FridgeToTable

What to Make With Tortillas and Chicken: 3 Fast Weeknight Dinners

Tortillas and chicken are a quesadilla, a soft taco, or a skillet of enchiladas, and you can pick based on how cooked the chicken already is. Rotisserie or leftover chicken makes this a 15-minute night. Raw chicken needs the extra minutes in the taco card. Cheese is the glue. Got more in the fridge? Snap a photo and we'll pick dinner for you. Free.

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Quick picks: 3 dinners with tortillas and chicken in 30 minutes or less

Fastest option: a 15-minute dinner

15 min

Chicken and cheese quesadillas

Total time, start to plate · One skillet · serves 4 · Kid-friendly

Shredded cooked chicken and cheese in a tortilla, toasted in a skillet.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked chicken
  • 4 flour tortillas
  • 1 cup shredded cheese
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Steps

  1. Shred the chicken. If it is cold, you do not need to precook it.
  2. Fill half of each tortilla with chicken and cheese. Fold.
  3. Toast in a skillet until the outside is spotted and the cheese melts.
  4. Cut into wedges. Salt only if the chicken was plain.

Keeps: Best right away. The chicken filling keeps 3 days.

One-pan or sheet-pan option

20 min

Chicken skillet tacos

Total time, start to plate · One skillet · serves 4 · Kid-friendly

Small pieces of chicken sear with chili powder, then go into warm tortillas.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb chicken
  • 8 corn tortillas
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 lime

Steps

  1. Cut the chicken into small strips. Toss with salt and chili powder.
  2. Sear in a hot skillet in one layer until cooked through. Don't crowd it.
  3. Warm the tortillas in the same skillet for a few seconds a side.
  4. Fill and add lime. The chicken should be juicy, not steamed.

Keeps: Chicken keeps 3 days. Warm tortillas when you eat.

The other dinner

25 min

Skillet chicken enchiladas

Total time, start to plate · One skillet · serves 4 · Kid-friendly

Cooked chicken rolled in tortillas and softened in salsa in one covered skillet.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked chicken
  • 6 corn tortillas
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 1 cup shredded cheese

Steps

  1. Shred the chicken and stir it with a spoon of salsa.
  2. Soften each tortilla in the warm salsa so it rolls without cracking.
  3. Roll the chicken inside and set the rolls in the skillet.
  4. Cover with the rest of the salsa and the cheese. Cover and cook 10 minutes on low.
  5. Rest a few minutes, then serve with a spatula.

Keeps: Fridge for 3 days. The tortillas are supposed to be soft.

Make it with leftovers

This is one of the best leftover-chicken pages. Shredded cooked chicken only needs to get hot inside a tortilla. Don't simmer it again. If the chicken is raw, use the skillet taco card and cook it through before it ever touches the tortilla.

More dinners from leftovers

Pantry staples you'll need

  • Salt
  • Oil
  • Chili powder
  • Cheese
  • Salsa
  • Lime

No tortillas: serve the same chicken over rice. No chicken: see tortillas and cheese, which doesn't pretend there is meat.

When there is nothing in the fridge

Picky-eater and healthy tweaks

Cheese quesadilla with a little plain chicken is the safe plate. Salsa on the side. Cut the taco into strips if the whole taco is too messy for a small person.

Corn tortillas, grilled or toasted rather than deep-fried, and chicken breast or thigh both work. You don't need a creamy sauce. Lime is the bright part.

More dinners in under 30 minutes

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Related dinners

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Questions

What can I make with tortillas and chicken in 20 minutes?

Chicken and cheese quesadillas takes 15 minutes, start to plate. Shredded cooked chicken and cheese in a tortilla, toasted in a skillet.

What's the easiest dinner with tortillas and chicken?

Chicken and cheese quesadillas is the low-fuss one: one skillet, 15 minutes. Shredded cooked chicken and cheese in a tortilla, toasted in a skillet.

Can I make this with leftover or cooked tortillas?

This is one of the best leftover-chicken pages. Shredded cooked chicken only needs to get hot inside a tortilla. Don't simmer it again. If the chicken is raw, use the skillet taco card and cook it through before it ever touches the tortilla.

What else can I add to tortillas and chicken for a full meal?

The cards already use cooked chicken, flour tortillas, shredded cheese. A piece of fruit or a handful of frozen vegetables is enough if you want more on the plate. Don't make a second shopping trip.

Is tortillas and chicken a healthy dinner?

Corn tortillas, grilled or toasted rather than deep-fried, and chicken breast or thigh both work. You don't need a creamy sauce. Lime is the bright part.

How do I make tortillas and chicken kid-friendly?

Cheese quesadilla with a little plain chicken is the safe plate. Salsa on the side. Cut the taco into strips if the whole taco is too messy for a small person.

Can I make tortillas and chicken in one pan or a sheet pan?

Chicken skillet tacos uses one skillet and takes 20 minutes. Small pieces of chicken sear with chili powder, then go into warm tortillas.

What if I don't have chicken?

No tortillas: serve the same chicken over rice. No chicken: see tortillas and cheese, which doesn't pretend there is meat.