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.
Hi friends! If you’re looking for an easy quesadilla recipe, you’ve come to the right place!
If you know me, 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 into 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 before, like chicken, turkey, 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 regular rotation in your home as they are ours.
How to Make Ground Beef Quesadillas
Full details are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:
- Heat oil in a pan and add ground beef, spices, salt and pepper.
- Cook and break up with a wooden spoon or potato masher to make it nice and crumbly (you don’t want huge chunks of beef).
- Stir in tomato paste.
- Pour in beef stock/broth (or you could use water). Once stock/broth is absorbed (and beef is cooked), remove ground beef from the pan.
- For each quesadilla, place some cheese on one half of the tortilla.
- Top with cooked ground beef.
- Add a little more cheese.
- Fold the tortilla over so you have a half moon shape.
- Gently cook quesadillas (in batches) in a greased pan until golden brown on the outside and the cheese has melted. Watch that they don’t burn. They cook quickly! Then, cut in half and enjoy!
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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 Fete 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 to 8 inches in diameter.
Can Leftover Quesadillas Be Reheated?
Yes! You can reheat leftover quesadillas in a non-stick pan on the stovetop over about medium-low heat (this will yield the crispiest reheating results) until the cheese is melted and everything is heated through.
Alternatively, place quesadillas on a sheet pan in a 375 degree Fahrenheit oven and heat for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and everything is heated through.
They may not 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 also acts 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 blend of cheddar, Monterey Jack and pizza mozzarella. 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 book!
More 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 may vary.
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 like to 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 so the filling doesn’t spill 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 Tasty Ever After
- Guacamole
- Green salad, like this chopped Mexican salad with pepitas from Cooking on the Weekends
- Rice
- Mexican street corn from 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!
If you make these cheesy beef quesadillas, be sure to leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed!
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Cheesy Ground Beef Quesadillas
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef (I use 'extra lean')
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper powder (or to taste, optional)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon unsalted beef stock/broth
- 12 ounces shredded cheese blend (about 3 cups (combination of cheddar, Monterey jack and pizza mozzarella))
- 6 flour tortillas (mine were about 7 to 8 inches in diameter)
- Cooking spray or oil (to grease pan)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 degree Fahrenheit (to keep quesadillas warm while cooking batches).
- Heat olive oil in a pan (I used non-stick pan) over medium heat.
- Once oil is hot, add ground beef, chili powder, chipotle powder, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper powder (if using). Heat until cooked through, breaking into crumbles with a wooden spoon, about 8 to 10 minutes or so. Stir in tomato paste and stock/broth and cook 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Remove beef from pan into a bowl. If there is any excess grease drain/remove.
- Distribute about 8 ounces (or 2 cups) of cheese among all tortillas (on one side of them). Note: Reserve the remaining 4 ounces (or 1 cup of cheese).Also, if your tortillas are smaller or larger than the size I used, the quantity you yield may vary.
- Distribute ground beef on top of cheese. Then, sprinkle remaining 1 cup (or 4 ounces) of cheese on top of ground beef. Fold tortilla over so you have a half moon shape.
- Working in batches (about 2 quesadillas per batch), spray cooking spray into pan and cook quesadillas (over medium-low heat) for about 2 minutes per side until golden brown and cheese is melted (carefully turning and watching to ensure they don't burn). While continuing batches, place cooked quesadillas on a baking sheet in preheated oven to keep warm.Note: grease pan between batches, as necessary.
- Cut each half moon (quesadilla) in half so you have 12 pieces. Serve with salsa, guacamole and/or sour cream. Enjoy!Note: If you have any leftovers, properly store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within 2 to 4 days, reheating when ready to enjoy.
Video
Notes
Nutrition (ESTIMATE ONLY)
Nutrition estimate (if provided) is based on 1 serving.
Nutrition information (if provided) is provided as a courtesy and should be considered an estimate only. Ingredients can vary and Girl Heart Food makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are guidelines only.
