Pineapple Margarita Chicken Quesadillas
These Pineapple Margarita Chicken Quesadillas are filled with grilled chicken, pineapples, onions and peppers – and the chicken gets marinated in margarita mix for a fun twist!
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It’s back! Grilling season has finally returned here to upstate New York. (My friends down South have been grilling for months – I’m more than a little jealous about that.) But the snow up here has melted (mostly), and it’s time to fire up the grill!
I’ve spent the last 6 months thinking about all of the different grilled recipes I want to make. I had a heck of a time deciding which one to make first, but I settled in on these Pineapple Margarita Chicken Quesadillas. These bad boys are packed – and I mean packed – with grilled flavor!
Pineapple Margarita Chicken Quesadillas
Ever since we made these Sweet and Spicy Chicken Tacos last year, I’ve been hooked on grilling pineapples. If you’ve never grilled pineapple before, then put on your list! Fresh pineapples are great, but I often just use the canned pineapple rings (the ones packed in 100% juice). Pat ’em dry and toss ’em on the grill for a couple of minutes. They’re delicious!
These Pineapple Margarita Chicken Quesadillas are a fun recipe in that the chicken gets marinated in non-alcoholic margarita mix. The flavor really comes through, and that grilled chicken would be tasty just be itself. But once you add in the grilled onions, peppers and pineapples? Done deal! Of course, the cheese helps, too – cheese makes everything better!
For these quesadillas, I opted for Cabot Pepperjack cheese. This cheese is very smooth and melts easily, and it’s got a noticeable kick to it. I love it – it’s seriously one of my all-time favorite cheeses! However, if you’re not into spicy foods, you could absolutely use Cabot Monterey Jack here instead.
Every single part of this recipe is grilled, and that grilled flavor truly shines through. And as if the grilled ingredients weren’t enough, the quesadillas get cooked on the grill, too. (Just be careful – those quesadillas only need 1-2 minutes on the grill. If you look away to throw a Frisbee to your son, they might burn. Not like I speak from experience or anything here…)
As we kick off a long and tasty grilling season, I hope you put these Pineapple Margarita Chicken Quesadillas on the menu. Serve ’em up as party appetizers, or add a handful of tortilla chips and serve ’em as the main course. Cheers to warm weather!
Did you make these Pineapple Margarita Chicken Quesadillas at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Pineapple Margarita Chicken Quesadillas
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1 cup margarita mix
- 1½ tsp minced garlic
- 1 jalapeno sliced
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
For the Quesadillas
- 4 large flour tortillas
- 1 Tbsp salted butter melted
- 1 large red onion cut into ¼” slices
- 3 bell peppers any color, cut into ¼” slices
- 1 20-oz. can pineapple rings (can use fresh pineapple instead)
- 1½ cups shredded Monterey Jack or pepperjack cheese
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- sour cream for serving
- guacamole for serving
- pico de gallo for serving
Instructions
For the Chicken
- Using a glass baking dish, whisk together all of the ingredients except for chicken breasts. Add chicken breasts, turning several times to coat with marinade. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
- The next day, preheat grill to medium heat.
- Remove chicken breasts from marinade and grill 10-12 minutes, or until fully cooked. (Note: Discard any excess marinade.)
- Place onions, peppers and pineapple on grill; grill until softened. (Note: I grilled pineapple for 4-5 minutes and onions + peppers for 7-8 minutes.)
- Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before cutting into ½” cubes.
- Chop onions, peppers and pineapple into bite-sized pieces.
For the Quesadillas
- Reduce heat on grill to medium-low. (Note: These quesadillas can also be made in a large skillet on the stovetop. You’ll likely need to make them in 2 rounds unless you use multiple skillets.)
- Brush one side of the tortillas with the melted butter.
- Flip tortillas over and top with chopped chicken, onions, bell peppers, pineapple and cheeses. (Note: Layer the fillings on one half of each quesadilla so that they’re easier to fold. Also make sure to put cheese on bottom and top of fillings to help hold quesadillas together as they cook.)
- Grill quesadillas for 2-3 minutes per side, or until cheese has fully melted. Watch them closely as they can burn quickly on the grill!
- Slice quesadillas into wedges and serve with sour cream and guacamole.
Looking for more margarita themed recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
cant wait to make this soon for me for the chicken can i use mushrooms and skip jalapeno as am not a big fan of jalapeno and for the quesadillas can i use vegan butter / spring onions / vegan cheeses and coconut cream and skip red onion and bell peppers as am not a big fan of red onion and bell peppers and will be making your mojo steak marinade and your olive salad soon for me and will be mixing your marinade in your olive salad once i make them i never had pineapple margarita chicken quesadillas before perfect for my after office meals love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
and your mojo steak marinade is perfect for dressing for your olive salad will try them once i make them
Hey Ramya! I’m not sure how the marinated mushrooms would do here – I just don’t have experience there, so I don’t know what would happen. They might be delicious! The flavors in this recipe are great for warm days, so I do hope you give it a try!
What a fantastic idea to marinate the chicken in the margarita mix. That has to add such amazing flavor. Grilled pineapples – Mmmmmmm!! What a great combination. So happy for you that you have finally been able to uncover your grill. I’m so bad though, we will grill in freezing weather while it’s snowing!! So silly, but I love grilling so much! Enjoy.
Margarita mix is a quick and easy “cheater marinade.” I’m a HUGE fan of marinating chicken before cooking it, and I have several go-to marinades. But margarita mix is a great option for something quick and easy. I do love my grill! And, yes, I have grilled in the bitter winter…but it takes some of the fun away when you have to shovel a path through the snow to the grill. Haha! Thanks, Kristy!
Love those char marks on the quesadillas! What a great idea using the margarita mix to marinade the chicken! So flavourful!
I absolutely love grilled quesadillas! It’s an extra step in the process, but if you’ve already got the grill heated up for grilling the quesadilla fillings then why not toss the whole thing back on at the end? The extra grilled flavor is SO tasty!
oh yum you’re making me hungry david. well it is almost dinner time! yes grilled pineapple is a big thing here. of course we grow them here in the sunshine state! and our hamburgers always have to have a ring of pineapple on them.
Haha – the problem with reading a recipe blog when you’re hungry! 🙂 I do love grilled pineapple, and the chicken marinated in margarita mix has a ton of flavor, too. Of course, then you throw the whole quesadilla back on the grill at the end…and you end up with SO much grilled deliciousness. Thanks, Sherry!!
These look amazing! I love grilled pineapple, but I’ve never tried grilling the canned pineapple. Such a great idea, especially for those times when I just don’t have a fresh one but want that amazing flavor. I also love how you’ve marinated the chicken. I will absolutely need a margarita (or two) to drink with these quesadillas!
Grilling canned pineapple totally works, Kathy! Just make sure to get the pineapple rings that are packed in 100% pineapple juice. These quesadillas have SO much grilled flavor – I do love grilled quesadillas, and the filling in this one is so flavorful! Have a great weekend, my friend!
These are some gorgeous quesadillas David! Loaded is the perfect word, I love those grilled veggies and pineapple. 😋 What a great idea using the Margarita mix to marinate the chicken. Definitely the perfect recipe for grilling season!
Thanks so much, Shannon! I do love a good grilled quesadilla, and these were especially tasty with all of the grilled fillings in there, too. Bring on the warm weather food, right?? 🙂
I haven’t had quesadillas in ages, and have never had them with grilled pineapple. You’re such a master with things like this. Happy grilling!
Oh man. Put quesadillas on the menu, Jeff. But you have to grill ’em! A quesadilla is delicious in its own right, but if you spend the extra few minutes to put it back on the grill? You’ll be in love!
Even more ideas for the BBQ here David. Thank you! Love that Margarita mix for marinating the chicken in!
Oops – I mentioned grilled quesadillas when I responded to your comment in the other post. Ah well. Grilled quesadillas…kabobs…they’re all excellent on the grill! 🙂
Cheese definitely does make everything better! Seriously, though, these pineapple margarita chicken quesadillas sound and looks amazing! Love that they’re grilled (perfect grill marks, by the way). We regularly enjoy quesadillas in our home, so I know these need to happen soon. That sweet and savoury combo gets me every single time. I’ll try not to have a game of frisbee while making ’em. 😉
I absolutely love grilling anything and everything…so grilled chicken inside of a grilled quesadilla? That’s my kinda recipe! And the margarita mix is an easy way to add quick flavor to that chicken, too. As far as the frisbee, good call. You wouldn’t want a frisbee landing on the grill…I haven’t had that happen (yet)!