There’s nothing more satisfying than a freshly made tortilla, with its spicy chicken and oozing cheese melting in your mouth. But what if we told you this recipe only takes 5 minutes to make. That’s right!
Now you can grab a quick breakfast tortilla on your way to the office or whip an easy snack in the evenings, with just a few minutes in the microwave. All you need is a microwave-safe plate and a little planned prep time to get you started.
With two tortillas, some shredded cheese, marinated chicken, and your favorite mix of vegetables you can turn this versatile dish into everything from a breakfast item to a midday snack, or even a filling dinnertime meal. So what are you waiting for? Let’s get started!
5 Minute Microwave Quesadilla With Cheddar Cheese
There are two steps to making quesadillas in the microwave. The first is the prep stage and the second is putting the quesadillas together.
How To Prep
The prep time for microwave quesadillas varies depending on how you want to cook them.
Step 1: Get the tortillas and cheese
The first step is the grocery run. You’ll need shredded cheese and tortillas. You’ll have a few options when it comes to both of these items.
Cheese
Shredded cheese comes in numerous varieties including mozzarella, parmesan, swiss, and cheddar cheese. Although we recommend shredded cheddar cheese you can always shop your favorites or even purchase a blended variety. There are also low-fat varieties and dairy-free substitutes like cashew cheese. So you can definitely adjust the recipe to fit your personal taste.
Alternatively, you can also buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself. This is often a healthier option because of the potato starch that companies add to pre-shredded cheese to keep it from clumping together. Of course, it will add a few minutes to your prep time.
Tortillas
Then come the tortillas. You’ll likely have the option of corn tortillas or flour tortillas.
Corn tortillas are made using whole grains, which makes them high in fiber and gluten-free. They also have a lower calorie count.
But many people prefer the taste of flour tortillas since storebought corn tortillas can sometimes be dry and flakey. Corn tortillas are also more likely to break while you’re cooking them.
At the end of the day, it is up to you, but from a nutrition standpoint, buying a corn tortilla is definitely the healthier option, especially if you intend to make this recipe a regular feature in your meal plan. A flour tortilla is alright for once or twice a week, but as a regular meal, you should definitely consider corn tortillas.
Once you have the cheese and tortillas the next step is to prepare the chicken.
Step 2: Prepare the chicken
There are several ways to marinate chicken. The simplest and shortest is to season it with pepper and taco seasoning. You can get this at any store and it’ll give your chicken a spicy and delicious taste.
However, you can also look up our chicken marinade recipes using vinegar, soy sauce, barbecue sauce, or an apple cider vinegar reduction. No matter what you choose it’s always better to marinate the chicken at least a day in advance so you just need to cook it for a few minutes.
You also explore vegan alternatives like tofu or tempeh to add flavor to your quesadillas.
Step 3: Cut the vegetables
People often ask us for the best kitchen tips. Prepping your veggies in advance is the best thing you can do to save time.
For your quesadillas, you’ll mainly need to dice the bell peppers and tomatoes. You can also add other vegetables like mushrooms, corn, olives, and kale depending on your preferences.
If you want to elevate your quesadilla further and turn it into a filling and heavy dinnertime meal why not add some eggs and black beans? This will up the nutritional value of your quesadilla and add some bulk so it’s more filling.
How To Make The Microwave Quesadilla
Now that the prep has been taken care of it’s time to cook your microwave quesadillas.
Put two tortillas on a plate and microwave them for 1 minute to warm. Mix the taco sauce into the chicken and veggies. Add the mix on top of one tortilla and put it back in the microwave for 2 additional minutes to cook the chicken. Top it with your shredded cheese and the other tortilla, give it another 1-minute spin and you’re good to go. Take your time plating and slicing your quesadilla. And you’re done!
But what if you didn’t take the time to prep beforehand?
You can add a minute of prep time if you also need to shred the cheese. Plus a few minutes depending on any vegetables you need to dice. As long as all your ingredients are lined up and ready in your fridge it shouldn’t take you more than 10 minutes to make your microwave quesadillas. You can even top it with extra cheese and sour cream!
Don’t forget to put the remaining tortillas back in the fridge for next time.
Final Thoughts
This quick and easy recipe is ideal for when you’ve come home after a long day and don’t have the energy to cook a complicated meal. Depending on the ingredients you pick you can make these quesadillas as calorie-heavy or calorie-light as you want, or even adjust the recipe to suit your dietary requirements.
Adding more veggies and beans can make the meal heavier and more nutritious, turning it from a breakfast snack to a dinner-time meal. You can also add seasonings like barbecue sauce, ranch, or sriracha to give your quesadillas an extra flavor kick.
The versatility of this recipe is what makes it so perfect. So what are you waiting for? Try it out!
