Tropical Chicken Quesadillas
These golden crispy quesadillas are sure to hit the spot! The chicken is brined in a pineapple-chili-lime brine, which adds a unique tropical flavor profile to the chicken, and then fried alongside peppers, onions, corn, and black beans.
Ingredients
Pineapple-Chili-Lime Brine
- 2 cups Water
- 200 mL Pineapple Chunks, with juice †
- 1 Lime, juiced ††
- 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tbsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 4 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
- 1 lb Chicken Breasts, cubed
Tropical Chicken Quesadillas
- 1 lb Brined Chicken Breast cubes (above)
- 1 Bell Pepper, diced small
- 1 Small Sweet Onion, diced small
- 1 package Fajita Seasoning †††
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper (optional)
- 1/4 cup Water
- Juice of 1 Lime
- 1/2 cup Canned Black Beans, well rinsed
- 1/4 cup Frozen Corn
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
- 4 Large Tortillas
- 1-2 cups Shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese
- 1-2 tbsp Vegetable Oil, for frying
Instructions
Pineapple-Chili-Lime Brine
- Add all ingredients into a large glass dish with lid and place into the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
Tropical Chicken Quesadillas
- In a large frying pan, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium heat. Add chicken, pepper, and onion to pan and cook until chicken is cooked through and peppers are soft. Season with salt and pepper. Add cayenne, fajita seasoning, water, lime juice, beans, and corn, to pan. Cook until all the ingredients are heated through and the mixture it combined nicely and thickened a bit, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- In a separate frying pan large enough to fit an entire tortilla into, heat 1 tbsp of oil. Meanwhile, begin to assemble the quesadillas. To assemble: Lay a tortilla out flat, add cheese to entire base of tortilla, ensuring to leave about a 1/2 – 1-inch perimeter around edges that is free of cheese, then add ¼ of chicken mixture onto ½ of the tortilla, sprinkle a tiny bit of cheese over top of chicken mixture, then transfer the assembled tortilla to hot pan (Do not fold the tortilla over yet – transfer to the pan flat).
- Fry the quesadilla until the cheese has melted on the side without any chicken mixture and the bottom of the tortilla is crispy and golden. Using a large spatula, fold the tortilla in half, and remove from heat – place onto a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Repeat with the remaining 3 tortillas and the rest of the chicken mixture. Cut the quesadillas into halves or thirds and serve with your choice of topping.
Notes
† I typically find a 400mL can of pineapple chunks and use half the chunks and half the liquid
†† Throw the juiced limes into the brine as well
††† I use Old El Paso Fajita seasoning, however if you choose to use a spice blend of your own, use 2 tbsp and just ensure you use a bit of corn starch (mixed with the ¼ cup water), to thicken the sauce up and bring everything together.
†† Throw the juiced limes into the brine as well
††† I use Old El Paso Fajita seasoning, however if you choose to use a spice blend of your own, use 2 tbsp and just ensure you use a bit of corn starch (mixed with the ¼ cup water), to thicken the sauce up and bring everything together.