorite fast food joint or a dine in restaurant. Whether you choose to use an extra large burrito sized flour tortilla, like I do, or a small to medium, these quesadilla’s are packed with flavor. I use marinated grilled chicken, Monterrey and Colby Jack Cheese and, of course, my secret sauce; made from the Fire Roasted Salsa that I showed you how to make, last post. I’m talking about a thick creamy quesadilla that any good restaurant would dream of having on the menu.

Quesadilla Grilled Chicken

It’s very important to make the chicken as tender and as flavorful as possible, when making a restaurant style quesadilla. You can make it lean, if you want to, by using breast meat, if you prefer, but I highly recommend using chicken thighs, instead. In my experience, it makes tastier quesadilla’s. Just chicken thighs isn’t going to be enough, however. Adding a spicy marinade will take it to the next level, infuse the meat with flavor and insure tenderness. 30 minutes of soaking is all it’s going to take before you take it to the grill. Then an additional 20 minutes of cooking will add the smokey taste everyone loves from great barbecue. Just be sure the meat is cooked all of the way through and hits a core temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Quesadilla Secret Sauce

The difference between a fast food quesadilla and a restaurant style quesadilla is huge. Fast food quesadillas just consist of cheese, meat (if you’re lucky),possibly some onions and/or green chili’s. There usually isn’t much bulk and generally made thin and small. A good restaurant, however, will serve up a large to extra large sized tortilla, packed with more ingredients than it can usually hold; grilled marinated chicken, 2 cheese’s and a secret sauce that makes it extra creamy when the cheese melts into it. My secret sauce consists of 3 ingredients: Sour Cream, Mayonnaise and my Fire Roasted Salsa.

Quesadilla Cheese

The cheese you choose will completely change the flavor of your Quesadilla and there are several winners. Cheddar, medium or sharp, and Jack Cheese are generally among my favorites. Queso asadero is the original cheese used to make Quesadillas but these are great alternatives. In this recipe, I like to use Monterey and Colby Jack Cheese together because it’s very crowd pleasing and not to spicy for my kids. If I’m making them for my wife and I, I’ll change out the Monterey and use Pepper Jack, instead, for a little kick. Some folks even spread cream cheese inside the tortilla but you use what you like.

Chicken Jack Quesadilla Ingredients:

6 Boneless Chicken Thighs
1 pkg Extra Large Tortilla’s
1 lbs Monterey Jack Cheese, grated
1 lbs Colby Jack Cheese, grated
1 Cube Butter, salted

Chicken Marinade
1/2 cup Water
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Cumin
1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Tumeric
1 tsp Mexican Oregano
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/2 tsp Fish Sauce
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper

Secret Sauce
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/2 cup Fire Roasted Salsa

Follow the instructions in the video recipe to make this Chicken Jack Quesadilla.

Chicken Stock Broth

Is Chicken Stock Broth?

Technically Chicken Stock and Broth aren’t the same thing, though, they basically have all of the same ingredients. Stock, however, is more concentrated and thicker because of the added bones and the cooked down gelatin secreted from them and Broth usually gets it’s flavor from adding meat instead. So to be clear, Stock is made using cooked bones, broth has no bones and is made by using the meat only, instead. Various herbs, seasonings and vegetables can be added to each to flavor them up but other than that there virtually isn’t any other difference. These recipes are usually cooked an average of 3 to 4 hours but some recipes claim they can be done in as little as 30 minutes and as crazy as 12. The truth is there is no absolute way of doing it as long as the desired effect is reached. My recipe is called a Chicken Stock Broth because I use the tips from chicken wings. This way the tips, most would throw in the trash, don’t go to waste. And, because there is such a small amount of bone in them, it gives a nice happy medium base, between a Stock and a Broth, with plenty of flavor for any recipe that calls for Stock or Broth.

Chicken Stock Bones

Most restaurants will use raw Chicken Carcass’s for their Chicken Stock. But, unless you’re carving up your own boneless breasts and chicken thighs, they’re a little hard to come by. Though Restaurants purchase these frozen, by the case, you most likely won’t be able to find them at your grocery store. Though, a good butcher shop should be able to sell them to you, a good alternative is the wings. Most recipes will suggest that to you but I say, “humbug!” Wings are spendy and cost a lot more per pound than breast meat or chicken legs and thighs. So save the wings for other recipes and just use the tips. Wing tips have enough bone, meat and skin on them to flavor up and color any good Stock. I personally just add them to a zip lock back and store them in the freezer until I need to make some.

Chicken Stock Herbs and Seasonings

A good Chicken Stock or Broth should have these basic ingredients; Onion, Parsley, Thyme, Bay Leaves and Garlic. You go well over and beyond these or even cut back to the minimum Onion but these are the good makings for a good soup base or any other recipe that calls for Stalk or Broth. The addition of vegetables will make it more hearty, so you end up with more of Vegetable/Chicken Broth; which is great because it adds more flavor. Carrots, Celery and Leak are most commonly used; even Tomatoes, at times. But if you want to add some heat you can throw in all kinds of different peppers and other spices. In Asian cooking, it’s real common to crush ginger root and add that right along with the onion.

I mentioned that a good stalk is generally cooked for several hours and because of this there tends to be a lot of reduction in the stock. But don’t hesitate to add more water and cook longer if you’re wanting or needing more Chicken Stock. The picture below is my stock at the earliest stage of the process with all of the basic ingredients added that I’ve included in the list below. Feel free to add anything else to this recipe.

Be sure to watch this short Chicken Stock Video tutorial below and I’ll show you just how easy this is to make your self. Also be sure to look into any of my Cajun Recipes if you’re celebrating the upcoming Mardi Gras Holiday season.

Chicken Stock Broth Ingredients:

3 qt Water, approximately
1 lbs Chicken Bones, raw
1 Onion, cut in half
1/2 bunch Parsley
2 sprigs Thyme
2 Bay Leaves
2 Garlic Cloves
Salt and Pepper to taste, optional

This Chicken Stock Broth can last 3 to 4 days in your refrigerator.

Pesto with Almonds

Gotta love Pesto with Almonds. I believe it’s traditionally made with Pine Nuts but even Walnuts are often substituted. So it doesn’t really matter what you use, just pick your favorite and follow this recipe to a T because it is fantastic. Just know that I cut this recipe in half when I filmed it in the video.

Also, if you’re looking for something meaty to compliment this recipe, be sure to check out my Italian Sausage and my Italian Breaded Pork Chops!

Pesto with Almonds Ingredients:

3 cups Basil Leaves, freshly packed
1/2 cup Almonds
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
3 Garlic Cloves
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper, ground
1/2 cup Olive oil
1 tsp Lemon Juice, (optional)