Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas (aka Crack Chicken)
Crack chicken is typically cooked in a slow cooker, but this griddle version is fantastic, too! Dice the juicy chicken and add shredded cheddar cheese, cream cheese, ranch dressing, and bacon to a tortilla for fantastic chicken bacon ranch quesadillas!
Servings: 4 quesadillas
Ingredients
For the Chicken Marinade:
- 6-7 boneless skinless chicken thighs *Or substitute chicken breasts, pounded out so they are evenly thin.
- 1 oz Hidden Valley ranch seasoning packet
- juice of ½ lime
- 7 oz can La Costena brand pickled jalapeños (juice from the can only) *You can dice up the jalapeños to use in the quesadilla and/or ranch dressing.
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
For the Jalapeno Ranch Dressing:
- .4 oz packet Hidden Valley buttermilk restaurant-style ranch seasoning
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup half and half
- ½ tablespoon dried minced onion
- ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish optional
- 2-3 tablespoons finely diced pickled jalapeños optional
For the Quesadillas:
- 4 burrito-sized flour tortillas
- 8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 8 oz shredded colby jack cheese
- cream cheese
- 4 strips cooked bacon chopped
- diced pickled jalapenos optional
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken. Add the boneless skinless chicken thighs to a large bowl or Ziploc bag with the ranch seasoning packet, lime juice, olive oil, and juice from the canned pickled jalapeños. Stir together well. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
- Make the "kicked up" ranch dressing. While chicken is marinating, add all jalapeno ranch dressing ingredients to a medium bowl. Mix well and refrigerate covered until ready to use.
- Cook the chicken. Preheat griddle to about 400-450℉. Place the marinated chicken down on the hot griddle and cook for about 3-5 minutes on the first side. *Be careful when you place the chicken on the griddle. There will probably be a lot of hot oil splattering from the marinade coming in contact the hot surface. Then, flip the chicken to the second side and cook an additional 3-5 minutes. Continue to cook the chicken, flipping so that it cooks evenly on both sides, until the internal temperature reaches 165-170℉.
- Allow the chicken to rest, and then dice. Transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board to rest for about 5-10 minutes. Adjust the griddle temperature to about 375-400℉. Dice the chicken into small bite-sized pieces.
- Add cheese to the the tortillas. Spread about 2-3 tablespoons of cream cheese on each tortilla. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
- Cook the quesadillas. Add about 1 tablespoon of butter to the griddle and allow it to melt briefly. Then place the cheese-covered tortilla flat on the griddle with the cheese side up. Add some of the diced chicken, cooked bacon, and diced jalapeños on one half of the tortilla on top of the cheese. Drizzle with ranch dressing. Cook open-faced for about 3-4 minutes or until the cheese is about half-way melted. Then, fold the tortilla in half to form a quesadilla. Continue to cook, flipping as needed, until both sides are evenly toasted and the cheese if fully melted.
- Cut the chicken bacon ranch quesadillas and serve. Allow the quesadillas to cool for about 4-5 minutes. Then, cut into triangles and serve with ranch dressing for dipping.
Video
Notes
- Store leftover quesadillas in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat in the oven for best results, or in the microwave.
- You may substitute store-bought ranch dressing if you prefer.
- We used low carb flour tortillas for a yummy carb-conscious meal.