Go Back
–+ servings
smoked bbq chicken quesadillas on a Traeger grill
Print

Traeger Smoked Chicken Quesadillas

Pellet smoked and shredded spicy BBQ chicken with pepper jack cheese inside grilled flour tortillas.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Total Time 3 hours
Servings 12 Quesadillas
Calories 535kcal
Author Mason Woodruff

Ingredients

  • 1 large Red Onion quartered and thinly sliced
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 2 1/2 pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
  • 1 Tablespoon Yellow Mustard
  • 1 Tablespoon Chipotle Chili Powder
  • 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
  • 1 1/2 cups BBQ Sauce
  • 12 Flour Tortillas
  • 1 pound Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese

Instructions

  • Preheat your pellet smoker to 225ºF, using the Super Smoke setting or a similar feature if your smoker has one.
  • Toss the sliced onion with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Set aside.
  • Rub the mustard over the chicken thighs before seasoning with the chili powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and ground cumin. Once the chicken is evenly coated in the rub, place the chicken thighs on top of the red onion in the skillet.
  • Place the skillet on the smoker and cook for 1 hour.
  • After 1 hour on the grill, pour the 1 1/2 cups of BBQ sauce over the smoked chicken in the skillet and tightly cover with foil.
  • Increase the temperature of your smoker to 350ºF and cook for 60-75 minutes until the chicken easily shreds with forks.
  • Shred the chicken and cook for 10-15 minutes uncovered while you grate the cheese and prepare the tortillas.

Assembling the Quesadillas

  • Place the tortillas directly on the grill grates and top each with 1 1/3 oz of cheese. Close the lid for a few minutes to melt the cheese before adding the shredded chicken to one side of each tortilla. Use tongs and a spatula to gently fold the other side over to seal.
  • Close the lid and cook for 10-15 minutes longer until the tortillas start to turn a crispy golden brown.
  • Serve with sour cream, BBQ ranch, or your choice of dip.

Notes

You can swap the seasoning for your favorite BBQ rub or any flavor and use a different sauce or braising liquid (tinga, birria, buffalo, etc.) to change up the style of chicken.
To minimize cleanup, you can put a foil liner or piece of foil underneath the grill grates when finishing the quesadillas on the smoker. You will inevitably have some cheese melting run off.

Nutrition

Serving: 1quesadilla | Calories: 535kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 24g | Fiber: 2g