Cheesy Ground Beef Quesadillas

Name: Cheesy Ground Beef Quesadillas
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 12 pieces
Ingredients: 1/2 tbsp olive oil; 1 lb ground beef (-I used 'extra lean'); 1 tsp chili powder; 1 tsp chipotle chili powder; 1/2 tsp oregano; 1/2 tsp cumin; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; 1/2 tsp onion powder; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 2 tbsp unsalted beef stock; 12 oz shredded cheese blend (-about 3 cups (or combination of cheddar, monterey jack and pizza mozzarella)); 6 flour tortillas (-mine were about 7 - 8 inch diameter); Baking spray (-to grease pan)

May 26, 2019 Updated: May 26, 2019 By Dawn Coombs 47 Comments

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Looking for super Cheesy Ground Beef Quesadillas? You’ve come to the right place! Well seasoned ground beef, lots of ooey gooey cheese and a crispy golden brown exterior make these quesadillas simply irresistible! They’re sure to become a favourite in your home as they are in ours.

Hey friends, if you’re looking for an easy quesadilla recipe, you’ve come to the right place!

If you know me and you follow Girl Heart Food you know that I’m a HUGE fan of quesadillas. One of the reasons is, like grilled cheese sandwiches, quesadillas are a method of getting more cheese in my pie hole, lol. Seriously, though, hubby and I enjoy quesadillas on the regular. They’re super easy to whip up, you can put as little or as much as you want in ’em and they always taste amazing.

I’ve shared other varieties with you guys before, like chicken, lentil, and even breakfast quesadillas. Today though? Ground beef quesadillas. One thing they all have in common—>Cheese…and lots of it! You gotta have quesadillas with cheese, if you ask me! Tell me you don’t wanna grab some through your screen….if only, right?!

These cheesy quesadillas come together in no time at all with some pretty basic ingredients you probably already have on hand. I’m pretty confident they’ll be in high rotation in your home as they are ours.

How to Make Ground Beef Quesadillas?

In a pan on medium heat, add ground beef and spices.
Break up well with a wooden spoon or potato masher to make it nice and crumbly…you don’t want huge chucks of beef.
Stir in tomato paste.
Next goes beef stock (or you could use water).
Once stock is absorbed, remove beef from pan.
Place some cheese on one half of tortilla.
Top with cooked ground beef.
Add a little more cheese.
Fold tortilla over so you have a half moon shape.
Gently fry until golden brown and cheese is melted. Watch that they don’t burn. They cook quickly!
Cut in half and enjoy!

What Type of Tortilla Should I Use for Quesadillas? What Size of Tortilla is Best?

For quesadillas, I prefer flour tortillas over corn tortillas. They’re readily available (more so than corn tortillas here in Newfoundland). Plus, they’re hearty, flexible and withstand all those delicious toppings. Monica from Nourish and Feta has an awesome recipe for homemade flour tortillas if you want to try those instead of store-bought. Just make ’em a little bigger if you want to use for quesadillas.

I typically opt to use flour tortillas that are about 7-8 inches in diameter.

Can I Make these Ground Beef Quesadillas Ahead of Time?

Like with most things, these ground beef quesadillas are best made and enjoyed right away while they’re nice-n-crispy and the cheese is all gooey.

However, in a pinch, you could totally pre-cook your ground beef, store in the fridge and reheat when you want to assemble/fry.

Can Leftover Quesadillas Be Reheated?

You bet they can! Preheat oven to 375 F and place leftover quesadillas on a baking sheet. Cook for about 10 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. They won’t be quite as crispy as freshly made, but they are still pretty awesome.

What’s the Best Cheese for Quesadillas?

Cheese not only tastes awesome in these beef quesadillas, but they also serve a function…to act as a ‘glue’ to keep things together. Cheese is there anything you can’t do??

When making quesadillas, pick a nice melting cheese, like cheddar, pizza mozzarella or monterey jack (or a combo of them). I’ve made these quesadillas a bunch of times with different varieties of cheese, as well as with a store bought ‘Mexican’ blend of cheddar, monterey jack and pizza mozzarella (which is what I used here). I don’t often go for pre-shredded cheeses, but by buying a blend, you get a variety without having to buy multiple blocks of cheese. Having said that, in the event that you do have odds and ends of cheese floating around in your fridge, now would be the time to use them! Waste not, want not, right??

Other nice melting cheeses are havarti, fontina, Swiss, gouda and provolone. For added flavour (even though it doesn’t melt well) I’ve even added crumble feta to the mix (or for more of a authentic Mexican vibe, use queso fresco).

It’s cheese. As a cheese obsessed person, there is no going wrong in my books 😉

Other Tips and Variations for Making the Best Quesadillas

I used ‘extra lean’ ground beef. If you use anything otherwise, ensure that excess fat is drained from the cooked meat before putting on the tortillas. You don’t want a greasy mess!
If the size of your tortillas are larger or smaller than the ones I used, the quantity you yield will vary. Mine were about 7-8 inches in diameter (so larger than the size one would typically use for, say, a taco).
Watch those quesadillas in the pan! They are burn quickly. It’s better to have the heat on the lower side so you get a nice golden brown colour (without burning) and still melt the cheese.
I keep these beef and cheese quesadillas simple, but you could add sliced avocado, hot peppers (patted dry before using), corn or cilantro (or whatever you please).
Break up the ground beef into crumbles. You don’t want huge pieces of beef. I love to use a wooden spoon or potato masher to really break up.
Carefully flip the quesadillas. You don’t want the filling popping out. Use two spatulas (or one really large one, like a fish spatula) to flip OR cut into pieces before browning. It may make things a little more manageable.

What To Serve with These Ground Beef Quesadillas?

Sour cream or Greek yogurt
Salsa
Pico de gallo from Karrie of Tasty Ever After
Guacamole
Green salad, like this chopped Mexican salad with pepitas from Valentina of Cooking on the Weekends
Rice
Mexican street corn from Marianne of Basil & Bubbly

Like These Cheesy Quesadillas? You May Enjoy These Too!

Hope you love these ground beef quesadillas as much as we do! Stay tuned for more easy cheesy quesadillas recipes coming your way!

Until next time take care and chit chat again soon,

~Dawn

P.S. If you think these cheesy beef quesadillas will make your belly happy too, please be sure to hit that little Pin button. Many thanks, you guys! XO

Tall stack of cheesy beef quesadillas next to cilantro, avocado and lime.

5 from 1 vote