Chicken Feta Quesadilla with Harissa Salsa

I hardly ever make quesadillas… I don’t know why. They’re super easy to make and you can get creative with the fillings. Here, I did just that! I bought some fresh, handmade corn tortillas from our farmers market and wanted to make something using the tortillas and some fresh feta that I got the same day.

I decided to make a Mediterranean inspired quesadilla with chicken, onions, and figs. I served with a simple, spicy harissa salsa and cooled it down with a herby sour cream sauce. I got fancy and whipped out the mortar and pestle for the garlic, you can use a food processor if you want, I just feel like every time I see the mortar and pestle on TV it think, “Why am I not using it more!?” The flavors all came together nicely. Harissa is a new favorite hot sauce that I just wanna find anything to put it in!

For the quesadilla, brush a light layer of mayonnaise on the outsides to give it an even browning. I used a grill pan to give the grill marks, but if you don’t have one, use a large skillet or flat top.  

Chicken Feta Quesadilla with Harissa Salsa

2016-04-18 21:35:34

Serves 2

Sliced chicken on a corn tortilla with feta, onions, and figs. Serve with harissa, bell pepper and tomato salsa, and drizzle with an herby sour cream sauce.

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

45 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

45 min

Quesadilla

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

1 red onion, sliced in rings (3/16th on mandoline)

½ lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into 1/2-inch strips

Salt & pepper

1 shallot, minced

½ (2 oz.) cup dried figs, quartered

2 large tortillas

1 cup crumbled feta

1 tablespoon butter

Mayonnaise to spread on tortillas

Herby-Garlic Sour Cream sauce

4-5 cloves roasted garlic* (See notes)

1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup creme fraiche

1 tablespoon dried marjoram

1 tablespoon dried rosemary

1 tablespoon fig infused vinegar

½ tsp. onion powder

Harissa Salsa

1 tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup chopped bell peppers

1 tablespoon harissa

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Salt & pepper to taste

Herby-Roasted Garlic sauce

1. Add garlic, oregano leaves, and a pinch of kosher salt to a mortar and pestle, and pestle the crap out of it. Until it’s almost a paste. [Feel free to use other fresh herbs, but I only had oregano at the time]
2. Whisk this together in a medium bowl with the sour cream, creme fraiche, marjoram, rosemary, vinegar, and onion powder.

For the Harissa Salsa

1. Mix everything in a medium bowl, and add to fridge until ready to use.

For the Chicken

1. Toss chicken strips with salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add onions and let cook for 5 minutes, they will begin to soften. Add 1-2 more tablespoons olive oil and shallot. Then add seasoned chicken to pan and cover with another pan or a lid, and cook 15-20 minutes (stirring occasionally) until chicken is almost finished cooking through. Add figs near the end and let cook a few more minutes.
3. Transfer chicken mixture to a bowl or plate lined with paper towels.

To Assemble

1. Wipe out cast iron skillet. Lay out tortilla and add chicken mixture to ½ of the quesadilla. Sprinkle over as much feta as you’d like, and fold empty half over filled half.
2. Heat cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add butter.
3. Spread top with a light layer of mayonnaise.
4. Swirl butter until melted and flip mayo-side down quesadilla onto pan. Spread top half with a thin layer of mayonnaise.
5. Cook 3-4 minutes until golden brown, and flip and cook 3-4 more minutes.
6. Once it’s browned to your liking, slice and plate. Garnish with more feta, salsa, and fresh herbs. Serve with herby-garlic sauce.

NOTES

1. To Roast Garlic: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and cut the top off of a garlic clove. Pour over some olive oil on the open end and wrap in foil. When oven is preheated, add garlic and roast 30-40 minutes. Once roasted, squeeze out with tongs or let cool and do it with your fingers.

By Whitney

That Square Plate https://www.thatsquareplate.com/