Grilled Chicken Quesadillas with Papaya (or Peaches)

My brother is the inspiration behind this recipe, who made us grilled chicken quesadillas with papaya many, many years ago. We are not big fans of combining fruit with dinner entrees, but the sweetness of the papaya goes brilliantly with the charred chicken and peppers!

We couldn’t find papaya at our market, but as it’s peach season we swapped them in. Delish!

Making flour tortillas from scratch is super easy. We’ve been making them for years after Ralph discovered how many E’s (preservatives) there are in the pre-made shells.

These are another great use of your BBQ to keep the heat out of your kitchen in summer.

Ingredients for flour tortillas (8 shells):

2 cups of flour
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cups of water
3 tablespoons olive oil

Ingredients for chicken assembly:

2 chicken fillets sliced into 1 inch steaks (big enough to grill)
1-2 red or yellow bell peppers cut in half
Peaches or papaya to grill (QB), sliced in large pieces for grilling and brushed with peanut oil
Additional toppings as you wish (grated gouda or pizza mozzarella cheese, green onions, etc.)

Instructions for flour tortillas:

Combine all ingredients in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment (or by hand).
Make 8 balls and roll them into circles (or flatten with a tortilla press).
Heat a non-stick or cast iron pan on medium-high- don’t oil.
Lay the flour tortilla on the pan (one at a time). Once the dough starts to puff, pat the puffs down and turn over (second side won’t take as long).

Ralph’s tip regarding dough consistency

Tortilla press is awesome to start them but not crucial as you still need to roll them out larger and thinner. These presses are designed for corn flour massa tortillas which are softer and thicker- if you try to squeeze a wheat flour tortilla to full size your break the handle off!

Instructions for chicken assembly:

Grill peaches or papaya on medium high heat to slightly char and soften. Set aside.
Char pepper until skin blackens and blisters. (See video tip below for removing charred skin)
Grill the chicken steaks on high until a little charred and cooked through but still soft, about 15 minutes (can also make these ahead).
Cut up grilled fruit and chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Layer a tortilla shell with grated cheese, charred pepper, green onions, chicken, fruit, and more cheese last- this will melt and hold the whole thing together.
Place another tortilla shell on top.
Place on BBQ (low heat) to grill until cheese is melted and tortilla shell is browned (flipping in between).
Cut into quarters and serve hot!

Serves well with homemade salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.