The Best Quesadilla Recipes
If you’re looking for a freakin’ delicious meal for today’s lunch or tonight’s dinner, look no further than these quesadilla recipes. We’ve highlighted lots of the great party foods: tacos, nachos, burgers and even dips. But now it’s time for the quesadilla — that great unsung hero of any tailgate, game day celebration or quick, satisfying, easy dinner — to have its moment. I’m so stoked, because my favorite quesadillas aren’t just the sad pre-shredded cheese and room temperature tortilla concoctions you might remember from childhood. We’ve got lots of different proteins, toppings and sauces to make everyone around the table happy (and full). Table of Contents Why You’ll Love These Quesadilla RecipesEssential Quesadilla IngredientsEasy GuacamoleThis sauce is FYR!Tips for Making the Best QuesadillasMy Favorite Quesadilla RecipesBeef Quesadilla RecipesChicken Quesadilla RecipesOther Freakin’ Delicious Quesadilla RecipesWhat to Serve with QuesadillasMore Party FoodLeftovers and ReheatingFAQsFlavor X Fire & FOOD X Fire Why You’ll Love These Quesadilla Recipes Essential Quesadilla Ingredients Easy Guacamole This sauce is FYR! Tips for Making the Best Quesadillas My Favorite Quesadilla Recipes Beef Quesadilla RecipesChicken Quesadilla RecipesOther Freakin’ Delicious Quesadilla Recipes Beef Quesadilla Recipes Chicken Quesadilla Recipes Other Freakin’ Delicious Quesadilla Recipes What to Serve with Quesadillas More Party Food Leftovers and Reheating FAQs Flavor X Fire & FOOD X Fire Why You’ll Love These Quesadilla Recipes There’s nothing like crispy quesadillas with gooey cheese, mouthwatering fillings and warm tortillas. The best part about quesadillas is that they’re portable! I take them to tailgates all the time because they’re so easy to prep, grill and carry. They also make great appetizers in a larger game day spread! If you’re looking for a simple bite that provides a huge amount of flavor, no matter where you are, look no further than the quesadilla. Essential Quesadilla Ingredients Tortillas: The building blocks of any good quesadilla recipe. You can use either corn tortillas or flour tortillas, but I tend to gravitate toward corn thanks to their earthy flavor. Protein: I use beef and chicken in a lot of these quesadilla recipes, but pulled pork is amazing too. Make sure you check the cooking time for your filling! If we’re using a larger cut, like brisket, chuck roast, flavorful chicken thighs or pork shoulder, you’ll want to leave more time to grill before serving. Some of the braised larger cuts are even more delicious the day after you make them. Other fillings, like steak, ground beef and chicken breasts, will cook much faster. Toppings: Can you call them toppings if they’re on the inside? Either way, a good quesadilla becomes a great quesadilla with the other ingredients that make up the quesadilla filling. Melty cheese (cheddar cheese, pepper jack and Monterey Jack cheese are all great options), vegetables like bell peppers, black beans and red onions, and additional meats like bacon or chorizo are some of my favorite fillings. OK, Actual Toppings: Outside of the filling, you’ll want dips on the side to get the best flavor out of these quesadilla recipes. Pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream and a squeeze of lime juice will round out your quesadilla meal. If you’re looking for a lower-fat sour cream alternative, Greek yogurt is a great option. Tortillas: The building blocks of any good quesadilla recipe. You can use either corn tortillas or flour tortillas, but I tend to gravitate toward corn thanks to their earthy flavor. Protein: I use beef and chicken in a lot of these quesadilla recipes, but pulled pork is amazing too. Make sure you check the cooking time for your filling! If we’re using a larger cut, like brisket, chuck roast, flavorful chicken thighs or pork shoulder, you’ll want to leave more time to grill before serving. Some of the braised larger cuts are even more delicious the day after you make them. Other fillings, like steak, ground beef and chicken breasts, will cook much faster. Toppings: Can you call them toppings if they’re on the inside? Either way, a good quesadilla becomes a great quesadilla with the other ingredients that make up the quesadilla filling. Melty cheese (cheddar cheese, pepper jack and Monterey Jack cheese are all great options), vegetables like bell peppers, black beans and red onions, and additional meats like bacon or chorizo are some of my favorite fillings. OK, Actual Toppings: Outside of the filling, you’ll want dips on the side to get the best flavor out of these quesadilla recipes. Pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream and a squeeze of lime juice will round out your quesadilla meal. If you’re looking for a lower-fat sour cream alternative, Greek yogurt is a great option. Easy Guacamole Sure, the store-bought stuff works, but there’s nothing like fresh homemade guacamole — it’s so freakin’ delicious, and making it couldn’t be easier. Take 3 ripe avocados, halved, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch pieces, then put them in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of finely chopped red onion, 1/4 teaspoon of grated lime zest, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 minced jalapeño chile and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro. Mash it all together in a bowl, season it with kosher salt and pepper and serve ASAP. Get stoked for life This sauce is FYR! an all-new line created for live fire cooking Born from a deep passion for food and flavor. Whether you’re grilling in the backyard or live fire cooking around the world, we have what you need to transform every meal into an adventure. Tips for Making the Best Quesadillas Use a cast iron skillet on the grill. I know, I know, the grill marks look cool. But using a large skillet over medium-high heat gives us that even golden brown all over the crispy tortilla. Plus, if ingredients happen to fall out of your tortilla, they’re not going anywhere. Get that tortilla golden brown first! This step will make the tortilla more pliable and easy to fold when you put in the filling ingredients. Also, see above about how much we love a golden brown tortilla. Only put the filling on half of the tortilla. It can be tempting to spread our delicious quesadilla filling all over the top of the tortilla. Covering only half of the tortillas ensures that the quesadilla cooks evenly and stays portable. No one wants to lose any of that delicious quesadilla filling while they’re eating! Use a cast iron skillet on the grill. I know, I know, the grill marks look cool. But using a large skillet over medium-high heat gives us that even golden brown all over the crispy tortilla. Plus, if ingredients happen to fall out of your tortilla, they’re not going anywhere. Get that tortilla golden brown first! This step will make the tortilla more pliable and easy to fold when you put in the filling ingredients. Also, see above about how much we love a golden brown tortilla. Only put the filling on half of the tortilla. It can be tempting to spread our delicious quesadilla filling all over the top of the tortilla. Covering only half of the tortillas ensures that the quesadilla cooks evenly and stays portable. No one wants to lose any of that delicious quesadilla filling while they’re eating! My Favorite Quesadilla Recipes Who will triumph in our quest for the best quesadilla recipe? Kidding — there’s not a bad recipe in this bunch. Try ’em all and let me know which one is your perfect quesadilla in the comments! Beef Quesadilla Recipes Steak Fajita Quesadilla The Steak Fajita Quesadilla with a Lime Chipotle Sour Cream Sauce is an easy recipe that combines all your favorite flavors into one epic flavor bomb! View Recipe Cheesesteak Quesadilla Cheesesteak Quesadilla for the fun, family dinner. View Recipe Easy Steak Quesadilla Nothing quite beats steak and cheese. This Easy Steak Quesadilla is the ideal mixture for the outdoor cook! View Recipe Chipotle Ranch Steak Quesadilla If you loved Marry Me Steak Tacos, you'll love the Chipotle Ranch Steak Quesadilla, maybe even more. It doesn't get much better than perfectly grilled filet mignon, melty cheese, and a homemade ranch dressing that's cool and spicy! View Recipe Fried Quesadilla This fried quesadilla is a riff on a popular street food in Mexico City. It's like empanadas, tacos and quesadilla all together! View Recipe Chicken Quesadilla Recipes Grilled Chicken Fajita Quesadilla The Grilled Chicken Fajita Quesadilla is an easy recipe that packs a punch with fajita flavors and cheesy goodness that are so freakin' delicious. View Recipe Buffalo Chicken Quesadilla Buffalo Chicken Quesadilla for a delicious, dip-able, cheesy, buffalo chicken experience. View Recipe Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadilla Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadilla for a delicious, hand held meal! View Recipe Other Freakin’ Delicious Quesadilla Recipes Loaded Pulled Pork Quesadillas Loaded Pulled Pork Quesadillas with homemade jalapeno lime sour cream are a delicious way to level up your quesadilla game! View Recipe What to Serve with Quesadillas Chips and salsa, Mexican rice or cilantro-lime rice with refried beans, or a simple slaw with lots of green onions and lime juice are all great options to serve with these quesadilla recipes. During the summer, I love to throw some corn on the grill too. For drinks, margaritas or a michelada would be so freakin’ delicious! More Party Food Leftovers and Reheating If you have leftover quesadillas, you’ll want to wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or place them in an airtight container. They’ll keep in the fridge for up to three days. To reheat, toss your quesadillas on a hot pan or in an electric griddle for a couple of minutes on each side until they get crispy again. If you don’t have an electric griddle, you can place the sliced quesadillas on a sheet pan and warm them in a 350-degree oven for about 10 minutes. Avoid the microwave if you can — it’ll make those crispy tortillas soggy. FAQs Should I use corn tortillas or flour tortillas? I’m sure I’ll get some strong opinions about this debate! They’re both great, but here are a few things you can keep in mind when you’re making these quesadilla recipes. Basically, corn tortillas are firmer and have an earthier flavor. Flour tortillas are softer and sweeter. My opinion: you can’t really go wrong. Can I make these quesadilla recipes ahead of time? Yes! You can prepare your filling ingredients, like meat and vegetables, ahead of time. Then, store them in the fridge, and assemble the quesadillas when you’re ready to eat. What’s the best way to slice quesadillas so everything doesn’t fall out? ​You can use a sharp knife, a pizza cutter or even a pair of kitchen shears! Get The Cookbooks! Flavor X Fire & FOOD X Fire By Derek Wolf All the major tastes—salty, sour, sweet, bitter, and umami—are explored in depth, along with an investigation of other components you should consider when it comes to flavor, such as aroma, heat, and texture. Derek Wolf Derek is the driving force behind Over the Fire Cooking. He started cooking with live fire in 2016 and decided to start a social media page so his friends and family could follow the journey. Fast forward to today and Over the Fire Cooking has spread across multiple platforms with millions now following Derek's fire cooking journey. He's a southern fellow who enjoys everything from classic BBQ to Central and South American inspired dishes. Whatever he's cooking up, it's guaranteed to be so freakin' delicious!