Crunchy, Cheesy, Saucy: These Crunchwrap-Style BBQ Chicken Quesadillas Have It All

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If you love Taco Bell, you're going to love this recipe from developer Patterson Watkins, who is not ashamed to admit her fondness for the chain. "I think Taco Bell is awesome," she says. "Their zany and unapologetic approach to food just makes me smile." Though her ambition is to make it to Live Más Live — a yearly event where Taco Bell reveals tasty new menu items — we doubt whatever they come up with will be half as good as Watkins' own crunchwrap-style barbecue chicken quesadillas.

Watkins channeled inspiration from Taco Bell's delicious crunchwraps to make these quesadillas but took her recipe up a notch by concentrating on creating the perfect flavor contrasts. Aromatics, spices, and barbecue sauce give the chicken sweet, smoky, and savory notes, while fresh vegetables play nicely with the sharp, rich cheese. The pièce de résistance, however, is how the dish comes together. "The duo of tortillas — crisp taco shell and soft flour tortilla — creates a fun mix of textures," Watkins says of the final product, one that you wouldn't want to miss out on.

To make the quesadilla filling, you'll need olive oil, chicken breasts, garlic, poblano pepper, cumin, oregano, barbecue sauce, and salt. Additional ingredients needed for assembly include flour tortillas, Monterey Jack cheese, hard taco shells, tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Once the oil is hot, add the chicken, garlic, poblano, cumin, and oregano to the skillet. Stir to combine.

Saute for 10 minutes.

Add barbecue sauce to the skillet. Mix well with the chicken and poblano.

Continue to cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Season to taste with salt.

To assemble a quesadilla, start by placing a flour tortilla on a clean work surface, and evenly sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese.

Place the two halves of a split taco shell on top, side by side.

Scatter 2 tablespoons more cheese over the taco shells.

Spoon approximately ⅓ cup of the chicken mixture onto the cheese layer, spread out evenly.

Top the chicken mixture with a generous sprinkle of tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro.

Add 2 more tablespoons of cheese on top.

Lay two split taco shells side by side over the layer of cheese.

Cover the shells with another 2 tablespoons of cheese.

Cap the quesadilla with a flour tortilla. Gently press down to compact. Repeat the assembly steps with the remaining tortillas, shells, and filling ingredients.

Work in batches to cook the assembled quesadillas by first drizzling another skillet with approximately ½ tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.

Once hot, place an assembled quesadilla into the skillet.

Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, until the cheese is melty and the tortilla is golden-crisp. Repeat with the remaining quesadillas.

Cut into slices before serving.

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It's perfectly possible to think outside the pan and cook the quesadillas using a different method. A panini press would work perfectly, as long as you don't press too hard and push the filling out of the sides or crush the taco shells. If you have a two-burner griddle, it will allow you to cook more than one quesadilla at a time. Those who swear by their air fryer can use it to bake the quesadillas for six minutes at 350 F, flipping them halfway through. A conventional oven isn't recommended for cooking these quesadillas, however, as it might cause the taco shells to lose some of their crispness.

If it's an outdoor cooking season and you're dying to fire up the grill, this would be another way you could make your quesadillas. Preheat the grill to medium and, as you wait, brush the quesadillas on both sides with a small amount of oil. Once the grill is hot, cook the quesadillas for about four minutes on each side.

This recipe calls for poblano peppers, to which Watkins explains, "I like using these peppers when I just want a smidge of heat, especially if I am using other ingredients that might be sweet or unctuous or tangy." On the Scoville scale, poblano peppers are 1,000 to 2,000 Scoville heat units (SHU), whereas bell peppers are at 0 SHU, and regular jalapeños can range from 2,500 to 8,000 SHU. Poblanos work well in this recipe because the small amount of heat they provide isn't enough to overpower the flavors of the barbecue sauce. 

Should you be unable to find these peppers, the best substitute is Anaheim chiles. They have a similar texture and flavor to poblanos, although they're slightly sweeter. Their heat level is also in the ballpark, as they range from 500 to 2,500 SHU.

If you want spicier quesadillas, you can always substitute jalapeños, although you may want to use more than one since poblano peppers are larger. The taste will also be somewhat different since jalapeños tend to taste vegetal, while poblanos have a more earthy flavor. Another way to amp up the heat would be to add chili powder or dried chiles to the spice mixture. You could also stir some hot sauce into the quesadilla filling or spike your barbecue sauce with it. Be careful not to make the sauce too liquidy, however, as this could result in soggy quesadillas.

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