For A Better Quesadilla At Chili's, Order It BBQ-Style

When cheesy cravings call, Chili's Grill & Bar has you covered. The popular Mexican-American restaurant chain offers all sorts of delicious cheesy menu items, including Fried Mozzarella, Skillet Beef Queso, and its Big Smasher burger. But the star of the show is arguably its quesadilla. While traditional Chili's quesadillas are go-tos, a great hack involves using the restaurant's updated house barbecue sauce.

Next time you're at Chili's, order the Brisket Quesadilla, which features slow-smoked pulled brisket, cheese, jalapeños, and the refreshed house barbecue sauce recipe. If brisket isn't speaking to you, select the Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadilla with grilled chicken, bacon pieces, and house ranch — or a plain cheese quesadilla — and ask for barbecue sauce on the side. It'll add a sweet yet tangy flavor to your meal, pairing perfectly with the cheese's salt and richness.

If you're dining at the restaurant, you can ask your server for barbecue sauce directly in your quesadilla if it doesn't already have the condiment. However, if you're ordering online, there isn't an option to add sauce directly to a Chicken Bacon Ranch or plain quesadilla. Instead, you'll need to order a 4-ounce container of the new house-made barbecue sauce on the side to add it yourself or use it as a dip. Luckily, it's only about $2 extra online, though pricing might vary by location.

Chili's previously offered a barbecue chicken quesadilla in the 1990s and early 2000s. If you miss this item, take solace in customer feedback for today's barbecue sauce hack. "Started doing this a while back and it's the move," one Redditor said. According to some customers, the new barbecue is a little sweeter than the original from decades past, but lots find it even more delicious.

Apart from simply adding barbecue, Facebook commenters have concocted other upgrades to make Chili's quesadillas even more delectable. For example, some suggest dipping the Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadilla in Buffalo sauce and sour cream, too, adding spicy, creamy, and slightly refreshing notes to the dish. In fact, that combo might just help move the meal up from its third-place spot in our ranking of seven Chili's entrees. No matter which way you order your quesadilla, just make sure to ask for it perfectly cooked, as burnt tortillas are a common reason people avoid quesadillas at Chili's.