Tandoori Chicken Quesadilla (Printable)

Juicy tandoori chicken combined with tangy yogurt sauce and melted cheese in a crisp tortilla.

# What You'll Need:

→ Tandoori Chicken

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

→ Yogurt Sauce

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

→ Quesadilla

19 - 4 large flour tortillas
20 - 170 grams shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese
21 - 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
22 - 1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced
23 - Butter or oil, for greasing pan

# Method:

01 - In a bowl, mix yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, paprika, garam masala, turmeric, cayenne, and salt. Add chicken strips and toss to coat. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes or up to 2 hours.
02 - Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add marinated chicken and cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fully cooked and slightly charred. Remove from heat.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, cilantro, lemon juice, cumin, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
04 - Place one tortilla flat. On half, sprinkle one-quarter of the cheese, top with cooked chicken, sliced red onion, and bell pepper. Drizzle lightly with yogurt sauce. Fold tortilla over to enclose filling. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
05 - Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat and grease lightly with butter or oil. Cook each quesadilla 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden and cheese melts.
06 - Slice quesadillas into wedges and serve immediately with extra yogurt sauce.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's the perfect argument settler when your group can't agree on Indian or Mexican food.
  • The yogurt sauce keeps everything juicy while the cheese gets gloriously crispy on the outside.
  • You can prep the chicken ahead, so weeknight dinners feel surprisingly elegant.
02 -
  • If your chicken still seems dry after cooking, it probably marinated for less than 15 minutes—the yogurt is doing the tenderizing, so patience matters.
  • Don't skimp on the pan heat when cooking the quesadillas, or you'll end up with soft, pale tortillas instead of that satisfying crisp shell.
03 -
  • Toast your tortillas lightly in a dry pan before assembling if they're thicker or a little stale; it makes them less likely to tear and gives you better texture.
  • The yogurt sauce can be made hours ahead and tastes even better when it sits for a bit, letting the cumin settle in and mellow out.
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