I personally think that everything tastes better on the grill. I also really like Mexican food, and quesadillas are probably my number one "go-to" meal when I'm short on time. A couple tortillas, some shredded cheese, a couple of jalapenos and onions, and you're all set. But last weekend, I decided to experiment a bit. What if I grilled the quesadilla? No, not just grilled the chicken. Grill the entire quesadilla, too. Well, I'm very glad I decided to try this because these grilled chicken quesadillas have now earned a permanent spot in our list of top dinner ideas!
I wanted to include chicken in these grilled quesadillas, but I find that chicken tends to dry out very easily on the grill. So I decided to throw together a quick marinade for the chicken before putting it on the grill. If you happen to have bottled marinade around, you could certainly use that, too. I didn't have any bottled marinades in the pantry, so I threw some of my favorite ingredients into a mini-food processor and made my own. (The beautiful thing about making your own is you can substitute in your favorite ingredients. Don't like garlic? Leave it out. Like spicy food? Throw in an extra jalapeno.)
I like to include onions in my quesadilla, but raw onions are way too potent since quesadillas don't take very long to make. So guess what? Yup, I grilled the onions, too. In case you're counting, that makes grilled chicken and grilled onions… all inside a grilled quesadilla. The little bit of char-flavor really elevates this entire recipe. Sure, it might require a bit of assembly, but the resulting quesadilla is well worth your efforts!
If you enjoy grilled chicken, then make sure to check out my recent post on BBQ Chicken Pizza Recipe!
Grilled Chicken Quesadilla Recipe
Ingredients
For the Marinade:- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 cup fresh cilantro
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and deveined
- 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
- 1 red onion, cut into 1/2" slices
- 2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded
- 4 burrito-sized flour tortillas
- salsa, for dipping
Directions
- Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a food processor, and process until smooth. Place chicken breasts in a small dish and coat with marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.
- Preheat grill to medium heat. Brush the onion slices with olive oil. Place chicken and onions on grill, and grill for 10-12 minutes or until done. Transfer cooked chicken and onions to a cutting board. Dice until ½"-1" pieces.
- Lay out the 4 tortillas and distribute cheese, chicken, and onions evenly. Fold in half and place on grill over medium heat. Grill for 2-3 minutes per side, or until cheese has fully melted. Cut into wedges and serve with salsa.
via Food Fanatic http://www.foodfanatic.com/2013/11/grilled-chicken-quesadillas-magic-in-the-marinade/
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