Asian Quesadilla with Chicken, Zucchini & Hoisin Sauce Recipe

by 36 Comments

This fun twist on a classic was a hit with my family. These Asian-inspired quesadilla is filled with chicken, veggies and hoisin sauce.
This fun twist on a classic was a hit with my family. These Asian-inspired quesadilla is filled with chicken, veggies and hoisin sauce. #quesadilla #chickenrecipes

It was a rather eventful weekend, particularly if you are a 7-year old boy (let’s call him T) with leprechauns on the brain. In my last post, I mentioned that while my husband and I were busy snacking on these Asian quesadillas with hoisin sauce, chicken and zucchini, T was busy fashioning a leprechaun trap out of a cardboard box, complete with a door propped open with a toothpick.

According to T, leprechauns are not very good rule-followers. In fact, they go out of their way to break the rules (as evidenced by our leprechaun visitor…more on that later). So, T used a little reverse psychology to fool any Irish green-clad little men that might happen upon his trap. Things such as “Do not enter” and “No gold here” were etched with Crayola marker around the perimeter of the box.

Of course, if you really want to attract a creature who is obsessed with rainbows and pots of gold, cold hard cash should be involved. T carefully laid a trail of pennies, starting from the top of the stairs, across the landing and into his room, right up to the door of the trap. Each day when he came home from school, T checked his trap, clearly disappointed when everything remained intact. As a show of brotherly support, my older son (M) made his own version of a leprechaun trap and tucked it away in the family room.

By Saturday evening, things reached a fever pitch of anxiety. St. Patrick’s Day was almost over and, still, no sign of Irishmen of any kind. T went upstairs to take a bath while M and my husband took our dog for a walk. I went upstairs to keep T company and I swear on the Blarney Stone (okay, I don’t have even a pinch of Irish in me) that I stayed up upstairs the entire time.

When T and I trundled downstairs after his bath, we were met with a shocking sight! Chairs tipped over, shoes scattered all over the living room, T’s stuffed tiger hanging upside-down from the bannister and both traps knocked over. Obviously the work of a cheeky leprechaun bent on wreaking havoc! Apparently we scared it off when we came downstairs because the boys’ piles of pennies were scattered but not stolen and the bottles of Guinness were still in the fridge. Next year we’ll set more traps and, with a little luck, we’ll catch one of those little buggers.

Let’s move on to the recipe. All I will tell you is this: make it. Now, this week, next week…just soon. It must not be missed.

The recipe:
In a medium bowl, toss chicken strips with 5-spice powder, salt and pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray.

Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

AsianHoisinQuesadilla1

Wipe the pan clean, coat with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add the zucchini and red bell pepper, and cook until just tender.

Spread 2 teaspoons of hoisin sauce on each tortilla. Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Lay one tortilla (with hoisin sauce) in the skillet, and cover half of the tortilla with a quarter of the chicken, zucchini, bell peppers and 1 tablespoon of mozzarella.

AsianHoisinQuesadilla3

Fold the tortilla over the filling and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

AsianHoisinQuesadilla4

Remove from pan and cut into 3 pieces. Repeat with remaining tortillas and fillings. Serve.

This fun twist on a classic was a hit with my family. These Asian-inspired quesadilla is filled with chicken, veggies and hoisin sauce. #easyrecipes #dinnerrecipes

Other quesadilla recipes:
Cookin’ Canuck’s Shrimp, Sun-Dried Tomato & Feta Quesadilla
Closet Cooking’s Tandoori Chicken Quesadillas
The Other Side of 50’s Chicken, Spinach & Cannellini Bean Quesadillas
A Couple Cooks’ Greek Quesadillas

Asian Quesadilla with Chicken, Zucchini & Hoisin Sauce

This fun twist on a classic was a hit with my family. These Asian-inspired quesadilla is filled with chicken, veggies and hoisin sauce.
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: Poultry Recipes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 38 minutes
Total Time: 53 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 234kcal
Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

Ingredients

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized strips
  • 3/4 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 small zucchini cut into half-circles
  • 1/2 red bell pepper cut into thin strips
  • 4 whole wheat flour tortillas
  • 8 teaspoons hoisin sauce
  • 1/4 tablespoons grated mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, toss chicken strips with 5-spice powder, salt and pepper.
  • Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray.
  • Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
  • Wipe the pan clean, coat with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add zucchini and red bell pepper, and cook until just tender.
  • Spread 2 teaspoons of hoisin sauce on each tortilla.
  • Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Lay one tortilla (with hoisin sauce) in the skillet, and cover half of the tortilla with a quarter of the chicken, zucchini, bell peppers and 1 tablespoon of mozzarella.
  • Fold the tortilla over the filling and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove from pan and cut into 3 pieces.
  • Repeat with remaining tortillas and fillings. Serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Quesadilla | Calories: 234kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 782mg | Potassium: 389mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 11.6% | Vitamin C: 34.5% | Calcium: 10.5% | Iron: 10.6%
Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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Comments

  7. Deborah says

    Mar 19, 2012 at 8:35 am

    That is too fun! I would have loved to see his face!! And I would love to be the one snacking on one of these quesadillas – these are right up my alley!

    Reply

  12. Noble Pig ~ Cathy says

    Mar 19, 2012 at 12:39 pm

    Love, love, love this….what a nice healthy meal! I love hoisin too…could just lick it off my plate. Love the leprechaun stories my boys now 10 & 11 are too big…but every St Pat’s morning I had the furniture flipped, toilet water green and Lucky Charms spread everywhere the good ole’ days.

    Reply

  14. Heidi says

    Mar 19, 2012 at 1:25 pm

    Those leprechauns are crafty little monsters, they made a mess of Smudge’s room too and then to her delight they also jacked up my last blog post! Seriously! Your quesadillas look delish, the colors are so inviting!

    Reply

  21. Julia {The Roasted Root} says

    Mar 19, 2012 at 10:59 pm

    I just adore your ideas. Hoisin sauce is wonderful and I would love to make it homemade – let me know if you try this at any point, because I’d gladly follow 😉 Nutritious as always, your quesadilla looks like a perfect meal. 🙂

    Reply

  31. Javelin Warrior says

    Mar 22, 2012 at 11:32 pm

    So these are the quesadillas I’ve been missing out on my whole life 😉 The colors are amazing and I love the flavors you used in this recipe… I am featuring this post in today’s Friday Food Fetish roundup (with a link-back and attribution), but please let me know if you have any objections. It’s a pleasure following your creations…

    Reply

  34. Briana says

    Apr 1, 2012 at 10:24 pm

    This sounds delicious, I can’t wait to get some Hoisin sauce and make it! I think you mean 1/4 cup cheese in your recipe, not 1/4 tbsp though… 🙂

    Reply

  35. JenE says

    Apr 5, 2012 at 6:35 pm

    Dinner tonight. Yummy – and I love adding a new dimension to my cooking (new spices and flavors) without a bunch of fat and calories. Thanks!
    xo
    Mama Jen

    Reply

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