Quesadillas! Who doesn’t go mad over crispy tortillas stuffed with molten, juicy goodness? This is my definitive Quesadilla guide – choose from Chicken Quesadillas, Beef OR Vegetable. Or build your own using the all-purpose Quesadilla seasoning!
These are brilliant for freezing – so make a big batch. Serve with sour cream, Restaurant-style salsa or Avocado Sauce for dipping!
Quesadillas!
You’d have to be made of stone if that image doesn’t make you weak in the knees.😂
That golden brown crispy tortilla.
The juicy, seasoned filling.
That molten cheese.
Quesadillas are a universal language that brings everyone together – vegetarians and meat lovers alike. And in the spirit of that, today I’ve got not one, but THREE filling options to choose from:
Chicken quesadilla – seasoned, seared golden then chopped, cooked with diced vegetables
Beef quesadilla – ground beef cooked with Quesadilla seasoning and capsicum/bell peppers peppers
Vegetable quesadilla – diced vegetables cooked with Quesadilla seasoning
Use this Quesadilla recipe to make an irresistible Quesadilla using any protein or vegetable!
Today’s recipe centres around on one master Mexican Spice Mix that works fabulously with both meat and vegetables. This Quesadilla seasoning adds great flavour onto and into proteins, and into any stuffing for Quesadillas generally.
What to put in Quesadillas
Any chopped, ground meat (mince), diced or sliced vegetables can be stuffed into quesadillas! In today’s recipe, there are 3 options: beef, chicken and vegetarian.
Beef Quesadilla
Made using ground beef (mince), I love how the spice really gets right in there all throughout the beef. A bit of tomato paste binds it all together and makes it nice and juicy. Use this recipe for any ground meat, including beef, pork, veal, chicken or turkey.
Chicken Quesadilla
Seared seasoned chicken thigh fillets (or breast) then diced and mixed through with sautéed onion and capsicum/bell peppers. Use this recipe for any protein in steak form, including beef, pork, veal, chicken or turkey.
Vegetarian Quesadilla
A mix of onion, capsicum/bell peppers, black beans and corn, made juicy with tomato paste and the Spice Mix. Use this Filling recipe for any vegetables you want!
I can’t even tell whether it’s chicken or vegetable Filling used in the photo above.
I just know I want to eat it.😂
How to fill a quesadilla
To fill a quesadilla, place the filling on one side of a tortilla, then fold to enclose. Start with shredded cheese, top with filling of choice (beef, chicken, vegetarian) then finish with another sprinkle of cheese.
The double cheese acts as a glue for the filling so when you cut / bite into it, the filling doesn’t completely ooze out. So it serves a practical purpose….not that we ever need an excuse to make things cheesier! 😂
How to cook quesadillas
Place the quesadilla in a dry skillet over low to medium low heat. Why no oil? Partly because this way, you don’t have to handle greasy tortillas with your hands. But more importantly, oil is a heat conductor which browns the tortillas faster than the filling heats through and the cheese melts. Tortillas are thin – and they cook fast!
Cover with a lid – this heats the filling through and melts the cheese faster, before the tortilla gets too brown. If you don’t have a lid for your skillet, use anything that will cover it – a larger skillet, baking tray, anything. Cook until underside is golden and crispy, then remove the lid.
Flip over the folded edge -this ensures you don’t lose any filling! Use your hand on the uncooked side to hold it together.
Cook uncovered until crispy and cheese is molten – about 2 to 3 minutes.
Cut in half and serve!
You do not need to grease the pan to cook quesadillas!
How to serve quesadillas
Once cooked, serve them asap while they’re hot and crispy! Preferably with some kind of dipping sauce for dunking or dolloping. Even if it’s just sour cream, but if you want to go all out, try it with a quick Avocado Sauce. Made with avocado, sour cream, lime or lemon juice, garlic, and plenty of coriander/cilantro, this stays green for days and days!
Preparing quesadillas in advance
You might already freeze burritos but have you tried freezing quesadillas? It works 💯 perfectly. Assemble and freeze before cooking.
Thaw, then pan fry or you can even bake from frozen.
So make a big batch. Have some now and save some for later!
– Nagi x
PS Baking option to make loads at the same time – see this Baked Quesadillas recipe. A touch less crispy, but it’s a small sacrifice for the convenience!
Watch how to make it
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Quesadilla (Beef, Vegetable or Chicken)
Ingredients
Quesadillas:
- 6 – 8 flour tortillas (20cm/8″)
- 2 cups (200g) shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or other of choice) (Note 1)
- 3/4 cup roughly chopped coriander/cilantro
- 1 cup corn kernels (frozen thawed or can drained)
- ONE Filling of Choice, below (beef, chicken or vegetable)
Quesadilla Spice Mix:
- 1 tsp each onion powder, dried oregano, salt
- 2 tsp each cumin powder, paprika
- 1/4 tsp each black pepper, cayenne pepper (optional)
CHOOSE ONE FILLING
Beef Filling:
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/2 onion , finely chopped
- 500g / 1 lb ground beef / mince
- 1 small red capsicum/bell peppers , diced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 cup (65 ml) water
Chicken Filling:
- 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 500 g/1 lb chicken thighs , skinless boneless (Note 2)
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 small onion , quartered and sliced
- 1 small red capsicum/bell pepper , diced
Vegetable Filling:
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion , diced
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 can of black beans, drained (400g/14oz)
- 1 capsicum/bell pepper , diced (any colour)
- 1 cup corn (canned drained or frozen thawed)
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1/4 cup (65 ml) water
Instructions
QUESADILLAS
- Place tortilla on work surface. Sprinkle one side with a bit of cheese, top with Filling of Choice. Sprinkle with corn*, coriander and top with cheese. Fold in half.
- Preheat non stick skillet over medium low heat (no oil, if pan is not non-stick use 2 tsp oil).
- Place quesadilla in skillet, press down lightly, cover with lid. Cook for 3 minutes until underside is super golden brown and crispy.
- Carefully flip over the folded edge (see video). Press down lightly. Cook for 3 minutes until crispy (no lid).
- Transfer to cutting board, cut in half. Serve immediately!
- Dipping Sauce options: Sour cream, salsa, Avocado Sauce (pictured)
Spice Mix:
- Mix ingredients in a small bowl. Use for one of the Fillings Options below.
FILLING OPTIONS
Beef Filling:
- Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook for 2 minutes.
- Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go. Once it changes from pink to brown, add capsicum. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add tomato paste, water and Spice Mix. Cook for 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl, cool.
Chicken Filling:
- Drizzle chicken with 1 tbsp oil, toss to coat. Sprinkle over Spice Mix, toss well to coat.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook for 2 minutes. Add capsicum and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to bowl, cool.
- Return pan to stove, reduce to medium heat. Add remaining 1/2 tbsp oil. Add chicken and cook for 3 minutes until deep golden. Turn and cook for 3 minutes until cooked through.
- Transfer chicken to cutting board, rest for 2 minutes then dice and cool. Combine with capsicum mixture.
Vegetable Filling:
- Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook for 2 minutes. Add capsicum, cook for 1 minute.
- Add beans, corn, tomato paste, water and Spice Mix. Cook for 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl, cool.
Recipe Notes:
* Makes 6 generously stuffed or 8 normal quesadillas
* Cool Fillings before assembling tortillas = crispier
* Freezer option: Assemble quesadillas then freeze before cooking. Wrap in cling wrap then place in ziplock bags or airtight containers. Thaw then cook per recipe. Can microwave 40 seconds or so to thaw.
* Bake option (can make loads in one go): Follow directions in this Chicken Baked Quesadillas recipe.
* Can also make flattish burritos, wrap in foil then bake until crispy (about 30 minutes at 180C/350F). These can also be frozen, thaw before cooking. 4. Nutrition per chicken quesadilla, assuming 8 servings. Lean beef quesadillas are 469 calories each, and vegetable is 357 calories.
Nutrition Information:
More tasty things stuffed between crispy bread
And more of my favourite Mexican recipes
Life of Dozer
Selfie attempt. POUT Dozer, pout!!!
Like so many others who have commented on this fabulous recipe, we love it! Yes, the spice mix is absolutely perfectly delicious! I made the chicken filling and assembled 2 quesadillas last night for our dinner. I wanted to taste-test them before inviting 2 of our neighbors. Totally passed the test!! Our neighbors are coming tonight.
Only comment is, like a previous comment, my chickens must have carried their weight in their thighs – they were a bit chubby. So the 3 minutes cooking on each side did not cook them thru. Next time I may try cubing them before cooking and see how that goes.
I’m also wanting to try putting them on a baking tray to stay warm in the oven and heat the filling thru more. I’ll cover loosely with foil.
Loving your recipes! I did the Hot Cross Buns at Easter and that has led me down the path of more of your recipes. I’m loving the journey 😃
I wonder how many pounds of chicken does your spice mix could serve? Thank you
Hi Jheni – the spice mix goes on 1lb of chicken listed in the recipe ingredients 🙂 N x
So helpful!,,,
Hi …
I can’t finf the black beans for the vegetable quesadilla with what i can replace it
Hi Nohad, red kidney beans or even cannellini beans will also work fine here if you can get them! N x
This recipe was outstanding and definitely going on rotation at my house. I made the ground beef version with low-carb tortillas, which made it Keto approved-ish.
My only feedback was that for me, it was difficult to follow the recipe on the iPhone because you have to keep scrolling up and down to focus on the instructions for the selected protein. If you are someone that needs very clear, sequential instructions, consider doing a little homework beforehand and maybe write out the recipes. But let me tell you, once I had this cheesy dream in my mouth, I couldn’t care less about the instructions and neither will you.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with the world, ma’am.
I made the beef quesadillas with your recommended avocado dip. They were delicious! Great instructions as always ❤
My partner is so picky and he said it’s sooo good! Really tasty definitely will use this recipe more often!
Best recipe I have ever found! A weeknight savior. Love it so much
Flavours were great, I left out spicier ones for my kids. We tried the beef recipe but using a mince substitute (called Quorn) for vegetarian. Added a little sauce and extra garlic/onion – delicious!
amazing recipe
tried it last week
better than what I was expecting
Hi, Nagi!
First of all, I want to congratulate you for all your recipes, for all the info and explanations, for the well organized site. I enjoy the way you present the recipes!
I discovered you when one of my friends told me about your Poached Chicken (which is great, by the way!). And since than, I keep digging your site! And keep finding interesting recipes! (Today, I made Pasta a la Norma!)
Now the question: I think I saw a recipe for tortillas/wraps made by you… but I can not find it anymore… Can you help?!
The beef quesadillas will be a regular go to recipe for me. The unadjusted recipe was perfect for me and my teenagers. Probably will create a problem for my weight loss journey but hey ho! you can’t win them all.
I made the vegetarian version of this and at first was disappointed because I could taste the rawness of the vegetables and their basic flavors overpowered the mexican spices and tomato paste they were cooked in BUT when I stored the leftover filling overnight in the fridge and tried it again the next day it was AMAZING. The flavors all melded together and soaked into the vegetables. Probably just need to cook the veggies longer before adding in the spice mix and tomato paste next time? Or trust that this is best served after it’s sat in the fridge overnight. I will add that when building the quesadilla, I toss some fresh diced tomatoes and pickled jalapeno over the veggie filling before heating it in the skillet and it makes this even more amazingly delicious and flavorful. Thank you Nagi!!!
Yum, yum, yum. I made this with ground chicken and added pinto beans along with your seasoning, plus some chili powder and fresh squeezed half of lime. I opted out for the cayenne pepper, but did a dash of crystal hot sauce to the meat and added chopped cilantro too. Thank you for the inspiration, it was full of flavor (a must!)
Liked this recipe very much! The spice mix was super flavoursome, though I did have two issues. Even after cooking the chicken thighs for 6 minutes, they needed to be cut into pieces to cook. They were however a bit thicker than in the video so maybe a disclaimer would be helpful? I also burnt my wrap after 3 minutes on medium low heat, so I think next time Ill add a touch of oi l. But other than that, nice!
We tried the beef ones last night anf they were delish! Kids ate them too! Will try the chicken ones next time. Thanks Nagi x
I’ve been making this recipe for ages, but I just wanted to post a comment to tell you this is my wife’s favourite meal. Ever. On her birthday she asks for chicken quesadillas. Honestly, thank you. These are probably reason she even married me.
Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know Jeremy, I’m so glad you both love this recipe! N x
Nagi, Your recipes look delicious and easy to follow! Would you use the “soft flatbread recipe” from
( https://discountspot.info/easy-soft-flatbread-yeast/%3C/a%3E%29 your website to make these quesdillas?
Thanks 🙂
Hi Angie, you can – just roll them thinner 🙂 N x
I made the beef version tonight for my husband and he said it tastes even better than the ones he has tried in restaurants! Thanks, Nagi!
Another winner!! I made quesadillas for the first time using your recipe for the chicken filling. Had to use chicken breast because no thighs on hand and I’m not suiting up to go out to the store – mask, gloves, etc, then strip and shower when I get home due to Covid fears. My picky, picky, food picky daughter who loves chicken quesadillas raved and told me these were restaurant quality. The rest of the family loved them too. Thank you so much for all these recipes you’ve posted – they are keeping me busy during quarantine!!
You’re so welcome Marianne, that’s so great to hear! N x