Tandoori Chicken Quesadilla Delight (Print)

Juicy tandoori chicken and melted cheese in crispy flour tortillas with fresh yogurt sauce.

# Components:

→ Tandoori Chicken

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
02 - 120 ml plain Greek yogurt
03 - 15 ml lemon juice
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 2.5 cm piece ginger, grated
06 - 1.5 tsp ground cumin
07 - 1.5 tsp ground coriander
08 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
09 - 1 tsp garam masala
10 - 0.5 tsp turmeric
11 - 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
12 - 0.5 tsp salt
13 - 15 ml vegetable oil

→ Yogurt Sauce

14 - 120 ml plain Greek yogurt
15 - 15 ml chopped fresh cilantro
16 - 15 ml lemon juice
17 - 0.5 tsp ground cumin
18 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Quesadilla

19 - 4 large flour tortillas
20 - 170 g shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese
21 - 0.5 small red onion, thinly sliced
22 - 1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced
23 - Butter or oil for greasing pan

# Directions:

01 - Combine yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, garam masala, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and salt in a bowl. Add chicken strips and toss to coat thoroughly. Marinate for at least 15 minutes or refrigerate for up to 2 hours.
02 - Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add marinated chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes until cooked through and slightly charred. Remove from heat and set aside.
03 - Mix plain yogurt, chopped cilantro, lemon juice, ground cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside.
04 - Place a tortilla on a flat surface. Spread a quarter of the cheese over half the tortilla, then layer with a quarter of the cooked chicken, sliced red onion, and bell pepper. Drizzle with a small amount of yogurt sauce and fold the tortilla in half. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
05 - Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat and lightly grease with butter or oil. Cook each quesadilla for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown and cheese is melted.
06 - Slice quesadillas into wedges and serve hot with extra yogurt sauce on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen when you actually spent maybe thirty minutes, which is my favorite kind of magic.
  • The yogurt sauce cools down the spice just enough to let the chicken's flavor shine through without anyone reaching for water.
  • Leftover tandoori chicken transforms into something completely different, so you're not eating the same dish twice.
02 -
  • Marinating for at least 15 minutes makes the difference between dry chicken and juicy chicken—it's the one place where you shouldn't rush.
  • Don't overstuff the quesadillas or they'll burst open and leak filling all over the pan, which I learned the messy way.
  • The yogurt sauce cools down as it sits, so don't skip adding it before you cook; it needs to warm through slightly between the layers.
03 -
  • Make your yogurt sauce thinner than you think it needs to be—it thickens as everything cools, and you want it to flow, not sit in thick globs.
  • If your quesadillas are browning too fast before the cheese melts, lower the heat and cover the skillet with a lid for a minute or two.
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