Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla (with Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce)

Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla (with Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce) is extra cheesy, flavorful, and slightly spicy using simple ingredients you probably already have on hand. Jump to Recipe

From a self-proclaimed Taco Bell connoisseur, this copycat homemade Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla tastes EXACTLY like the fast food favorite. That’s mostly thanks to the homemade Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce, also know as Creamy Jalapeno Sauce. This recipe is beyond easy to make at home, not to mention healthier and more cost effective. And you can customize it however you’d like! Set up a make-your-own-quesadilla station for movie night, serve as a large batch for game day/Super Bowl Sunday, or as a quick dinner during busy work weeks.

Ingredients

One of my favorite things about this Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla recipe is there are only a handful of ingredients required. As you can see yourself from the Taco Bell menu, there isn’t much to this delicious dish.

Chicken

You can prepare the chicken for this recipe however you like. I typically season mine with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes then sauté in a skillet on the stovetop. Using shredded chicken prepared in an Instant Pot or crock-pot/slow cooker works great too. Grilled chicken is another option. In the summer months we often grill chicken to use throughout the week for a variety of different recipes, this being one! Chicken breast or chicken thighs both work.

Tortillas

I recommend using flour tortillas over corn tortillas for this Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla. You have a few options on size though. You can use a large burrito sized tortilla, adding ingredients to one side then folding the other side over top. Or you can use two regular taco sized tortillas (as pictured here), one for the top, one for the bottom. If you want mini quesadillas for serving kids or as bite sized party food, try street taco size.

Cheese

I cannot stress enough how much better shredding your own fresh cheese is as opposed to the bag kind. If pre-shredded cheese is what you have on hand or prefer to use, then that’s fine. Use a three-cheese Mexican variety. However, I highly HIGHLY recommend getting a couple blocks and shredding yourself. The taste is so much better, and the cheese melts more efficiently. Since melty cheese is one of the requirements for Taco Bell Chicken Quesadillas, and since the cheese makes up a large part of the flavor, this is the way to go. I typically use Sharp Cheddar, Pepperjack, and/or Monterey cheese for these quesadillas.

Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce (aka Creamy Jalapeno Sauce)

The star of the show is truly the Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce. To make this quick sauce you’ll need plain non-fat Greek yogurt, pickled jalapenos, pickled jalapeno juice/brine, chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and red pepper flakes.

In case you don’t already have some, pickled jalapenos are found in a jar typically where you’ll find pickles at your local grocery store. The jalapeno juice required for this quesadilla sauce is just the juice (brine) in the jar. No need to buy two separate things!

Variations and Substitutions

Protein

While this Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla recipe obviously calls for chicken, the best part about making this recipe at home is customization! Use steak, barbacoa, carnitas or ground beef instead if you want. I have great recipes for barbacoa and carnitas already on C&C! You can also omit the protein for a vegetarian cheese quesadilla.

Greek Yogurt vs Mayo in Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce

Taco Bell’s Quesadilla Sauce recipe includes mayo, as do most other recipes I’ve seen. I’ve made it with mayo and with Greek Yogurt and you honestly can’t tell the difference. So, I use Greek Yogurt as it makes this quesadilla sauce, and the chicken quesadilla itself a lot more healthy/low calorie. But you can use either!

Other ingredients

The OG Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla is pretty simple, which is one of the things I like most about it. But if you’d like to jazz it up a bit, the options are limitless! Try adding fajita vegetables like peppers and onions, toss on some chopped tomatoes, or add black beans. Yum.

Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla Instructions

Start by preparing Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce

This sauce is insanely easy to make. You simply mix together the ingredients in a bowl. And you’re done. If you would prefer the sauce to be super smooth, then add it to a food processor or bullet to process. Mincing of the jalapenos beforehand keeps it pretty smooth without the extra step though.

Chicken Quesadilla Directions

Mix chicken without about half of the Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce.

Spray a large skillet with nonstick spray. Add bottom tortilla and top with half of your cheese. You can either mix together the different types of shredded cheese or go with one on the top, one on the bottom.

Top layer of cheese with chicken tossed in Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce.

Add additional layer of cheese.

Top with second quesadilla and press down. Cook a couple minutes per side, or until cheese has melted and quesadilla reaches desired crispiness. The other thing I like about making these chicken quesadillas at home is I can make them crispier!

Remove quesadilla to a plate and allow to cool slightly. Slice into wedges.

Serve with...

Serve Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla with a side of the quesadilla sauce for dipping and some sour cream. Some other great options to serve alongside are guacamole, pica de gallo, homemade queso, cilantro-lime rice, or salsa.

FAQs

How do I store and reheat Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla?

Wrap quesadilla in aluminum foil or store in an airtight container for up to three days in the refrigerator. Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla reheats the best in the oven or toaster oven. On the stovetop works fine too though. I don’t recommend using the microwave as the quesadilla will become soggy. I wouldn’t recommend freezing these Taco Bell Chicken Quesadillas.

How long can I use Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce?

The Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and used for up to five days. You also aren’t limited to using this sauce on quesadillas! It’s great for tacos, burritos, burgers, chicken sandwiches, nachos, and more.

What sauce does Taco Bell use for their quesadillas? Can I buy it?

The sauce Taco Bell uses for their quesadillas is called Creamy Jalapeno Sauce. While many of their sauces are available for purchase at grocery stores or online, this one isn’t. The recipe included in this post tastes exactly like it though! Not to mention it’s easy, yields a lot of sauce, and is a healthier alternative.

Is Taco Bell’s Creamy Jalapeno Sauce the same as Creamy Chipotle sauce?

While similar, the creamy chipotle sauce uses chipotle peppers. Chipotle peppers are red in color and have a much smokier taste. The creamy jalapeno sauce relies on the use of jalapenos. Otherwise the sauces are similar ingredient wise.

What cheese is best for quesadillas?

Cheddar, Pepperjack, and Monterey are my favorite types of cheese to use for quesadillas. They are flavorful and melt easily. I highly recommend shredding your own cheese over using store-bought shredded cheese.

Can I make a large batch version of these Taco Bell Chicken Quesadillas?

Making a large batch is perfect for parties! To make your life easier, cook them in the oven on baking sheet instead of one at a time on the stove. Simply bake at 375 degrees for about eight minutes or until the cheese is melted and tortillas desired crispiness.

If you liked this recipe you might also enjoy these other Mexican-inspired and/or copycat recipes:

Better-Than-Chipotle's Crock-Pot Barbacoa Tacos, Mexican Pizzas, Chimichurri Steak Tacos, Chimichangas, Nashville Hot Chicken Tacos (Local Cantina Copycat), Copycat Chipotle Chicken Bowls, Spicy Prickly Pear Margarita.