Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas

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Hearty, melty, and savory Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas are an easy comfort food recipe, perfect for weeknight dinners, game day, and late night snacking. They’re beginner-friendly and made with everyday ingredients in just a few minutes.

Two golden-brown quesadillas filled with melted cheese, chicken, and bacon on a white plate, with more quesadillas and a block of cheddar cheese in the background.

Why You’ll Love This Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas Recipe:

Simple and Quick: If you can chop ingredients and heat a pan, you can make this easy quesadilla recipe! It’s made with simple ingredients in a few simple steps that even the most novice cooks can master.
Flavorful: Salty bacon, melty cheese, meaty chicken, and tangy ranch dressing are a pairing made in heaven (see also my sliders, salad, and sandwiches)!
Versatile: Enjoy these warm and cheesy pockets for an easy dinner, a hearty snack, or a game day nibbler!

Let’s Get Started! Here’s What You’ll Need:

Ingredients

Rotisserie Chicken - Use leftover fresh or frozen rotisserie chicken (defrosted). Shred it well or cut it into bite-sized pieces to easily mix with the ranch dressing. If needed, you can also use leftover grilled or baked chicken.

Tortillas - For a more flexible and easy to flip quesadilla, use flour tortillas, though you can use corn if needed or preferred.

Bacon - You will need 8 pieces of cooked bacon. For convenience, use leftover or store-bought cooked bacon, though you can fry or bake it fresh. Cool the bacon to room temperature for the easiest chopping or crumbling.

Cheddar Cheese - This sharp cheese is the perfect complement to salty bacon and tangy ranch dressing. Though you can use pre-shredded cheese, I recommend grating it yourself for the easiest melting.

Creamy Ranch Dressing - An essential ingredient in this chicken bacon ranch quesadilla recipe! Use your favorite brand for the best results.

Seasonings - Ground cumin and chili powder add zest and earthy dimension to the ranch dressing, making this recipe just like Chili's chicken bacon ranch quesadillas. You can omit these ingredients if making it for kids or picky eaters.

Equipment:

Cutting Board & Knife - Use these to chop the bacon and chicken, as well as to cut the quesadillas after cooking.

Grater - I recommend a medium-sized hand-held or box grater to shred the cheese.

Measuring Cups & Spoons - These are used to make the seasoned ranch dressing.

Small Bowl - For combining the creamy ranch, seasonings, bacon, and chicken.

Skillet - Choose a cast iron or non-stick pan for the easiest flipping. To cook multiple quesadillas at once, use a large skillet or griddle.

Large Spatula - A heat-safe turner that you would use for grilled cheese or pancakes helps to keep the fillings inside the tortillas when flipping.

How to Make Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas

Prep the Ranch Dressing and Cheese.

Mix the chili powder and cumin with the ranch dressing in a small mixing bowl until smooth. Shred the cheese.

A hand pours ground spices from a small glass bowl into a larger glass bowl containing ranch dressing, set on a speckled countertop.

Make the Chicken Bacon Ranch Filling.

Chop the bacon and chicken into small pieces and combine them with the ranch dressing. Stir well until combined. Divide the filling into four equal-sized portions so they're ready to use when cooking. You can also divide the cheese into four portions if desired.

Four piles of a chunky, creamy meat mixture are arranged on a white cutting board with green handles, placed on a speckled kitchen countertop.

Assemble the Quesadillas.

Spritz the skillet with non-stick cooking spray and heat it over medium-low heat. Once the skillet is hot, add a tortilla and cover one-half of it with a thin layer of cheese. Top the cheese with a portion of the chicken and bacon mixture and another layer of cheese. Fold the other half of the tortilla onto the fillings.

A flour tortilla in a cast iron skillet is topped with shredded chicken mixture and grated cheddar cheese, sitting on a stove next to a granite countertop.

Cook the Quesadillas.

Press the tortilla down for about 10 seconds. Once melted enough to stay in place, flip and press down again. Cook for another 30 seconds or until the second side is crisp. Remove the cooked quesadilla to a plate.

A folded quesadilla is being cooked in a cast iron skillet on a stovetop, with only one burner in use and the other burners off.

Prepare Remaining Quesadillas.

Repeat the cooking process with the remaining tortillas, cheese, and filling. Slice and serve it hot with your favorite toppings.

A plate with stacked slices of cheesy quesadillas filled with bacon and chicken, set on a cloth napkin. In the background, there’s a block of cheddar cheese and a small bowl of ranch dressing.

Recipe Success Tips

Prepare the fillings in advance. This recipe moves quickly, so having the fillings at the ready helps prep to go smoothly. Make the chicken and bacon filling, shred the cheese, and divide the fillings into four portions before turning on the stove.
Preheat the pan. A hot skillet crisps up the tortilla and helps it to cook evenly. You will know it is hot when you flick water on the skillet and it sputters.
Use a large spatula. I recommend a pancake turner, fish spatula, or large slotted spatula to help prevent the fillings from falling out as you flip the bacon ranch chicken quesadillas.
Keep the quesadillas warm. If not eating them immediately, transfer the cooked quesadillas to a heat-safe plate or rimmed baking sheet in a 200°F oven for up to 30 minutes while you prepare the remaining quesadillas.
Toppings. Serve these crispy-crunchy and melty quesadillas hot with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, shredded cheese, sliced green onions, black olives, jalapeños, or any other favorite toppings!
Adjust heat as needed. If the tortilla is overly crisp in the time you assemble the quesadilla, turn the heat down to give yourself more time. If it's taking too long to melt before or after flipping, turn it up slightly.

Serving Suggestions

Plate these quesadillas with tortilla or potato chips and sliced veggies with ranch dipping sauce for a fuss-free meal. It’s also tasty served with any of the following easy side dishes:

A hand dips a bacon chicken ranch quesadilla slice into a cup of ranch dressing, with more quesadilla slices and a block of cheese in the background. Text reads: “Bacon Chicken Ranch Quesadillas—quick and easy!”.

Storage Directions

Refrigerating: Leftover chicken ranch quesadillas keep covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days with fresh chicken. If using leftover chicken they should be consumed sooner.
Freezing: Once cooled to room temperature, you can freeze the quesadillas in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost them overnight in the refrigerator before heating.
Reheating: Warm tortillas in a toaster oven on medium heat for 2-3 minutes or in the microwave on gentle heat for 30 second intervals until heated through.

FAQs

Can I make these ahead of time?

You can prepare the filling, shred the cheese, assemble the quesadillas, and store them in an airtight container for up to a day ahead of time. Thread two toothpicks between each of the tortilla halves to keep the fillings from falling out of the quesadillas.

Can I make these for a crowd?

Certainly! To make multiple servings, quadruple the ingredients and make sheet pan quesadillas using these directions. This is my favorite way to prep these chicken bacon quesadillas for a party.

What else can I add to chicken bacon ranch quesadillas?

You can add nearly any traditional quesadilla mix-in to this recipe, including drained black or pinto beans, chopped cherry tomatoes or sweet peppers, diced jalapeños, green or red onions, and more.

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Enjoy!

I hope your family loves this easy recipe as much as mine does, be sure to come back after you make it to let me know how it went!

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