Grilled Quesadillas are stuffed with flavorful grilled chicken, charred onions and gooey monterey jack cheese. Served with a refreshing strawberry and avocado salsa for a sweet and savory combination that’s sure to be a surprise springtime fav!
Quesadillas might just be the most ultimate food out there. They’re crispy, cheesy, so delicious, versatile and can be thrown together in just a pinch. If your pantry staples include tortillas and cheese, you’re all set! And they’re great for cleaning out the fridge of any random veggies or leftover cooked proteins, like chicken. I love turning quesadillas into an easy weeknight full meal. So that generally means including veggies, protein and a flavor factor. I had been playing around with a strawberry salsa and thought it’d be the perfect flavorful topper for simple grilled chicken and onion quesadillas.
Tis the season for strawberries!
So the real star of the this recipe is hands down this fresh, vibrant and flavorful fruit salsa. Sweet strawberries are tossed with avocados, red onions, cilantro, lime juice, serrano and a pinch of salt for any easy yet stunning salsa. If you’re thinking “wow, fruit in salsa? thats weird,” trust me once you try it you’ll want to gobble it all up. And it’s not only a fun flavor combo, it’s a fun way to incorporate fruit into your eating. Strawberries are an amazing source of Vitamin C. Just one cup of sliced strawberries has over 149% of recommended DV! Not to mention fiber and important antioxidants including anthocyanins, which is what’s responsible for making strawberries so irresistibly red!
When I think spring produce strawberries are at the top of my mind. Sure, rhubarb and asparagus and all that are great, but there’s something about these little berries that just get me. And when I find strawberries at their most peak freshness and sweetness, forget about it. Strawberry heaven. This can be be challenging to do when shopping for strawberries in grocery stores, especially outside of their season. So here’s a little trick. If your strawberries aren’t at their fullest and ripest potential and they taste more tart than sweet, chop them and add a touch of honey. Toss to coat and then let them sit for a bit to bring out their juciness and sweetness. It makes a big difference!
How to enjoy this Strawberry and Avocado Salsa?
- Top quesadillas of course! 🙂
- Serve with a bag of tortilla chips for a fun spring appetizer
- For a sweet variation, serve with cinnamon crisps, tortillas or pitas
- Spoon over grilled chicken or steak
- Add it to salmon tacos
- Us it as a topper for shrimp tostadas
What’s in these Grilled Chicken Quesadillas?
- EVOO
- Chicken breast – I love chicken in the recipe. Steak would taste amazing as well. Or make it vegetarian and add a can of black beans.
- Chili powder
- Garlic powder
- Cumin
- Red onions – Grilled red onions have an irresistible flavor. They’re sweet and charred to perfection. I loaded these quesadillas with them. They pair really well with the savoriness of the chicken and the sweetness of the strawberries.
- Large whole grain tortilla wraps – For quesadillas I recommend using a flour based tortilla. They’re pliable, hold the filling together nicely and flip more easily than a corn tortilla. They also crisp up to perfection.
- Monterey jack cheese – This is generally my melty go-to for quesadillas. You could also use Oaxaca and Chihuahua. Or a combination of mozzarella and monterey.
- Strawberry Avocado Salsa – For serving!
If you make these Grilled Chicken Quesadillas make sure to leave a comment or give it a rating! And if you’re into taking photos of your food (like me), be sure to give me a tag on Instagram!
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Grilled Chicken Quesadillas with Strawberry And Avocado Salsa
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 20 Minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: About 4 Servings 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Grill
Description
Grilled Quesadillas are stuffed with flavorful grilled chicken, charred onions and gooey monterey jack cheese. Served with a refreshing strawberry and avocado salsa for a sweet and savory combination that’s sure to be a surprise springtime fav!
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Avocado Salsa:
2 c. diced strawberries (if not sweet and ripe, add a touch of honey)
1 avocado, cut into small cubes
1/2 c. diced red onion
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
1 serrano, minced or roughly chopped
1 lime juiced
Pinch of salt
For The Quesadillas:
1 lb. chicken breast
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. EVOO, divided
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. granulated garlic powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
2 red onions, sliced into 1/2 inch rings
4 Large whole grain tortilla wraps
8 oz. monterey jack cheese
Instructions
- To make the salsa, toss together the strawberries, avocado, red onion, cilantro, serrano, lime juice and pinch of salt. Set aside.
- Preheat the grill to medium heat. Combine 1 Tbsp. EVOO, chili powder, granulated garlic, cumin and salt. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Set aside. Brush the onion sliced with 1 tsp. EVOO. Place the onions on the grill and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, until they’re softened and lightly charred. Chop the grilled onions and set aside. Place the chicken on the grill and cook for about 15 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165, flipping halfway through. Remove from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing into bite size pieces.
- To make the quesadillas, top half of a tortilla with 1 ounce of the cheese, a quarter of the grilled onions, a quarter of the grilled chicken and then another 1 ounce of cheese. Fold the other half over the top to form a half moon. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Lightly grease grill grates and cook quesadillas, turning carefully once, until melted and tortillas are golden with grill marks.
- Cut into wedges and serve with strawberry avocado salsa. Enjoy!
Keywords: quesadillas, strawberries, salsa, fruit salsa, grilled chicken, grilled onions
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