Martha Stewart Adobo-Marinated Chicken Quesadillas

Martha Stewart adobo-marinated chicken quesadillas are an easy dinner made with chicken cutlets, chiles in adobo sauce and Monterey Jack cheese, ready in 2 hours 5 minutes. These spicy chicken quesadillas with quick-pickled onions fit game day, potluck night and summer cookouts.

Let the chicken sit in the pureed adobo for the full hour, because that is where all the smoky heat comes from. Cut it short and the cutlets taste plain next to the cheese and tortillas.

Martha quick-pickles red onion and jalapenos in rice vinegar and sugar, then tucks them inside with the cheese. That sweet and sour crunch cuts through the rich, spicy chicken in a way plain salsa wouldn't.

Martha Stewart Adobo-Marinated Chicken Quesadillas

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Course: AppetizerCuisine: American, MexicanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

25

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

340

kcal

Strips of grilled adobo chicken and melted Monterey Jack sit between two flour tortillas, with a tangy pickled onion and jalapeno layer in the middle. A few minutes per side on a hot grill pan gives you crisp, striped tortillas and a gooey center.

Ingredients

• 1 can (7 ounces) chiles in adobo sauce
  

• 1/2 cup water
  

• 4 chicken cutlets (4 ounces each)
  

• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
  

• 2 jalapeno chiles, stems removed, thinly sliced crosswise
  

• 1 cup rice vinegar (not seasoned)
  

• 1/4 cup sugar
  

• 8 eight-inch flour tortillas
  

• 5 ounces low-fat Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (1 ⅓ cups)
  

Directions

• Marinate the chicken: Puree 1 can (7 ounces) chiles in adobo sauce and 1/2 cup water in a blender until smooth. Pour it over the 4 chicken cutlets to coat, then refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Pickle the onions: Place 1 thinly sliced small red onion in a small bowl. Combine 2 sliced jalapeno chiles, 1 cup rice vinegar and 1/4 cup sugar in a saucepan, then simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes until the jalapenos are soft and the sugar has dissolved.
• Strain the mixture: Pour the hot jalapeno mixture over the onion and let it stand until cool. Then strain it through a fine sieve so the filling stays crisp and not soggy.
• Grill the chicken: Heat a grill pan over high heat and grill the chicken for about 2 minutes per side. Slice it into strips, then wipe the pan clean for the quesadillas.
• Assemble the quesadillas: Lay 1 tortilla on a work surface and cover it with the strips from 1 cutlet. Sprinkle on 1/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack and some onion-jalapeno mixture, then top with another tortilla and repeat with the rest.
• Grill and serve: Place a quesadilla on the hot grill pan and cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes per side. It's done when the tortillas are crisp and the cheese melts, so cut each in half and then into wedges to serve across 8 plates.

Tools for this recipe

• Vitamix E310 blender, Cuisinart fine mesh strainer set, Lodge 10.5-inch square cast iron grill pan. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use chicken breasts instead of cutlets?

Yes, slice 2 large boneless breasts in half horizontally so they cook as quickly as cutlets. Thin pieces matter here because the chicken only gets about 2 minutes per side on the grill pan.

How spicy are these quesadillas?

The chiles in adobo bring real heat, plus the sliced jalapenos in the pickled topping. To tone it down, scrape the seeds out of the jalapenos and use a little less of the adobo puree on the chicken.

Can I make the pickled onion mixture ahead of time?

Yes, it keeps in a covered container in the fridge for several days, so you can make it while the chicken marinates or earlier in the week. Strain it just before assembling so the filling doesn't turn watery.

What can I use if I don't have a grill pan?

A heavy skillet or cast-iron pan over medium heat works fine. You won't get the char marks, but the tortillas still crisp and the cheese melts in about the same 4 minutes per side.

What's the biggest mistake when making these?

Overfilling the tortillas is the common one, since extra cheese and chicken slide out when you flip. Stick to one cutlet and 1/3 cup cheese per quesadilla, and cook over medium heat so the cheese melts before the tortilla burns.