Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas
Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas are loaded with spicy buffalo chicken, melty cheese, and crispy flour tortillas. Make one giant quesadilla in one pan! It's an easy oven-baked dinner perfect for busy weeknights.
Servings 8
Calories 382kcal
Ingredients
Buffalo Chicken Filling
- 3 cups shredded or cubed cooked chicken
- 4 ounces cream cheese (softened, ½ of an 8 oz bar)
- ½ cup buffalo sauce (see notes for mild spice tips)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Sheet Pan Quesadilla
- 8 large burrito-sized flour tortillas
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
For Topping & Serving (Optional)
- bleu cheese dressing OR ranch dressing
- buffalo sauce
- sliced green onions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet (12"x17" cookie sheet) with nonstick cooking spray. You will need two of these baking sheets.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the shredded chicken, softened cream cheese, buffalo sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt and black pepper. Stir until everything is evenly combined.3 cups shredded or cubed cooked chicken, 4 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup buffalo sauce, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Arrange 6 large flour tortillas onto the prepared baking sheet, so they slightly overlap and hang over the edges, creating a base layer.8 large burrito-sized flour tortillas
- Sprinkle half of the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the tortillas. Then spread the buffalo chicken mixture evenly over top the shredded cheese. Sprinkle the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese over top the buffalo chicken layer.3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Place the 2 remaining large flour tortillas in the middle of the sheet pan on top of the cheese. Then fold the overhanging bottom tortillas up and over the top layer (they should meet the two large flour tortillas that were placed in the center).*If needed, use toothpicks to connect the tortillas together so they stay while baking. But once you put the baking sheet on top of it, that holds the tortillas together really well. So you shouldn't need toothpicks.
- Brush the top of the flour tortillas with the melted butter.2 tablespoons butter
- Spray the flat bottom underside of a second sheet pan that's the same size as the first one. Firmly press the flat bottom of the sheet pan over top the quesadilla. Press it down to weigh down the quesadilla.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Then carefully remove the top sheet pan and continue baking for 5-8 more minutes until the tortillas are golden brown and the cheese is fully melted.
- Remove from the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes.
- Drizzle with the blue cheese dressing and buffalo sauce (optional if using) and sprinkle the green onions on top. Cut into squares and serve warm. Enjoy!*Instead of drizzling, you can also serve the sauce on the side for people to dip the quesadillas intobleu cheese dressing OR ranch dressing, buffalo sauce, sliced green onions
Notes
- It's important to let the sheet pan quesadilla rest before cutting into squares. The rest time helps the cheese set so the squares hold together cleanly.
- I use a pizza cutter to easily cut this large quesadilla into squares.
- Pressing the second sheet pan on top before cooking, is key to achieving crisp tortillas and evenly melted filling, rather than soft or soggy layers. Make sure you press the bottom flat side of the second sheet pan over top.
- I don't recommend reducing the buffalo sauce for a more mild heat, because you want to keep the sauce to chicken ratio the same to avoid a dry filling. If you want a milder buffalo chicken quesadilla here are some options; use a mild buffalo sauce such as Sweet Baby Ray's brand, or use 1/4 cup mild buffalo sauce + 1/4 cup ranch dressing for an extra mild filling. I always use the mild buffalo sauce from Sweet Baby Ray's brand and the quesadillas have a mild spice to them. If you want spicy then use regular buffalo sauce or Frank's Red Hot Sauce for a spicier kick.
- Drizzle ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing, or extra buffalo sauce over top the quesadillas (this is optional). I always serve them as is, and then if my kids want to, they can dip their quesadilla into whatever sauce they want.
- Do not skip bringing the cream cheese to room temperature. This helps it blend smoothly and lump-free into the mixture. For even easier mixing, cut the cream cheese into small cubes. To soften cream cheese you can either leave it out at room temperature for up to 2 hours, or microwave the cream cheese (unwrapped) for about 30 seconds to soften it.
- The recipe has been tested and made with a half sheet pan which measures to approximately 17.75"L x 12.75"W x 1"H. Also referred to usually as a cookie sheet, make sure you are using a rimmed one with 1" sides to it.
Nutrition
Calories: 382kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 1196mg | Potassium: 217mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 584IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 278mg | Iron: 2mg