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Fresh and Flavorful Quesadillas

Fresh and Flavorful Quesadillas are a family favorite dinnertime meal. Now you can make Gluten Free and Dairy Free Quesadillas that actually taste good and won't cost an arm and a leg if you were to order them out at a restaurant.

You won't believe how delicious these 20 minute gluten free and dairy free quesadillas are! They're simple to make, fresh, and flavorful too!

If you are looking for a quick and easy dinner that is also gluten and dairy free, look no further!

A serving plate of quesadillas cut into triangles and ready to be eaten with a side of dairy free sour cream and salsa.

These fresh and flavorful quesadillas are not just good full of flavor and texture they're also bursting with veggies... from red, green, yellow and orange bell peppers.

Get all of the ingredients we like to use in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

How to Make Gluten and Dairy Free Quesadillas

To make this recipe first bake the chicken until it's cooked through. Allow it to cool and then shred it. 

Next, sautee the onion in a skillet on medium heat with oil until translucent. Then add in diced bell peppers. Cook until tender. 

Next add in spices, shredded chicken, black beans, corn, and Spanish rice. Stir well.

We like to heat our refried beans over the stove top before layer them on the tortillas-- they spread easier warmed.

A skillet with veggies and a skillet with veggies and beans.

Then, prepare the quesadilla maker and gather all topping ingredients.  The quesadilla maker will need to warm up for 5-8 minutes. 

After it's warmed, spray the top and bottom of the maker with non-stick spray. We like to use coconut oil or olive oil spray.

Then place one gluten free tortilla on the bottom of maker.

Next top the tortilla with a layer of refried beans spread evenly over it.

Place spoonful's of the chicken, rice, and pepper mixture. 

You will need to spread the mixture evenly over the bottom tortilla. 

If there is a dairy free cheese you prefer, top it on now. 

Two tortillas on a press, one with refried beans and one with quesadilla filling.

Lastly, place the top tortilla on and close the lid. 

We let this sit for 5-6 minutes.  When the top tortilla has those pretty brown marks from the quesadilla maker, we know it's ready to plate. 

Pro Tip: We use a wide spatula to transfer the quesadilla to a serving plate. It makes it easier to pick up off the maker without flopping and dropping it all over the place.

As soon as a quesadilla is removed from the maker, prepare another. Use a pizza cutter to cut your gluten and dairy free quesadillas into triangles. 

Top with your favorite garnishes.

A cut up gluten and dairy free quesadilla on a plate.

Frequently Asked Questions

What other meat can I use?

Want to swap out the chicken breasts? Try any other cut of chicken- grilled chicken tenders, chicken thighs, or even leftover rotisserie chicken works great. Try shredded pork carnitas or shredded beef to make more tasty quesadilla options.

Can I make spicy quesadillas?

Yes! If you like heat, try adding some hot peppers or jalapenos to bring it up to a whole new heat level.

Why didn't you use cheese in your quesadilla?

Well, when we originally made this recipe, we hadn't found a good dairy free cheese substitution that we enjoyed to make with this. But, since then, we have tried a few others that you're more than welcome to try.

Here are a few brands to try out and see what you and your family enjoy:

- Never Better Foods (affiliate link) has made some pretty decent shredded cheese that actually melts. It's gluten free, dairy free, soy free, vegan, lactose free, non GMO, and vegan friendly.

- We didn't used to like Daiya cheese (affiliate link) because it refused to melt and was pretty useless in so many recipes. The flavor was on and off if we liked it too. So, generally, we skipped it. But, they've recently redone their shredded cheese recipe and claim this melts like dairy cheese. We will pick some up the next time we see it and give it a try to see if we enjoy it or not.

- Violife has become a family favorite too. They have a Mexican shreds type of plant based cheese (affiliate link) that would be perfect in these quesadillas! That specific option is gluten free, dairy free, soy free, preservative free, lactose free, and nuts free. Plus, it melts great!

- Whole Foods 365 has made quite a few plant based cheese alternatives that would work nicely. We've used the mozzarella cheese (affiliate link) that melts and stretches nicely.

- Follow Your Heart has made shredded cheese that melts nicely too.

If you struggle to find a dairy free cheese you love we'd suggest loading up on quesadillas ingredients and garnishes.

What else can we add to the quesadilla filling?

We love them loaded with shredded chicken in a tender bell pepper and onion filling.

Sometimes we add in corn or black beans and rice. You could also add in a layer of refried beans for a creamy taste and texture.

Roasted corn and Spanish rice are so good in this recipe too. Red onion and quinoa would also be great fillers.

We also load up on fresh salsa and dairy free sour cream from Wayfare.

Add whatever you have on hand and what you enjoy in your quesadillas.

What quesadilla maker did you use?

Any quesadilla maker or press will work. We use this quesadilla maker (affiliate link). We have had our quesadilla maker for over 10 years and it still works great! One of our favorite kitchen "gadgets."

What should I serve with this quesadilla?

Serve this dinner along side fresh guacamole, salsa, and dairy free sour cream to complete the dish.

What garnishes go well with these quesadillas?

There are endless garnishes you can use with this delicious dish.  Salsa and green onions are favorites in our home. 

Dairy free sour cream, dairy free cheese, cilantro, diced tomatoes, and guacamole are others. 

Garnish with what your family enjoys most on their Spanish dishes.

Can I make these for a crowd?

For 3 kids and myself, we make 8 quesadillas.  This makes enough for lunch leftovers the next day.

If you want to make these for more people, we'd suggest to allow one quesadilla for each person, especially if you aren't serving many sides.

If you have a ton of sides and other dishes to serve, you could consider less per person.

How to store leftover quesadillas?

Leftover quesadillas should be stored in an airtight container and should be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Can you freeze gluten and dairy free quesadillas?

Yes, you can. Place them in a freezer safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Looking down on a quesadilla on a plate.

More Gluten and Dairy Free Dinners or Light Lunches

  • lasagna soup-- this soup is so delicious and easy to make without the hassle of a traditional lasagna.
  • grilled shish kabobs-- this recipe comes with the most mouthwatering marinade we even use on our grilled steaks. We use this shish kabob recipe for holidays and throughout the year.
  • taco tater tot skillet-- this kid approved meal has little food prep and clean up. It's a reader favorite because it includes everyone's favorite, tacos and tater tots for a yummy meal.

Want more easy gluten and dairy free recipes? We have a few cookbook options for you to grab!

First, we have a Gluten and Dairy Free ebook cookbook- it includes 16 of our family favorite, classic recipes that we have turned gluten and dairy free, for everyone to enjoy! With just a few clicks, it gets delivered straight to your inbox.

Next, we turned that classic cookbook into a printed version that you can grab from Amazon. This includes one recipe that has never been seen online on our website. You have to grab a cookbook to get it - grab your Printed The Classics Cookbook (affiliate link) today.

And, most recently, we tossed over 50 of our favorite tried and true holiday recipes into another ebook cookbook that you can get right in your email to print out or keep on any of your devices.

It includes recipes for all the big holidays throughout the year that you MUST have if you are eating gluten and dairy free!

A cut up gluten and dairy free quesadilla on a plate.
A few slices of a gluten and dairy free quesadilla on a plate.

Gluten and Dairy Free Quesadillas

Fresh and flavorful quesadillas with a gluten free tortilla and a dairy free gluten free filling.
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 687kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts baked and shredded, rotisserie chicken works great too
  • 1 Tablespoon oil
  • ½ cup onion diced
  • 2 bell peppers diced
  • 15 ounces black beans drained & rinsed
  • 2 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 16 gluten free tortillas
  • 16 ounces refried beans
  • 15 ounces frozen corn optional
  • 15 ounces dairy free cheese optional
  • 1 cup Spanish rice optional

Quesadilla Garnishes

  • dairy free cheese, salsa, green onions, diced tomatoes, guacamole, dairy free sour cream, or fresh cilantro

Instructions

  • After chicken is baked and shredded, set aside.
  • In large skillet cook onion on medium heat until translucent.
  • Add in diced peppers, place lid on skillet and cook until soft and tender.
  • Then, add in all spices, shredded chicken, black beans, corn. Stir well and heat through.
  • Warm up quesadilla maker. Spray with non-stick spray.
  • Place tortilla on quesadilla maker. Spread refried beans if desired. Then add spoonfuls of meat and pepper mixture on top. If you've found a brand of cheese you like, top meat mixture with it. Otherwise omit dairy free cheese. Place second tortilla on mixture. Lower quesadilla lid.
  • Heat for 5-8 minutes. You want the brown lines to show on top of quesadilla from quesadilla maker. Remove from heat and prepare another quesadilla in the maker. When finished cut quesadillas into triangles with pizza cutter.
  • Garnish with toppings and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 687kcal | Carbohydrates: 99g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 1.569mg | Potassium: 777mg | Fiber: 23g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1.702IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

These Nutritional Facts are ESTIMATED. Your actual nutritional info with this recipe may vary depending on the brands you choose. “Eating Gluten and Dairy Free” is not a registered dietician or nutritionist. The provided nutritional info above is based on a generic calculator, if you want more accurate info, use your nutritional calculator of choice where you can choose brands and get more info that way.

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Gluten and Dairy Free Quesadilla pieces on a plate.

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