• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Best Beef Recipes logo
  • Home
  • Find A Recipe
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • About Best Beef Recipes
  • Follow Us!

    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Mexican Beef Recipes

    Beef Quesadillas Recipe

    Published: Apr 10, 2023 Modified: Apr 10, 2023 by Isabel Laessig

    Share

    Share
    Pin208
    Tweet
    Email

    Best Beef Recipes is an Amazon Associate. We receive compensation for purchases made through affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    Beef Quesadillas are simple, easy, and savory, loaded with steak and cheese, fresh peppers, onions, and a savory blend of spices! This easy beef quesadilla recipe uses simple ingredients and comes together in just under 20 minutes for a fun dinner your family will love.

    beef quesadillas stacked together
    Jump to:
    • Beef Quesadillas
    • Steak Fajita Quesadilla Ingredients
    • How to Make Beef Quesadillas
    • Beef Quesadilla Tips
    • Beef Quesadilla Recipe FAQs
    • Beef for Quesadillas
    • Quesadillas Sauce
    • How to Reheat Quesadillas
    • What to Serve with Quesadillas
    • 📌 Pin it for later!
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    Beef Quesadillas

    My family loves quesadilla night, and once you try this beef quesadillas recipe, it is so easy to see why! Thin and juicy cuts of steak layered over cheese, filled with other classic ingredients - including a homemade quesadilla sauce- between two fluffy tortillas. These steak quesadillas are golden on the outside and softly cheesy on the inside!

    There are two secret ingredients- my delicious butter garlic sauce, spread on the outside of the tortillas with parmesan cheese, and my creamy, tangy quesadilla sauce for dipping. These two special ingredients make these beef quesadillas seriously tasty!

    The best part about this beef quesadilla recipe is how it can be served either as a savory main course for dinner or as the perfect appetizer for a party. This is the perfect dish to make using leftovers, including with ground beef! Enjoy!

    beef quesadilla slices on a plate with quesadilla sauce in a bowl

    Steak Fajita Quesadilla Ingredients

    • Olive oil
    • Bell peppers
    • Onions
    • Garlic powder
    • Salt
    • Pepper
    • Flour tortillas - corn tortillas will also work, for gluten-free
    • Cooked beef or steak - try one of my steak dinner ideas or even leftover taco meat
    • Shredded cheese
    • garlic butter (to brush over tortillas)
    • Parmesan cheese
    • Steak seasoning
    ingredients to make beef quesadillas with labels

    How to Make Beef Quesadillas

    1. Add olive oil to a skillet on the stove over medium heat. Once hot, add peppers and onions and season with garlic powder. Cook for 5 minutes, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Saute until golden brown.
    2. Mix melted butter, chopped parsley, and minced garlic together to make garlic butter. Spread the garlic butter on one side of a tortilla, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
      beef quesadilla cooking on griddle
    3. Place the tortilla buttered side down in a skillet over medium heat. Top with cooked steak, shredded cheese, peppers and onions, and steak seasoning. Cover with a second tortilla, then spread with garlic butter and Parmesan.
      beef quesadilla before flipping
    4. Carefully flip the quesadilla to cook the opposite side. Cook another 5-8 minutes, until the cheese melts and the tortilla is golden-brown and crisp. Enjoy!
    browned quesadillas on a griddle

    Beef Quesadilla Tips

    • Try not to overstuff the tortillas while making quesadillas. Leave a little room around the edge as the ingredients will expand and the tortilla will shrink with the heat. This will make it easier for flipping!
    • If your quesadillas are cooking too quickly (and starting to burn), turn down the heat! Flour tortillas need to be toasted over medium heat, don’t brown them too quickly.
    • Garlic butter and Parmesan makes a fantastic pairing for quesadillas, but if you’re short on time or ingredients you can also use olive oil.

    Beef Quesadilla Recipe FAQs

    What goes well with quesadillas?

    Quesadillas make the perfect main course, side dish, or appetizer. They are a great combination of classic toppings like refried beans, lettuce, salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. You can also serve quesadillas with Mexican-style slaw, tortilla soup, Mexican street corn, cilantro-lime rice, or savory Birria sauce.

    What kind of cheese is best for quesadillas?

    Quesadillas are best when made with shredded cheese able to melt into the rest of the quesadilla mixture. Try using Monterey Jack, pepper jack, or Colby Jack. You can also add parmesan cheese to the outside of the tortilla before searing it. For an over-the-top experience, try using Mexican melting cheese like Oaxaca or Chihuahua cheese!

    Can quesadillas be frozen?

    To freeze cooked quesadillas, first, allow them to come to room temperature. Wrap the quesadillas in plastic wrap and place them in an airtight, sealed container (this is perfect for individual servings!). Date and label the outside of the container, and keep the in the freezer for up to 2 months.

    Beef for Quesadillas

    If you are making the beef completely from scratch for quesadillas and have no leftovers, use my Carne Asada recipe for amazing flavor, or try using my Reverse Sear Steak recipe if you like to marinate your steak before cooking it.

    But, beef quesadillas are so versatile, you can use whatever type of beef you have on hand to make them. I like to use bite-sized pieces of juicy sirloin, chuck, New York Strip, or classic ribeye!

    This is also an excellent recipe to use ground beef in to make cheesy ground beef quesadillas- they are so good! Try making beef quesadillas using:

    • Birria Tacos
    • Crockpot Taco Meat
    • Grilled Sirloin Steak
    • Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast
    sliced quesadilla on a cutting board with salsa

    Quesadillas Sauce

    My creamy and tangy quesadilla sauce is the perfect pairing for savory steak quesadillas! This sauce uses simple ingredients and can be whipped up in no time! Here's what you will need:

    • Mayonnaise
    • Sour cream
    • Pickled jalapeno juice
    • Ground cumin
    • Garlic powder
    • Salt
    • Chili powder
    1. Add all ingredients to a bowl.
    2. Mix thoroughly until completely combined.
    3. Serve as a dip for quesadillas or add to a squeeze bottle to serve over-top, and enjoy!

    How to Reheat Quesadillas

    When I make beef quesadillas, I tend to make quite a few! This makes them perfect for reheating and enjoying throughout the week. Cooked and assembled beef quesadillas are best when left in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 days. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

    • Beef quesadillas can be reheated in the microwave, or stove, or try the air fryer!
    • Reheat on the stove over low-medium heat until heated through and crisped, in the microwave in 30-second intervals, or in the air fryer at 350°F for 3-5 minutes.
    • Keep in mind, the quesadillas have already been toasted, so it is important to monitor the heat levels because they will continue to brown as they reheat.

    What to Serve with Quesadillas

    When I make my beef quesadillas, I like to cut them into triangles, layer them on a big platter, and top them with all of the classics- sour cream, lettuce, salsa, guacamole, and of course my delicious quesadilla sauce.

    • Elote Corn (Mexican Street Corn)
    • Mango Peach Salsa
    • Cilantro Lime Rice
    • Street Corn Dip

    Try more Leftover Steak Recipes.

    📌 Pin it for later!

    Did you enjoy this page? Save it on Pinterest for later!

    Share

    Pin

    📋 Recipe

    quesadilla sauce in a bowl with beef quesadillas on a plate
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    4.60 from 5 votes

    Beef Quesadillas Recipe

    Learn how to make beef quesadillas following this easy Beef Quesadillas Recipe! Simple to make using leftovers in just 20 minutes.
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time15 minutes mins
    Total Time20 minutes mins
    Course: Appetizer or main
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Beef quesadilla, Beef quesadilla recipe, Beef quesadillas, Beef quesadillas recipe
    Servings: 8 quesadilla slices
    Calories: 462kcal
    Author: Isabel Laessig

    Equipment

    • 1 Skillet

    Ingredients

    Sauteed Peppers and Onions

    • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 bell peppers any kind - we used green peppers
    • 2 medium onions sliced - use yellow or white onions, not red
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • Salt to taste
    • Pepper to taste

    Steak Quesadillas

    • 2 flour tortillas per quesadilla; see notes for gluten-free options
    • 2 cups cooked beef or sliced steak
    • 2 cups shredded cheese
    • 4 Tablespoons garlic butter approximate amount; to brush over the tortillas
    • 1 Tablespoon parmesan cheese
    • 1 teaspoon steak seasoning

    Quesadilla Sauce

    • ½ cup mayonnaise
    • ½ cup sour cream Greek yogurt may also be used
    • 3 Tablespoons pickled jalapeno juice
    • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon chili powder

    See our Beef Temperature Chart for helpful tips on cooking any cut of beef!

    Instructions

    • Add olive oil to a skillet on the stove over medium heat. Once hot, add peppers and onions and season with garlic powder. Cook for 5 minutes, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Saute until golden brown.
      ingredients to make beef quesadillas with labels
    • Mix melted butter, chopped parsley, and minced garlic together to make garlic butter. Spread the garlic butter on one side of a tortilla, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Place the tortilla buttered side down in a skillet over medium heat. Top with cooked steak, shredded cheese, peppers and onions, and steak seasoning.
      beef quesadilla cooking on griddle
    • Cover with a second tortilla, then spread with garlic butter and Parmesan. Carefully flip the quesadilla to cook the opposite side.
      beef quesadilla before flipping
    • Cook another 5-8 minutes, until the cheese melts and the tortilla is golden-brown and crisp. Enjoy!
      browned quesadillas on a griddle

    Video

    Notes

    • Gluten-free quesadillas: You can use corn or almond flour tortillas as gluten-free alternatives. You may need to cook slowly on lower heat if using gluten-free tortillas, as they tend to burn or fall apart more quickly. To more easily melt the cheese and heat the quesadillas through, place a lid over the quesadillas while they cook.
    • Try not to overstuff the tortillas while making quesadillas. Leave a little room around the edge as the ingredients will expand and the tortilla will shrink with the heat. This will make it easier for flipping!
    • Leftovers are great for making quesadillas, but if you are making them completely from scratch I like to use my Carne Asada recipe for amazing flavor, or try using my Reverse Sear Ribeye recipe if you like to marinate your steak before cooking it.
    • If your quesadillas are cooking too quickly (and starting to burn), turn down the heat! Flour tortillas need to be toasted over medium heat, don’t brown them too quickly.
    • Garlic butter makes a fantastic pairing for pan-frying quesadillas, but if you’re short on time or ingredients you can also use olive oil.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 462kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 486mg | Potassium: 346mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1560IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 197mg | Iron: 2mg

    Share

    Share
    Pin208
    Tweet
    Email
    « Italian Meatloaf Recipe
    Beef Rib Rub »

    About Isabel Laessig

    Isabel Laessig, better known as Family Foodie and the founder of the Sunday Supper Movement, is passionate about food and family! She is the author of the Boujee Steak Cookbook, and makes regular television appearances to spread her mission of bringing Sunday Supper back around the family table in every home.

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a comment or question - we love to hear from you! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    • Family Foodie Facebook
    • Sunday Supper Pinterest
    • Sunday Supper Youtube
    • Family Foodie Instagram
    • Family Foodie Tiktok
    Isabel smiling with a stack of ribs

    Hi! I’m Isabel Laessig, also known as Family Foodie. Welcome to my beef-obsessed recipe website!

    About Me

    Best Beef Dinner Ideas

    • Beef chuck roast with potatoes and carrots
      Chuck Roast in the Oven
    • Burger seasoning in a bowl on a white wood surface
      Our Famous Burger Seasoning
    • Two air fried steaks on an offwhite plate, cut partially into slices to show the medium rare middle and topped with garlic butter
      Air Fryer Steak
    • Beef birria tacos on a white platter
      Birria Tacos Recipe
    • smoked brisket sliced with red gravy
      Smoked Brisket
    • Two slices of prime rib roast on a cutting board
      Boneless Rib Roast

    Footer

    Our Brands

    Best Beef Recipes | Sunday Supper Movement | Easy Sauce Recipes | Side Dish Ideas | Pork Recipe Ideas

    About Us

    • Contact Us
    • About Best Beef Recipes
    • Disclosure & Privacy
    • No AI
    • Sign up for our Newsletter!
    sunday supper movement logo

    Best Beef Recipes is part of the Sunday Supper Media publishing family.

    ↑ back to top

    Copyright ©2019-2023 Best Beef Recipes, All Rights Reserved.