Quesadilla

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:

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

Favourite Mexican Recipes

Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork) Chicken Fajitas and Beef Fajitas Beef Enchiladas Beef Barbacoa Queso Cheese Dip Mexican Fiesta Menu and recipes See all Mexican recipes

And more things stuffed between crispy flatbreads!

Things stuffed inside crispy flatbreads are always a good thing, and I’ve done a few over the years:

Gozleme – Crispy Turkish olive oil flatbreads stuffed with spinach and feta Crispy Ham and Cheese Pockets Oven Baked Chicken Quesadillas – handy because you can make loads at the same time! Aloo Paratha And though not stuffed, this ever popular Easy Soft Flatbreads has to make the list (use as naan for curries, Greek Gyros, Doner Kebab, Chicken Shawarma – the options are extensive!)