Quesadillas de Atún con Chipotle (Tuna and Chipotle Quesadillas)
Flaky tinned tuna mixed with sweetcorn and smoky chipotle, melted with cheese inside a crisp flour tortilla.
Made with Chipotle in adobo sauce (homemade) and Flour tortillas. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time20 min
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £1.50 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Mix the tuna with the sweetcorn, red onion, coriander and your ready made chipotle adobo sauce (see the base recipe). Taste and add salt if needed.
- 2
Lay a flour tortilla (see the base recipe) on a board and spread a quarter of the tuna mix over one half. Scatter with a quarter of the cheese and fold the tortilla over.
- 3
Heat a little oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat.
- 4
Fry the quesadillas, 1 or 2 at a time, for 2 minutes a side until golden and the cheese has melted.
4 min - 5
Cut each in wedges and serve hot with lime and a green salad.
Tips
- Drain the tuna very well. Wet filling makes soggy quesadillas.
- Chipotle in adobo is strong. Start with 3 tablespoons and add more to taste.
- Use two tortillas stacked, filling in between, for a flat sincronizada style quesadilla instead of a folded one.
- Add finely chopped pickled jalapeno for sharpness.
Storing and freezing
Eat fresh, or keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 1 day and reheat until steaming hot all the way through. Keep the raw filling for up to 2 days.
Questions
Is tuna in quesadillas authentic?
Yes. Tinned tuna with chipotle is a familiar quick filling in Mexican home cooking, used for tostadas, empanadas and quesadillas.
Can I use fresh tuna?
Yes, but the dish is designed for tinned. Flaked cooked tuna steak works if you season it generously with chipotle and lime.
Can I use canned salmon?
Yes. Drain and flake it, and remove any bones, then use exactly like tuna.
More made with chipotle in adobo sauce (homemade)
Burritos de Hongos con Chipotle (Chipotle Mushroom Burritos)
DFEFNFChuletas de Borrego al Chipotle con Frijoles (Chipotle Lamb Chops with Beans)
GFDFEFChicharron en Salsa de Chipotle (Pork Crackling in Chipotle Sauce)
GFEFNFAlitas al Chipotle con Crema de Lima (Chipotle Chicken Wings)
GFEFNFDouble check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
