Sunshiney weather calls for sunshiney food!  And these quesadillas are all that..and a bag of delicious.

By using chicken breast tenderloins and just a few simple ingredients you are allowed to marinate and cook the chicken so incredibly quickly. Perfect for a weeknight. Fabulous for any night. Or day. So good.

If you have played around with a few of my recipes or read along here frequently you’ve likely found that I am a fan of ground chipotle powder.  It’s basically just bold, smokey flavor in a jar that pretty much takes every dish under the sun to a whole new level.  If you don’t have it in your spice rack, I highly suggest you add it.  I assure you it will not be one of those use-once-and-never-again spices sitting in there.  We love it on roasted potatoes, any sort of grilled protein, for adding to vinaigrettes and so incredibly much more.

So for this recipe, by adding that divine spice to a mixture of sour cream, cream, lime and garlic you have will have officially met a condiment that will knock your socks off.

And smothering it on a perfectly grilled quesadilla thats filled with flavor-bombed chicken, cheese, bacon and green onion?  Oh my heavens!

 

Smokey Grilled Chicken Quesadillas with Chipotle Lime Sour Cream

notes:  chipotle powder can be found in the spice section of almost every market.  I use Archer Farms brand from Target, see here.  also, any flour tortilla will work here including gluten free and whole grain varieties.

Ingredients

For the Chicken

1 Pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Tenderloins

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

1 Lime, juiced

1 Teaspoon Chipotle Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

For the Chipotle Lime Sour Cream

1/2 Cup Sour Cream

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream

1 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice

1/2 Teaspoon Chipotle Powder

1 Clove Garlic, grated or pressed

1/2 Teaspoon Kosher or Sea Salt

For the Smokey Grilled Chicken Quesadillas

6-8 Flour Tortillas, depending on size

2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

4 Slices Cooked Bacon, chopped

4 Green Onions, thinly sliced

Chopped Cilantro, for garnish

Directions

For the Chicken

Preheat grill to medium high heat.

Whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, chipotle powder and salt in a small bowl.  Place chicken in a shallow bowl or plastic resealable bag and cover with the marinade, ensuring the chicken is coated well.  Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes or up to 4 hours.

Remove chicken from marinade and place on the grill.  Grill, covered, for 8-10 minutes, flipping once in between cooking, or until chicken is nicely charred and thoroughly cooked through.  Let chicken rest for 5-10 minutes and then chop into small pieces.

For the Chipotle Lime Sour Cream

Add all ingredients to a medium sized bowl and whisk well to combine.  Let sit at room temperature for up to 30 minutes.  Can be made ahead and stored in the fridge up to 24 hours in advance.

For the Smokey Grilled Chicken Quesadillas

Lay tortillas flat on a work surface.  Divide the cheese, bacon, green onion and diced chicken among half of the tortillas.  Top with the remaining tortillas.  Place back on the grill and cook, covered, for 2 minutes per side or until they begin to crisp and lightly brown.  Serve topped with Chipotle Lime Sour Cream and sprinkled with cilantro.  Serves 4-6.