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Calories · Mexican

Calories in a chicken quesadilla

A typical restaurant serving of a chicken quesadilla (one large chicken quesadilla, about 280 g) is about 800 calories, usually 500–1,300.

Restaurant portions vary; this is a typical estimate, not a label. Also called cheese quesadilla.

~800
Chicken quesadilla

The usual range

Drawn on one 0–2,000 scale shared by every dish page, so plates compare at a glance.

Protein, carbs and fat

  • Protein40 g
  • Carbs76 g
  • Fat36 g

One serving

Serving
one large chicken quesadilla
Weight
~280 g
Per 100 g
~287

The dish

About a chicken quesadilla

A quesadilla is mostly flour tortilla and melted cheese, with chicken adding protein. The cheese carries most of the fat; dips add more.

Ways it comes

One dish, a few numbers

Chicken quesadilla · rough numbers

  • Half, shared as a starter~400

What moves the number

Why one plate is 500 and another 1,300

  • Melted cheese
  • Large flour tortillas
  • Sour cream and guacamole on the side

Ordering lighter

If you want a lighter plate

  • Share it as a starter
  • Add extra vegetables inside
  • Choose salsa over sour cream

Side by side

Next to other Mexican dishes

Mexican · typical restaurant servingAll about Mexican food →

  • Chips and guacamole~520about 70 g of tortilla chips with half a cup of guacamole · usually 300–1,000
  • Chicken enchiladas~530two chicken enchiladas with sauce and cheese, no rice or beans · usually 400–1,300
  • Churros~570three regular churros, before dipping sauce · usually 190–900
  • Chicken chimichanga~580one chimichanga, before toppings and sides · usually 450–1,300
  • Chicken fajitas~590three filled flour tortillas with chicken, peppers and onions · usually 450–1,300
  • Chicken burrito bowl~650one bowl with chicken, rice and beans · usually 450–1,100
  • Beef tacos~780three beef tacos with cheese · usually 450–1,000
  • Chicken quesadilla~800one large chicken quesadilla · usually 500–1,300
  • Chicken burrito~840one large burrito with rice, beans and cheese · usually 600–1,300
  • Nachos~1,050one order of beef nachos, usually shared · usually 600–1,800

In PlateDiary

A rough number for the dishes you save — only if you want one.

Off unless you turn them on

Calories in PlateDiary are off unless you turn them on. Switch them on and, when PlateDiary AI reads your photo of the table, each dish gets one rough “~” number. Accept it or change it; a number you correct is remembered for that dish. With Calories off, the app looks exactly as it did before.

A read sends small pictures of the cut-out dishes, with the place's name as a hint — never the table photo, faces or your location. Calorie numbers never go to analytics, and nothing is written to a health app. PlateDiary AI starts with free tries; here is how it works.

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How these numbers were made

Method and sources

Last reviewed

Restaurant portions and cooking vary, so these are typical estimates for one serving, built from the sources below. Treat it as a rough number: your plate may land anywhere in the range.

If you manage a health condition, ask a doctor or registered dietitian.

AI helped draft this page; every number was checked against the sources.

  1. USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS 2021–2023) — Quesadilla, chicken, FDC 2708593
  2. USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) — Restaurant, Mexican, cheese quesadilla, FDC 169035 (cheese quesadilla)

Questions

Questions people ask.

How many calories are in a chicken quesadilla?

A typical restaurant serving of a chicken quesadilla (one large chicken quesadilla, about 280 g) is about 800 calories, usually 500–1,300. The number depends mostly on the portion and how it is cooked.

Is a quesadilla lighter than a burrito?

Not by much: a large chicken quesadilla is about 800, close to a chicken burrito at about 840, because melted cheese stands in for the rice and beans.

Is a quesadilla a starter or a main?

Restaurant quesadillas are often big enough to share as a starter; split two ways, each half is about 400.

What changes the calories in a chicken quesadilla?

Melted cheese. Large flour tortillas.

How can I order a chicken quesadilla lighter?

Share it as a starter. Add extra vegetables inside.

Can PlateDiary show calories for the dishes I eat out?

Yes, if you want it to: calories in PlateDiary are off unless you turn them on. Switch them on and each dish you save from a photo of the table gets one rough “~” number you can accept or change.