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Twice baked means double crunch and double the yum! These crispy twice baked chicken avocado lime quesadillas make for a delicious dinner any night of the week, sure to be a family favorite!
You’ve heard of twice baked potatoes, but let us introduce you to twice baked quesadillas. These quesadillas are super crunchy and packed with delicious heat and flavor to make a yummy weeknight dinner. We know, the idea of baking quesadillas twice sounds strange! But trust us, it does the trick to elevate your normal quesadilla recipe.
Shredded spicy seasoned chicken, melted grated cheddar cheese, and avocado slices are sandwiched between two soft homemade tortillas. After they are baked twice, the tortillas become browned and crispy adding an extra crunch. They have became a fast favorite at our table!
Our secret to adding the extra crunch to the tortillas is in actually by baking them twice. First, in a buttered skillet to melt the fillings and second in a hot oven for extra crispiness and melding of flavors. Typically, quesadillas are served with soft flour tortillas, cooked stovetop just long enough so the cheeses and fillings melt together. But in order for us to add more texture and crunch to this recipe, we chose a different method of cooking. And the result is so delish!!
Crispy Twice Baked Chicken Avocado Lime Quesadillas
What you will need:
Tortillas: We made our own tortillas for this recipe, just because we prefer the flavor and texture of homemade vs store bought. But if you’re on a time crunch or have regular tortillas on hand, feel free to use them.
Chicken tenders: Chicken tenders are marinaded in a spicy blend of seasonings, cooked and shredded. The seasoned chicken tenders add a punch of flavor to the dish.
Seasonings for marinade: The spicy marinade is made from a combination of salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, garlic and onion powder.
Limes: You’ll need the zest and juice from a couple limes. One lime will be used for the marinaded chicken, and the others will be to season as you are cooking the chicken for a stronger punch of lime.
Sharp White Cheddar Cheese and Sharp Yellow Cheddar Cheese: We love a mix of a white and yellow cheddar cheese. If you just have one type on hand that’s okay too! And we also prefer buying a cheese block and grating the cheese because we enjoy the fresher flavor. But if you are lacking time, opt for the packaged shredded cheese.
Avocado: You can either layer with avocado slices or mash and spread on each tortilla to ensure you get avocado in every bite. Either way is delicious!
How to make crispy twice baked quesadillas:
How to Make the Marinade
Place your chicken tenders, seasonings and olive oil in a bag and shake until all the chicken pieces are coated with the marinade.
Put in the fridge to sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour or just while you make your tortillas.
How to Make Homemade Tortillas
If you have the time, to make homemade tortillas, they simply are the best and super easy to make with just 4 ingredients. But if you are opting for a store-bought flour tortillas, skip this step and start with cooking your chicken.
In a large bowl, measure out your flour and salt. Add in olive oil and very warm water. Mix together with a wooden spoon (or your hands) until a soft dough comes together. If you find your dough is a little sticky, add a bit more flour until you have a dough that is easily workable. Careful to not add too much flour, so add a little at a time.
Remove the dough from the bowl onto a floured surface. Start kneading the dough with your hands. The key to the tortillas is needing the dough long enough. You want to kneed for about 5-10 minutes. So no need to go the gym, you get your arm workout in making tortillas today! Haha!
Once you have kneaded the dough and it feels firmer but is still playable, form it into a ball. Cut the dough ball like a pizza into 8 even pieces. Form each slice in to a smaller dough ball.
Using a rolling pin, roll the tortilla out into a thin circle. Continue until you have made all your tortillas.
Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add some butter to oil the pan, making sure the whole skillet is coated. Place a tortilla in the skillet and cook until it starts to bubble. Flip over and cook for a couple more minutes. Place the tortillas on a plate lined with a towel and cover to keep warm.
How to Cook the Quesadilla Chicken
After you have cooked your tortillas, do not turn off the heat from the skillet. Place your marinaded chicken tenders in the hot skillet with a bit more butter and cook until they reach 165*F on the inside. Season with fresh lime juice and zest. Cut or shred your chicken tenders before assembling your quesadillas.
Assembling the Quesadillas
Before you assemble your quesadillas, preheat your oven to 400*F. While you assemble your quesadillas, heat another skillet on medium-heat skillet.
On one tortilla, sprinkle cheese first. Your cheese is the glue to hold everything in your quesadillas. Layer with avocado, seasoned chicken shreds and even more cheese. Top with another quesadilla. Butter your heated skillet and carefully transfer one quesadilla. Cooking one at a time. Cook until the cheese has melted and flip over to cook the other side for a couple minutes. After they are done cooking, transfer to a parchment lined sheet pan.
Repeat these assembling cooking steps for all the quesadillas.
Now it is time to bake them a second time and make them extra crispy. Here is where they are TWICE BAKED. With all your quesadillas on a parchment-lined baking sheet, place in the oven for an additional 10 minutes. The flavors will start to meld together and the quesadillas will become crispier.
Remove from the oven, cut each quesadilla like a pizza into 4-6 pieces and enjoy hot!
This post is all about how to make Crispy Twice Baked Chicken Avocado Lime Quesadillas.
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Crispy Twice Baked Chicken Avocado Lime Quesadillas
Twice baked means double crunch and double the yum! Spicy, lime-zested chicken, lots of cheese and avocado, sandwiched between two homemade tortillas make for a delicious weeknight dinner.
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 quesadillas 1x
Ingredients
Homemade Tortillas
- 2 cups unbleached flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2/3 cup hot water
Chicken Marinade
- 1 lb chicken tenders
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 limes (zested)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
Other quesadilla fillings
- 1 cup white cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1 cup yellow cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 2 avocados (sliced or mashed)
Instructions
Making Chicken Marinade
- Place your chicken tenders, seasonings and olive oil in a bag and shake until all the chicken pieces are coated with the marinade. Put in the fridge to sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour or just while you make your tortillas.
Homemade Tortillas
- Note: If you are opting for a store-bought flour tortillas, skip this step and start with cooking your chicken.
- In a large bowl, measure out your flour and salt. Add in olive oil and very warm water. Mix together with a wooden spoon (or your hands) until a soft dough comes together. If you find your dough is a little sticky, add a bit more flour until you have a dough that is easily workable. Careful to not add too much flour, so add a little at a time.
- Remove the dough from the bowl onto a floured surface. Start kneading the dough with your hands. The key to the tortillas is needing the dough long enough. You want to kneed for about 5-10 minutes.
- Once you have kneaded the dough and it feels firmer but is still playable, form it into a ball. Cut the dough ball like a pizza into 8 even pieces. Form each slice in to a smaller dough ball.
- Using a rolling pin, on a floured surface, roll the tortilla out into a thin circle. Continue until you have made all your tortillas.
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add some butter to oil the pan, making sure the whole skillet is coated. Place a tortilla in the skillet and cook until it starts to bubble. Flip over and cook for a couple more minutes. Place the tortillas on a plate lined with a towel and cover to keep warm.
Cooking the Chicken
- After you have cooked your tortillas, do not turn off the heat from the skillet. Place your marinaded chicken tenders in the hot skillet with a bit more butter and cook until they reach 165°F on the inside. Season with fresh lime juice and zest. Cut or shred your chicken tenders before assembling your quesadillas.
Assembling & Cooking the Quesadillas
- Before you assemble your quesadillas, preheat your oven to 400°F. While you assemble your quesadillas, heat another skillet on medium-heat skillet.
- On one tortilla, sprinkle cheese first. Your cheese is the glue to hold everything in your quesadillas. Layer with avocado, seasoned chicken shreds and even more cheese. Top with another quesadilla.
- Butter your heated skillet and carefully transfer one quesadilla. Cooking one at a time. Cook until the cheese has melted and flip over to cook the other side for a couple minutes. After they are done cooking, transfer to a parchment lined sheet pan. Repeat these assembling and cooking steps for all the quesadillas.
- Baking them a second time: With all your quesadillas on a parchment-lined baking sheet, place in the oven for an additional 10 minutes. The flavors will start to meld together and the quesadillas will become crispier.
- Remove from the oven, cut each quesadilla like a pizza into 4-6 pieces and enjoy hot!
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: dinner, Main Course
- Cuisine: Mexican, Tex-Mex
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