Best Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Sheet Pan Quesadillas 

Best Cheese Buffalo Chicken Sheet Pan Quesadillas

Why You Should Give This Recipe a Try

I am a sucker for a good quesadilla. I make them all the time, usually just a plain cheese quesadilla or, if I’m feeling ambitious, I may add in some  shredded chicken and fry everything up in some butter for a little crispy tortilla action. It makes for a super easy dinner and is a great way to use up some leftover chicken. Alas, I am not one to leave good enough alone which is how I found myself making these Best Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Sheet Pan Quesadillas. 

Why do I love quesadillas? Because they taste good and they are easy. Why do I love these even more? Because they taste better and are easier! Tender leftover rotisserie chicken smothered in bottled buffalo sauce sits on a bed of gooey Monterey Jack Cheese and sautéed bell peppers and onions. The whole thing sits on overlapping flour tortillas topped with – you guessed it – more tortillas. That is it! Pop them in the oven for the absolute crispiest, cheesiest, spiciest, best chicken quesadillas ever. They are the perfect busy weeknight dinner for the entire family. Double up the recipe and cut them into small pieces – squares or triangles – for a fun game day or party snack. Top with some sour cream, guacamole, and/or pico de gallo, and you are set. Any way you slice them, these Best Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Sheet Pan Quesadillas are a simple dish bursting with wonderful flavors. 

Some of the best features of this recipe:

Time saver! Instead of filling and frying quesadillas individually, simply layer your tortillas and filling on a sheet pan, fold them up, and bake. It makes the cooking process so much easier. 

Rotisserie chicken! Another time-saving element of the recipe is using rotisserie chicken instead of cooking your own. You can even use up leftover chicken.

Crispy flour tortillas. Frying tortillas the way I usually do yields a soft, buttery quesadilla, but these are totally crunchy, a nice contrast to the tender chicken and melty cheese.

Buffalo sauce! Buffalo sauce adds just the right heat to these easy chicken quesadillas. You can use a hotter sauce for more spice or stick with something more mild.

Feed the whole family at once. Instead of waiting for the individual quesadillas to be fried, everyone gets to eat at the same time. Pull the tray out of the oven, cut into squares or triangles and you’re all ready to eat.

So many topping possibilities! I like to cut the spiciness with sour cream, but you can top your quesadillas with whatever works for you: sour cream, blue cheese dressing, guacamole, pico de gallo – even store bought salsa. Go with your personal preference!

As with all my recipes, Best Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Sheet Pan Quesadillas is a super easy recipe with no complex cooking techniques, no special equipment, and with simple ingredients you can find in any grocery store. 

Recipe Ingredients

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

3/4 buffalo sauce

1 bell pepper

1/2 medium yellow onion

1 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

6 flour tortillas

Non-stick cooking spray

Optional toppings:

Sour cream

Guacamole

Pico de gallo

​Salsa

Blue cheese dressing

Helpful Tools

• ​Large bowl
• ​Wooden spoon
• Slotted spoon
• ​Sharp knife
• Cutting board
• Large skillet
• ​Heat resistant rubber spatula
• ​Measuring spoon
• ​Liquid measuring cup
• 2 rimmed sheet pans
• ​Aluminum foil
• Pizza cutter

Ingredient Notes

I like using rotisserie chicken for lots of things because it is easy and because it has a really tender texture. If you don’t have rotisserie chicken available, you can always use poached chicken breasts. See Tips and Tricks, below, for directions.

Monterey Jack cheese is my go-to for Mexican food, but you can substitute cheddar cheese or even pepper jack cheese.

Non-stick cooking spray is really important in promoting the crispy texture, so make sure you use it. I use the same generic Pam cooking spray that I use for spraying baking pans.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Shred two cups of breast meat from the rotisserie chicken. You can use two forks or, if you are messy like me, your hands.

3. Place the chicken in a large bowl.

4. Pour 3/4 cup buffalo sauce over the shredded chicken and toss to combine.

5. Prepare the veggies. Slice and chop 1/2 medium yellow onion. Cut the top off of the pepper, remove the membranes, and chop.

6. Heat one tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 

7. Add the chopped onions and pepper and sauté, stirring occasionally. Cook until soft, about 2-3 minutes. If the onion starts to burn, turn the stove down to medium heat.

8. Remove from the heat and aside.

9. Spray one of the rimmed baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray.

10. Place flour tortillas in the center of the pan in a square formation with the edges overlapping slightly.

11. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cup of shredded cheese evenly over the tortillas.

12. Lay the sautéed veggies evenly over the cheese.

13. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the chicken and buffalo sauce over the cheese and veggies. 

14. Place two additional tortillas, with the edges overlapping, in the center of the chicken mixture.

15. Lightly spray the two tortillas with non-stick cooking spray.

16. Fold up the bottom tortillas over the top tortillas, top, bottom, and side. They may try to unfold, but that’s OK. We will fix that in a second.

17. Lightly spray all of the tortillas with non-stick cooking spray.

18. Top the tortillas with aluminum foil. You may need to press the folded tortillas down with your hand.

19. Top the aluminum foil with the second baking sheet. The bottom of the sheet will be pressed against the top of the tortillas.

20. Bake for 20 minutes until the tortillas are slightly browned.

21. Remover the baking sheet and the aluminum foil and continue to bake for 7-10 minutes until the quesadillas are evenly browned and crispy.

22. Cut into the desired size and shape using a pizza cutter. CAUTION: The quesadilla mixture will be extremely hot.

​23. Serve with the toppings of your choice.

Check out the printable recipe card for Best Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Sheet Pan Quesadillas, below.

Storage

Store leftover quesadillas in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

The crispiness of the quesadillas is best as soon as they are made, but you can try reheating them in an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Place the leftovers in on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the quesadilla is heated through. You can also reheat them in a toaster oven at 350 degrees.

Tips & Tricks

If you don’t have rotisserie chicken available, you can also use poached boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Do this by adding the chicken breasts to a large skillet and covering them with cold water. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook 18-23 minutes until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the chicken reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Let the chicken cool and then shred it with two forks.

I find that 3/4 cups of buffalo sauce is perfect, but I don’t want my quesadillas swimming in liquid. You can avoid this by lifting the chicken from the bowl using a slotted spoon.

I love using rotisserie chicken in recipes because it is such a time saver and has a wonderful taste and texture. It is part of many of my recipes including…

Easy Sheet Pan BBQ Chicken Nachos

Layered Chicken Enchilada Lasagna

Ultimate Creamy Chicken Pot Pie with Tater Tots

One Pot Tortellini Soup with Chicken