This Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadilla brings the best combo of ingredients together for a full-of-flavor, melty, cheesy quesadilla masterpiece! Shredded chicken and bacon are mixed with ranch seasoning, cheddar, and more for an easy quesadilla recipe that hits all the right notes. Everyone in my family LOVES these quesadillas!
When I need dinner on the table FAST, these Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas are perfect!
This Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadilla is inspired by the popular Chili’s recipe – but they’re so simple and easy to make at home (and cost a whole lot less when made at home, too!)
If you love chicken bacon ranch flavors, make sure and try our popular Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders, Chicken Bacon Ranch Flatbread and Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole.
Why I LOVE this recipe!
- Ready in 15 minutes – Just mix up the filling, fill your tortillas, and cook them in your skillet until golden and melty. Just 15 minutes from start to finish – perfect for quick dinner or lunches!
- Perfect use for leftovers – If you cooked up a rotisserie chicken or chicken breasts earlier in the week, these quesadillas are the perfect way to use up your leftovers.
- A flavor combo everyone loves – Chicken + bacon + ranch is basically the trifecta of deliciousness. Everyone goes crazy for these!
Recipe Notes
This Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadilla recipe is as simple as promised! Just 15 minutes for a family friendly meal.
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use for how to make Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas to get the absolute best and most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Chicken – You’ll want a couple cups of cooked, shredded chicken.
- Bacon – Your favorite bacon will work! You’ll want to cook it until it’s crispy, then crumble it.
- Cheddar cheese – Mild, medium, or sharp are all great – just use the one you like best. Monterey Jack is also a delicious choice.
- Cream cheese – You’ll want to make sure it sits at room temp for 30-60 minutes before using it, so that it’s soft enough to handle.
- Mayonnaise & sour cream – Just a little bit of real mayo & sour cream add delicious flavor to bacon chicken ranch quesadillas.
- Ranch seasoning mix – Use two tablespoons of homemade ranch seasoning mix, or 1 packet of store-bought ranch seasoning such as Hidden Valley brand.
- Tortillas – Large flour tortillas work best for these quesadillas. Feel free to use whole wheat tortillas if you like, or gluten-free tortillas for GF quesadillas.
- Butter – For frying the quesadillas to a perfect golden brown.
Make sure to see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full quantities and ingredients list.
Recipe Variations
If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Mini Quesadillas– Use small street-taco-size flour tortillas for little snack-size quesadillas.
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Sheet Pan Quesadilla– Lay a single layer of flour tortillas on a large baking sheet, with the edges of the tortillas hanging over the edge of the pan. Top with the filling, add another tortilla right in the middle, and flip the hanging tortillas back over the top. Top with another baking sheet of the same size and bake at 425°F for 20 minutes, then remove the top baking sheet and bake for another 5 minutes until golden. Cut into squares and serve.
- Spicy Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas– Swap in pepper jack cheese for the cheddar and add a pinch or two of crushed red peppers to the filling for a bit of a spicy kick. Top with pickled jalapeños and serve with hot salsa for extra heat!
Recipe Step by Step
I am going to highlight a few key steps in the recipe here, but make sure to jump down to the recipe card for comprehensive instructions on how to make Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadilla.
Add the chicken, bacon, cheddar, cream cheese, mayo, and Ranch seasoning to a large bowl.
Stir until well-combined and creamy.
Lay a flour tortilla flat and add half the mixture to one half of the tortilla. Repeat with the second tortilla.
Fold each tortilla in half over the filling.
Heat a large skillet and add the butter. When it’s melted, carefully place the quesadillas in the pan.
Cook until the tortilla is golden brown, then flip and cook on the other side, until golden and the filling is warmed through.
Recipe Tips
- Coat the entire pan with melted butter – This will help to ensure your quesadilla doesn’t stick to the pan.
- Peek inside – After you’ve flipped your quesadillas and both sides are golden brown, carefully lift the top layer and peek inside to make sure the cheese is melty and ooey gooey perfect. If it’s not quite there, reduce the heat and keep cooking for a couple more minutes until done.
Recipe Short Cuts
If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!
- Plan ahead for easy prep – Cook up extra chicken and bacon earlier on in the week, and two of your main ingredients are ready to go!
- Buy ingredients already prepped at the store – Grab a rotisserie chicken, bacon bits, packaged ranch, and pre-shredded cheddar at the store for an even faster and easier meal!
- Meal prep it – You can mix the filling for this one up to 3 days ahead of time! Just keep it in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to fill your quesadillas.
What to Serve with Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadilla
Since this protein-based dinner has the delicious flavors of cheddar, bacon, and ranch, it will pair well with many of your favorite classic side dishes.
Choose one or several of these side dishes to create a wholesome, well-rounded dinner. There are both classic options and some healthy options to keep it light.
Side Dish Ideas
- Toppings: Top with your choice of Homemade pico de gallo, sour cream, and guacamole
- Homemade Flour Tortillas
- House salad with buttermilk ranch dressing
- Mexican roasted vegetables
- Mexican Street Corn Casserole
- For dessert, how about some classic chocolate chip cookies, Churro Cheesecake Bars or Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies?
Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadilla Leftovers
If you have leftovers after making this recipe, then it is your lucky day! They save and reheat well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.
To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:
- in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
Reheat in a skillet to get the outside nice and crispy again!
Recipe FAQ’s
My tortilla burned before the filling got hot. What do I do?
Unfortunately, if the skillet is too hot, your quesadilla can burn. Reduce the heat, transfer the filling to a new tortilla, and cook it at the lower temperature, which should do the trick!
Why are my quesadillas soggy?
A couple of things can lead to soggy quesadillas. Did you add more than 1/2 tablespoon butter? Adding more butter or oil than necessary can cause it to get soggy. Cooking the quesadilla at too low of heat can also lead to a limp or soggy quesadilla; increase the heat until it’s crisp and golden on both sides.
More EASY Dinner Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my easy dinner recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.
- Ground Beef Quesadilla
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Flatbread
- Easy Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
- Salsa Fresca Chicken
Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded chicken
- 4 ounces bacon cooked to crispy and crumbled, (about 4 slices)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 3 tablespoons ranch seasoning mix, (1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning)
- 2 large tortillas
- ½ tablespoon butter
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken, bacon, cheddar cheese, cream cheese, mayonnaise, and ranch seasoning.
- Mix until everything is completely combined and the mixture is creamy.
- Put ½ of the mixture in the center of each tortilla and spread the mixture on half of the tortilla to the edges. Gently fold the tortilla in half.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter in the skillet then add the quesadillas into the pan. Let cook for 2-3 minutes or until the the tortilla is golden brown, then flip and cook the other side 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the quesadillas from the heat and cut each one into 3 triangles. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
- Chicken: If you have leftover turkey, try it in these quesadillas instead of chicken!
- Cheddar cheese: Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack are both great substitutes for the cheddar.
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