Quesadillas: the easy and delicious Mexican recipe

Ground beef and cheese is a classic combination. Throw in crispy fried tortillas, and you’ve got an easy weeknight meal that will satisfy any fussy eater. Quesadillas are a popular Tex Mex or Mexican meal. It’s easy to eat on the go, and you can stuff it with any ingredients. And seriously, who doesn’t like a crispy tortilla stuffed with cheese and meat? It’s a quick option for a midweek meal. Ground beef is sauteed with onion and garlic and then stuffed in the tortilla with queso and grated cheese. Of course, you don’t need to stick with these ingredients, but you can customize it as you want.

How to make Quesadillas

First, cook the ground beef with chopped onion and garlic. Make sure it browns properly. This together with the onion and garlic adds extra flavor.

Tortillas are spread with queso, topped with the cooked ground beef mixture, and then topped with cheddar cheese. The folded tortilla is fried in the same pan (more flavor!) and folded. It’s now ready to be enjoyed!

Tips for the Best Quesadillas

These quesadillas can be made in advance. Simply assemble them, fold them, and freeze them in sealable plastic bags. You can bake them directly from frozen, or thaw them in the fridge.

To make this recipe healthier, you can use less cheese, use ricotta cheese instead of queso, and bake instead of frying.

Baking is useful to make a lot of quesadillas at once. Place the folded tortillas on a baking sheet, spray with cooking oil, and bake at 220°C/400°F for about 10 minutes until crispy. Serve immediately.

Melty cheese works well with this Quesadilla recipe. Use Monterey Jack, Mozzarella, or even Brie.

How to serve Quesadillas

Quesadillas can be served hot or cold. Because it’s easy to eat on-the-go, it’s a good choice to add it to a lunchbox for school or work lunches.

Quesadilla Variations

You can use flour or corn tortillas for this recipe. Flour tortillas will get crispier and will taste better the next day when compared to corn tortillas.

For a vegetarian quesadilla, use cooked black beans, chopped red bell pepper, and pickled jalapenos. Don’t forget the cheese! Beans are also a great way to add more protein and stretch the meat filling.

Other meat options include smoked chicken, ham, or even the best smoked salmon.

How to store Beef Quesadillas

It’s best to eat these quesadillas right away, but you can store them in the fridge for up to 4 days. Just make sure to store them in an airtight container. Reheat in the microwave or the oven for a crispier option.

Instructions

Heat oil to sauté onion until it is translucent.

Add minced garlic and stir until fragrant (about 30 seconds).

Add the beef and stir.

Add the spices and cook until beef is brown and drain excess liquid.

Spread queso over flour tortilla.

Add spoonful of the beef on top of the queso.

Add cheese on top.

Fold in half and press to flatten.

Heat vegetable oil and cook taco until crispy.

Flip and fold into triangle immediately.

Fry triangles on both sides until golden. Serve right away.

Notes

If you want super crispy quesadillas, make sure that the filling cools down before adding it to the tortillas.