chicken quesadillas on a white plate with sauce in small bowls

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

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If you love Taco Bell, you're going to love this recipe from developer Patterson Watkins, who is not ashamed to admit her fondness for the chain. "I think Taco Bell is awesome," she says. "Their zany and unapologetic approach to food just makes me smile." Though her ambition is to make it to Live Más Live — a yearly event where Taco Bell reveals tasty new menu items — we doubt whatever they come up with will be half as good as Watkins' own crunchwrap-style barbecue chicken quesadillas.

Watkins channeled inspiration from Taco Bell's delicious crunchwraps to make these quesadillas but took her recipe up a notch by concentrating on creating the perfect flavor contrasts. Aromatics, spices, and barbecue sauce give the chicken sweet, smoky, and savory notes, while fresh vegetables play nicely with the sharp, rich cheese. The pièce de résistance, however, is how the dish comes together. "The duo of tortillas — crisp taco shell and soft flour tortilla — creates a fun mix of textures," Watkins says of the final product, one that you wouldn't want to miss out on.

Collect the ingredients to make crunchwrap-style BBQ chicken quesadillas

raw chicken, shredded cheese, tortillas, diced vegetables, and seasonings laid out on marble surface

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

To make the quesadilla filling, you'll need olive oil, chicken breasts, garlic, poblano pepper, cumin, oregano, barbecue sauce, and salt. Additional ingredients needed for assembly include flour tortillas, Monterey Jack cheese, hard taco shells, tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro.

Step 1: Heat the cooking oil

oil in a black frying pan on a marble surface

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Step 2: Add the chicken, poblano, and spices

raw chicken and spices in a black frying pan

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Once the oil is hot, add the chicken, garlic, poblano, cumin, and oregano to the skillet. Stir to combine.

Step 3: Cook the chicken

cooked chicken and peppers in a black frying pan

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Step 4: Stir in the barbecue sauce

cooked chicken, peppers, and barbecue sauce in a black frying pan

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Add barbecue sauce to the skillet. Mix well with the chicken and poblano.

Step 5: Simmer the chicken in the sauce

cooked chicken with barbecue sauce in a pan on a marble surface

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Continue to cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Season to taste with salt.

Step 6: Start with cheese when assembling the crunchwrap-style BBQ chicken quesadillas

flour tortilla topped with shredded cheese on a white plate next to bowl of cheese

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

To assemble a quesadilla, start by placing a flour tortilla on a clean work surface, and evenly sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese.

Step 7: Lay down a taco shell

flour tortilla topped with shredded cheese and a split taco shell

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Place the two halves of a split taco shell on top, side by side.

Step 8: Add more cheese

flour tortilla topped with shredded cheese next to bowl of cheese

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Scatter 2 tablespoons more cheese over the taco shells.

Step 9: Top the cheese with chicken

flour tortilla topped with chicken and peppers next to pan of cooked chicken

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Spoon approximately ⅓ cup of the chicken mixture onto the cheese layer, spread out evenly.

Step 10: Scatter vegetables over it

flour tortilla topped with chicken and vegetables next to bowls of diced vegetables

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Top the chicken mixture with a generous sprinkle of tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro.

Step 11: Time for more cheese

flour tortilla topped with chicken, vegetables, and cheese on a white plate

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Add 2 more tablespoons of cheese on top.

Step 12: Give it another taco shell layer

flour tortilla topped with a split taco shell next to a bowl of cheese

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Lay two split taco shells side by side over the layer of cheese.

Step 13: Throw on even more cheese

flour tortilla topped with shredded cheese on plate next to bowl of cheese

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Cover the shells with another 2 tablespoons of cheese.

Step 14: Finish the crunchwrap-style BBQ chicken quesadillas with another flour tortilla

an assembled quesadilla on a white plate next to bowl of cheese

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Cap the quesadilla with a flour tortilla. Gently press down to compact. Repeat the assembly steps with the remaining tortillas, shells, and filling ingredients.

Step 15: Grease a clean skillet

a pool of oil in silver-colored frying pan on marble surface

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Work in batches to cook the assembled quesadillas by first drizzling another skillet with approximately ½ tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.

Step 16: Put a crunchwrap-style BBQ chicken quesadilla in the pan

whole quesadilla sitting in oil in silver-colored frying pan

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Once hot, place an assembled quesadilla into the skillet.

Step 17: Brown the quesadillas on both sides

whole toasted quesadilla in silver-colored frying pan

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, until the cheese is melty and the tortilla is golden-crisp. Repeat with the remaining quesadillas.

Step 18: Slice the crunchwrap-style BBQ chicken quesadillas

aerial view of sliced chicken quesadillas on a white plate and on wooden surface

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

Cut into slices before serving.

What to pair with crunchwrap-style BBQ chicken quesadillas

No need to head to Taco Bell for crunchwraps anymore. You can make it at home with this crunchwrap-style barbecue chicken quesadilla recipe.

chicken quesadillas on a white plate surrounded by dips and diced vegetables

  • 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 poblano pepper, diced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ cup barbecue sauce
  • Salt, to taste
  • 12 taco size flour tortillas
  • 3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 12 hard taco shells, split along the fold
  • 1 cup diced tomatoes
  • ¼ cup diced red onion
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken, garlic, poblano, cumin, and oregano to the skillet. Stir to combine.
  3. Saute for 10 minutes.
  4. Add barbecue sauce to the skillet. Mix well with the chicken and poblano.
  5. Continue to cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Season to taste with salt.
  6. To assemble a quesadilla, start by placing a flour tortilla on a clean work surface, and evenly sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese.
  7. Place the two halves of a split taco shell on top, side by side.
  8. Scatter 2 tablespoons more cheese over the taco shells.
  9. Spoon approximately ⅓ cup of the chicken mixture onto the cheese layer, spread out evenly.
  10. Top the chicken mixture with a generous sprinkle of tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro.
  11. Add 2 more tablespoons of cheese on top.
  12. Lay two split taco shells side by side over the layer of cheese.
  13. Cover the shells with another 2 tablespoons of cheese.
  14. Cap the quesadilla with a flour tortilla. Gently press down to compact. Repeat the assembly steps with the remaining tortillas, shells, and filling ingredients.
  15. Work in batches to cook the assembled quesadillas by first drizzling another skillet with approximately ½ tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
  16. Once hot, place an assembled quesadilla into the skillet.
  17. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, until the cheese is melty and the tortilla is golden-crisp. Repeat with the remaining quesadillas.
  18. Cut into slices before serving.
Calories per Serving 923
Total Fat 47.0 g
Saturated Fat 17.7 g
Trans Fat 0.1 g
Cholesterol 124.9 mg
Total Carbohydrates 78.0 g
Dietary Fiber 5.4 g
Total Sugars 12.8 g
Sodium 1,534.0 mg
Protein 47.0 g

The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Can I make quesadillas using something other than a skillet?

sliced chicken quesadillas stacked on a white plate surrounded by dips

Patterson Watkins/Mashed

It's perfectly possible to think outside the pan and cook the quesadillas using a different method. A panini press would work perfectly, as long as you don't press too hard and push the filling out of the sides or crush the taco shells. If you have a two-burner griddle, it will allow you to cook more than one quesadilla at a time. Those who swear by their air fryer can use it to bake the quesadillas for six minutes at 350 F, flipping them halfway through. A conventional oven isn't recommended for cooking these quesadillas, however, as it might cause the taco shells to lose some of their crispness.

If it's an outdoor cooking season and you're dying to fire up the grill, this would be another way you could make your quesadillas. Preheat the grill to medium and, as you wait, brush the quesadillas on both sides with a small amount of oil. Once the grill is hot, cook the quesadillas for about four minutes on each side.

How hot are poblanos compared to other chiles?

This recipe calls for poblano peppers, to which Watkins explains, "I like using these peppers when I just want a smidge of heat, especially if I am using other ingredients that might be sweet or unctuous or tangy." On the Scoville scale, poblano peppers are 1,000 to 2,000 Scoville heat units (SHU), whereas bell peppers are at 0 SHU, and regular jalapeños can range from 2,500 to 8,000 SHU. Poblanos work well in this recipe because the small amount of heat they provide isn't enough to overpower the flavors of the barbecue sauce. 

Should you be unable to find these peppers, the best substitute is Anaheim chiles. They have a similar texture and flavor to poblanos, although they're slightly sweeter. Their heat level is also in the ballpark, as they range from 500 to 2,500 SHU.

If you want spicier quesadillas, you can always substitute jalapeños, although you may want to use more than one since poblano peppers are larger. The taste will also be somewhat different since jalapeños tend to taste vegetal, while poblanos have a more earthy flavor. Another way to amp up the heat would be to add chili powder or dried chiles to the spice mixture. You could also stir some hot sauce into the quesadilla filling or spike your barbecue sauce with it. Be careful not to make the sauce too liquidy, however, as this could result in soggy quesadillas.

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