American
Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas
Chicken is cooked to 165°F, bacon is crisped, and both are folded into tortillas with ranch and cheddar. The quesadillas toast until the cheese melts and the outside is spotted brown.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 22 min
- Total
- 37 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Thin chicken strips reach 165°F in the same skillet that crisps the bacon.
- A spoon of ranch inside the tortilla seasons the filling without making it soggy if you do not flood it.
- Cheddar on both sides of the filling helps the quesadilla hold together when it is flipped.
- Medium heat toasts the tortilla by the time the cheese melts. High heat burns the outside first.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Move it to a plate and chop it. Leave a thin film of fat in the skillet.
- 2
Pat the chicken dry. Season it with the garlic powder, paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper. Do not rinse the raw chicken.
- 3
Add the olive oil if the pan looks dry. Cook the chicken strips over medium heat until the thickest piece reaches 165°F and the meat is no longer pink, about 6 minutes.
- 4
Move the chicken to the plate with the bacon.
- 5
Spread a thin layer of ranch dressing on the flour tortillas. Add cheddar, chicken, bacon, scallions, and a little more cheddar. Fold closed.
- 6
Toast the quesadillas in the skillet over medium heat until browned and the cheddar melts, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Cook two at a time if they fit in a single layer.
- 7
Cut into wedges and serve.
Pro tips
- Check 165°F in the thickest strip, not the thin tapered end, which cooks first.
- Too much ranch will leak and steam the tortilla. One tablespoon per quesadilla is enough.
- Pour off excess bacon fat before toasting so the tortillas crisp instead of frying soggy.
Easy substitutions
- Ranch dressing
- A mix of mayonnaise and a squeeze of lime
- Cheddar cheese
- Monterey Jack
- Chicken breasts
- Boneless chicken thighs, still cooked to 165°F
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate up to 3 days.
Reheating
Toast in a skillet over medium heat until the chicken is hot, 165°F. Cover loosely if the tortilla browns before the center heats.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 678
- Protein
- 46 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 38 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
Moderate · Stovetop · High Protein
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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