There was a time in my life when I loved Chili’s and ate there as often as possible. My favorite items on the menu were Southwestern eggrolls and Monterrey chicken. Now that we rarely go out to eat, I like duplicating those tastes at home. And the Monterrey chicken is so easy to reproduce.
As much as we all enjoy it in its original form, I like to play around with basics of the flavor and make it a little different. This recipe is a result of that. It has all of the original flavor but it’s packed into quesadillas and dipped in ranch dressing. So good! This variation is also a good option for stretching the chicken.
Monterrey Chicken Quesadillas
- 1/2 lb. shredded or diced cooked chicken (I used one large boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked in the oven)
- 3/4 c. barbecue sauce (bottled or homemade)
- 1/2 lb. bacon
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 2 c. shredded cheese (I use Monterrey Jack, but anything would work)
- 6 burrito-sized flour tortillas
- Butter
1. Combine chicken and barbecue sauce. Set aside.
2. Dice the bacon and add to a small skillet. Cook until desired crispness. Remove bacon from skillet with a slotted spoon to drain.
3. Add the sliced onion to the bacon grease in the skillet. Cook for about 5 minutes, until fully cooked. Remove onions with a slotted spoon and drain.
4. Build quesadillas – on a tortilla layer cheese, chicken, bacon, onion, more cheese and top with a second tortilla.
5.Cook quesadillas in a large skillet with melted butter.
