Easy Beef Quesadillas
These quick and easy ground beef quesadillas are perfect for an easy weeknight supper or lunch
Equipment
- 1 or 2 frying pan I like to use a cast iron pan for the beef and onion/pepper blend
- 1 griddle or flat pan for cooking the quesadillas
Ingredients
- 500 grams ground beef (I prefer lean)
- 1 packet quesadilla seasoning or make your own *see below
- ¼ cup water or beef broth
Quesadilla Seasoning Blend
- 1 tsp Chili powder
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika
- ½ tsp dried Oregano
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp granulated garlic or garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp Salt and pepper (each)
- ¼ tsp Cayenne pepper Optional for heat
For the Onions and pepper (Optional)
- 2 medium Peppers (red, yellow or red), sliced thinly into strips (about ⅛" thick) *you could even add sliced jalapenos for a little kick here too.
- 1 large white or sweet onion, sliced into strips the same size as the pepper (quarter the onion, then slice)
- 2 Tbsp oil
- ½ tsp reserved seasoning blend or packet seasoning
For the quesadillas
- 6 large Flour tortillas 10-12"
- 3 cups shredded cheese blend I like monterey jack and cheddar
For Serving (suggestions)
- Sour Cream
- Avocado (sliced or made into guacamole)
- lime juice
- lime or chipotle crema (store bought or homemade)
- salsa
- fresh or pickled jalapeno slices
Instructions
- In your first frying pan, scramble fry the ground beef until it is no longer pink, drain if necssary.
- Add 1 packet quesadilla seasoning or the seasoning blend from above, reserving ½ tsp to use on the onion and peppers (if making) to the ground beef, along with ¼ cup water or beef broth and stir to combine, cook for a minute or two, then remove from the heat. If you are using the same pan for the onions and peppers then remove the seasoned ground beef to a bowl and set aside.
- In a pan (I prefer cast iron), add 2 Tbsp neutral oil and the sliced peppers and let cook for a couple of minutes (2-3) until they start to soften, then add the onions, stir to combine.
- Sprinkle with the 1/2 tsp of reserved seasoning blend
- Cook until the onions and peppers are soft and slightly charred, set aside once they are done
To make the quesadillas
- Taking one tortilla at a time, place the tortilla on your griddle or pan over medium heat and sprinkle with about 1/4 cup of shredded cheese blend, covering most of the tortilla (leave a bit of an edge).
- top the cheese with ground beef mixture, covering only 1/2 of the tortilla, then top with some of the onions and peppers, then anoother 1/4 cup of shredded cheese, then fold the tortilla in half, pressing down a bit with your spatula and let the tortilla cook until golden brown then flip it over to brown the other side.Once nice and brown, remove to a cutting board and cut into 3 trianglesrepeat with the remaining 5 tortillas
- 3 triangles per serving
- Top with your favorite Mexican toppings
Notes
This recipe sounds complicated, however it really isn't. I make enough seasoning blend that I keep a jar in my pantry so its pretty quick to come together. If you make the seasoning blend, you can easily double, triple or quadruple the recipe so you have leftovers on hand.
If you want to just taco seasoning from a packet for easier prep, by all means do. I do that if I don't have time to fuss with homemade seasoning blend.
The onions and peppers are delicious add-in to these quesadillas but they can be omitted if you are not a fan or don't have them. Beef and cheese quesadillas a delicious even without the addition of onions and peppers.