My Gluten Free Southern Fried Chicken Quesadilla Recipe (dairy free option) (2024)

Who fancies trying my gluten free southern fried chicken quesadilla recipe? Me! They’re so cheesy, mildly spicy, sooo easy to make and you can make them dairy free too if you fancy.

My gluten free southern fried chicken quesadilla recipe is our new weeknight dinner of choice! There’s nothing like making a big batch of these and sharing them with dips over a movie and some good company. If you want to share them at all, that is!!

So how did my gluten free southern fried chicken quesadilla recipe turn out?

Well, here’s a fun fact for you ‘Queso’ means cheese and ‘dilla’ is slang for dude in Spanish. So a quesadilla is basically a ‘cheese-dude’. How awesome is that?

They’re a little like a taco, but after putting your filling in your tortilla, you then add a generous amount of cheese and fry them on both sides to crisp them up. Soooo good!

Whilst I’ve never come across gluten free quesadillas while out and about, fortunately, you can easily make them yourself at home.

But before we even get started, what tortillas are gluten free? ?

Well, when it comes to Taco Tuesday and Fajita Fridays, my go-to wraps are Old El Paso‘s Gluten Free Tortillas.

They’re amazingly soft and flexible, they crisp up really well and most importantly of all… you’d never know they were gluten free – perfect for my gluten free southern fried chicken quesadilla recipe.

I think the best compliment I could give them is by telling you that Mark will happily eat them… and he can eat gluten. And he definitely won’t go near most of my gluten free food!

(which isn’t always bad – more for me ?)

But because he’ll happily eat these, it means we can actually share the same food… which is something of an occasion for us!

So now you’ve got your gluten free tortillas sorted, what about your filling?

Well, we wanted to go all out so we went for homemade southern fried chicken… which turned out to be a great life choice!

That crispy, golden breadcrumb coating is packed full of flavour and it’s a little spicy too which worked so well in our quesadillas. Topped with melty, cooling cheese and fried peppers, it really was a flavour combo to be reckoned with.

But who here has ever fried a quesadilla? Hands up! Well, don’t worry if not, because it’s actually really simple…

My Gluten Free Southern Fried Chicken Quesadilla Recipe (dairy free option)

SERVINGS: 12 quesadillas

PREP TIME: 15 minutes mins

TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes mins

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5 from 6 votes

Ingredients

1 pack of Old El Paso Gluten Free Tortillas

For the southern fried chicken coating

70 g gluten free breadcrumbs
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 egg
30 g gluten free plain flour

Everything else

2 chicken breasts
2 red/green/yellow peppers diced
100 g red leicester cheese sub for dairy free if needed
100 g monterey jack cheese sub for dairy free if needed
Oil for frying
Salsa and guacamole to serve

Instructions

Start by finely dicing your red/green/yellow pepper. Fry it in a little oil until slightly browned and set to one side for later.
For your southern fried chicken, grab three bowls. In one, crack in your egg and beat until nicely mixed. In the other, add your gluten free plain flour. In the final bowl, add your gf breadcrumbs and spices.
Butterfly your chicken (check out the technique on YouTube if you've never done it before!) then place it between two sheets of clingfilm and pound until really nice and flat. This will mean it'll cook quicker, so trust me, it's worth the effort!
Take your butterflied chicken breasts and first dredge them in the bowl of gf plain flour.
Then dredge them in the beaten egg bowl.
Then finally dredge them in the breadcrumb/spice mix bowl.
Place your chicken into a frying pan at a low-medium heat in a generous amount of oil. Make sure it's nice and hot before you put them in - you wan't them to sizzle as soon as they touch the pan. Flip when the underside is nice and golden.
If you butterflied your chicken and pounded it flat, your chicken should be cooked through. If not, you can always pop it in the oven at 200c for up to 8 minutes just to make sure. Once slightly cooled, chop into bite-sized strips.
Now it's time to assemble your quesadillas! Start by grating all your cheese and mixing it together.
Grab an Old El Paso Gluten Free Tortilla. Place your diced pepper onto half of the wrap, leaving other half completely empty. We'll be folding them like a book, so we only need to place the filling on one side only! See the photo below for an idea:
Then add your chopped strips of southern fried chicken on top.
Then add as much cheese as you fancy - the more the better! Fold it in half like a book.
Lastly, grab a large frying pan and make sure the entire pan has a nice thin layer of oil. Heat this to a low heat and allow the oil to heat up for a minute or two.
Place your constructed quesadilla into the hot frying pan and fry on each side for 30 seconds or until golden. Definitely use a spatula for this and be gentle as you don't want the filling to fall out!
Repeat with as many quesadillas as you fancy - you should have enough filling to use up all 6 tortillas.
Serve with salsa as a dip and guacamole. Throw on some fresh coriander if you fancy. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Thanks for reading all about my gluten free southern fried chicken quesadilla recipe! If you make it, I’d love to see how it turned out so don’t forget to take a snap of your creations and tag me on Instagram! You can also tag @oldelpasouk and hashtag #oldelpasouk.

Any questions about the recipe? Please do let me know by following me onInstagram and leaving me a comment on a recent photo!

You can grab Old El Paso gluten free tortillas from Asda, Tesco, Ocado and Amazon.

Thanks for reading,

Becky xxx

Oh and don’t forget to pin this for later!

Gluten-Free Recipe

My Gluten Free Southern Fried Chicken Quesadilla Recipe (dairy free option) (2024)

FAQs

Is a chicken and cheese quesadilla unhealthy? ›

They're not the healthiest choice when you're dining out. Those globs of glorious melted cheese are full fat and the fillings may be glistening from the oil they're sautéed in. But if you make your own quesadillas, you can keep the delicious taste while you jettison most of the fat calories.

Know More ›

Is a simple Mexican snack consisting of a flour tortilla filled with cheese that melts well it is commonly folded in half and consumed? ›

A quesadilla (/ˌkeɪsəˈdiːjə/; Spanish: [kesaˈðiʝa]; Mexican diminutive of quesada) is a Mexican dish consisting of a tortilla that is filled primarily with cheese, and sometimes meats, spices, and other fillings such as chocolate, and then cooked on a griddle or stove.

Tell Me More ›

Is it OK to eat a quesadilla everyday? ›

Cheese is high in calcium and a good source of protein but it also adds saturated fat to a quesadilla. A high intake of saturated fat may increase LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and the risk of heart disease.

Is a quesadilla healthier than a burrito? ›

It depends on ingredients. Both can be high in calories, fats, and sodium, if made with enough cheese and fried (burrito) or processed (quesadilla) meat. On the other hand, they can both be made 'healthier'. For example, burrito can be made with grilled chicken, beans, brown rice, and vegetables.

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What is the best melting cheese for quesadillas? ›

Sometimes the best cheese for quesadillas is whatever you have in the fridge when the craving strikes. Cheddar and Monterey Jack are standards of American-style quesadillas. But if you are planning ahead, consider that freshly grated cheese such as cheddar or Monterey Jack makes the meltiest quesadillas.

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What is a quesadilla without cheese called? ›

Interestingly, Anais points out that a quesadilla without cheese in Oaxaca is called an 'empanada', which could be a surprise for people used to baked or fried hand pies with filling.

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What does Dilla mean in quesadilla? ›

You might be wondering where this tasty treat called the quesadilla found its well-known name? Well, queso means cheese in Spanish, and Dilla means a slang term for a dude. So quesadilla translates into “cheese-dude.” This little cheese thing was originated in the northern and central Mexico back in the 16th century.

Are chicken cheese quesadillas healthy? ›

Quesadillas can totally be a healthy option, and these quesadillas are protein packed and nourishing for your body! The use of egg whites rather than tortilla give you a low carb, high protein base and the chicken is a lean source of protein as well.

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Can I eat chicken quesadilla on a diet? ›

Quesadillas have a bad reputation when it comes to healthy eating and dieting since restaurant versions are usually overflowing with cheese and covered with sour cream. However, quesadillas can be a healthy and well-rounded option as long as you make smart choices when it comes to the filling.

Is quesadilla considered junk food? ›

Worst: Quesadilla

But some restaurants do it a bit differently. A pile of meat and cheese is sandwiched between two giant flour tortillas, then pan-fried. And it's served with scoops of sour cream, guacamole, and salsa. The result: One quesadilla can deliver more than all the fat and sodium you should get in a day.