Spicy BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

The other day I was chatting with a group of school moms about cooking, specifically family dinners, and a couple of us (myself included) were saying how we keep soft tortillas in the cupboard for quick, fuss-free suppers when time is limited. The kids love them and they can used to make wraps, fold overs and even pizza. The other meal you can make with them of course is quesadillas!

I am not sure what made me think of them but I suddenly had a craving and just had to make some. These quesadillas are filled with a tender pulled chicken filling, cheddar cheese and fresh coriander. The barbecue sauce is inspired by a family recipe and I added a Mexican twist by throwing in some cumin and paprika.

This recipe screams weekend food (we are getting closer guys!) but if you make the pulled chicken filling in advance it also makes a quick and easy weeknight supper. 

Cook's notes: The pulled chicken can be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge until needed. Use any leftover barbecue sauce on wraps, burgers, pizzas or as a marinade. 

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SPICY BBQ CHICKEN QUESADILLAS

Serves 4 

For the barbecue sauce:

¼ cup white vinegar
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup tomato sauce
1 tbsp mustard

For the chicken and to assemble:

olive oil for frying
1 red onion, finely chopped
1½ tsp paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
4 chicken thighs, skins removed
salt and pepper
8 x 20cm soft flour tortillas
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
handful coriander, finely chopped
sour cream to serve

Step 1.) Place all of the barbecue sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside.

Step 2.) Preheat your oven to 180°C. Heat some olive oil in a deep frying pan. Sauté the red onion, paprika and cumin together for a three minutes. Add the chicken thighs and season with salt and pepper. Toss the chicken to coat in the spices. 

Step 3.) Transfer the contents of the saucepan to an ovenproof dish. (Try and use one that allows the chicken to fit snugly in a single layer.) Pour the barbecue sauce over the chicken. 

Step 4.) Cover the oven dish with foil and bake for one hour. Transfer the chicken to a chopping board. Take the chicken off the bone and shred. Place the shredded chicken in a bowl. Add one cup of the barbecue sauce from the oven dish and mix well. 

Step 5.) Spread the barbecue chicken over four flour tortillas. Add a sprinkling of cheddar cheese and chopped coriander. Place another tortilla on top of each one. 

Step 6.) Heat a frying pan over a medium heat. Dry fry each tortilla for a minute on each side. Cut into wedges and serve immediately with some sour cream.