You could say that I’m extra invested in football season this year. The guys got NFL Sunday Ticket so we now get all of the games at home, I finally formed my own fantasy football league, and most importantly, I actually took time in the off-season to study up so I kinda know what I’m talking about this time around.
Actually, the most important factor in my newfound football obsession is probably the list of 100 or so game day appetizers I’m planning to run through before the season ends. You know it always comes back to food with me. I feel like I can be honest with you… so I’m gonna admit that football is mostly just an elaborate excuse for me to eat tons of snacks.
Like an infinite amount of these cheesy, dippable Green Chile Chicken Quesadilla Sticks.
These sticks are the lovechild of chicken quesadillas and mozzarella sticks, AKA the G.O.A.T. when it comes to snacking (or whatever the kids are calling awesome stuff these days). Flour tortillas are rolled around mozzarella string cheese + a mixture of shredded chicken and green chiles, then fried until golden and crisp.
In the end, you get what basically resembles a mini-burrito but with waaaay more cheese. Way, way more cheese. The way the appetizer gods intended.
It might take a couple of tries to get the hang of the rolling technique if you haven’t rolled many burritos or egg rolls before, but once you get it, they’re incredibly easy to make. Just make sure not to overfill your quesadilla sticks and to use enough flour paste (flour + water) to seal the edges and you’ll be good to go. You’ll be a quesadilla stick wizard in no time.
In fact, to help you get there, I put together a little video for ya.
About that whole “keep some on hand at all times” thing:
I hate having to scramble to make snacks and apps right before guests arrive all the time. There’s so much to do, I never know what time people are actually going to show up, and sometimes we make plans on the fly without enough time to run to the grocery store before hand. For that reason, I tend to keep some appetizers in the freezer so I can heat them up quickly right when my friends come over.
There are three ways you can make Green Chile Chicken Quesadilla Sticks ahead for later. Either A) assemble them, freeze them on a baking sheet, transfer to a freezer bag, thaw and fry before serving; B) Fry them, let any excess oil drip off onto paper towels, freeze them on a baking sheet, transfer to a freezer bag, and reheat in the oven from frozen later; or C) Do all of the above but reheat by frying.
No matter which you choose, you wind up with quesadilla sticks any time you want ’em. You can’t go wrong there.
Plus if you do have company, these things will get snatched up quicker than free money. Prepare yourself for lots of compliments, and maybe keep an extra extra batch in the freezer just in case you need them.
Obviously as I said earlier, I’ve got these saved up for Sunday football– but they’d also make great snacks for Cinco de Mayo, birthday bashes, holiday parties, small get-togethers, game nights, or the Super Bowl. (Okay, I guess that last one still is “Sunday football”, but extra special.) There is never a bad time to make them, and there’s never a bad time to eat them, like whenever you’re having a craving, whether there’s company over or not.
Take it from me, I wrote this whole post while enjoying a plate full of quesadilla sticks. 
Green Chile Chicken Quesadilla Sticks
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Prep Time: 20 mins![]()
Cook Time: 5 mins![]()
Total Time: 25 minutes![]()
Yield: 16 sticks
Prep Time:
Yield:
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup shredded chicken (leftover, rotisserie, or freshly poached)
- 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoons water
- 8 mozzarella string cheese sticks, cut in half crossways
- 4 flour tortillas, cut into quarters
- Oil, for frying
- Chopped cilantro, to top
- Salsa, sour cream, and guacamole, to serve
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the shredded chicken and diced green chiles. In a small, separate bowl, whisk together the flour and water to create a paste.
- Diagonally layer a heaping tablespoon of the green chile chicken on top of a tortilla quarter, parallel to the outer edge. Place a string cheese half on top of the chicken. Use a finger to generously coat the edges of the tortilla with the flour paste. Fold the top and bottom corners over the filling, then roll the remaining pointed corner inward and over the filling, and continue to roll until completely covered, like a burrito. Set aside, seam-side down, and repeat to form the rest of the quesadilla sticks.
- Heat a half inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the quesadilla sticks in batches, seam side down, and cook until golden on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until browned all over and crisp, about 2 more minutes. Remove to a paper plate to absorb excess oil and repeat until all of the sticks have been fried.
- Serve topped with chopped cilantro and with salsa, sour cream, and/or guacamole for dipping.
Notes
There are three ways you can make Green Chile Chicken Quesadilla Sticks ahead for later. Either A) assemble them, freeze them on a baking sheet, transfer to a freezer bag, thaw and fry before serving; B) Fry them, let any excess oil drip off onto paper towels, freeze them on a baking sheet, transfer to a freezer bag, and reheat in the oven from frozen later; or C) Do all of the above but reheat by frying.
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