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 them 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! 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, then add ground beef, spices, salt and pepper.
- Cook the ground beef.
- Once the ground beef is fully cooked through, stir in tomato paste.
- Pour in beef stock/broth (or you could use water). Once stock/broth is absorbed, remove the ground beef from the pan.
- Place some cheese on one half of each tortilla.
- Top with cooked ground beef.
- Add a little more cheese.
- Fold over each tortilla so it’s a half-moon shape.
- Gently cook quesadillas (in batches) in a greased pan until they’re golden brown on the outside and the cheese has melted. Watch that they don’t burn. They cook quickly! Once they’re done, cut in half and enjoy.
What Type of Tortilla Should I Use for Quesadillas?
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.
If you like, try homemade flour tortillas instead of store-bought. If using that recipe, just make them a little bigger for these quesadillas.
What Size of Tortilla Is Best?
I typically use flour tortillas that are about 7 to 8 inches in diameter.
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 in your fridge, now would be the time to use them!
Other nice melting cheeses are Manchego, Havarti, fontina, Swiss, Gouda and provolone. For added flavour (even though it doesn’t melt well), I’ve even added crumbled feta to the mix (queso fresco also works great).
It’s cheese. As a cheese obsessed person, there is no going wrong in my book!
Can Leftover Quesadillas Be Reheated?
Yes! You can reheat leftover quesadillas in a non-stick frying 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.
Tips and Variations for Making the Best Quesadillas
- 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.
- Carefully flip the quesadillas so the filling doesn’t spill out. Use two spatulas (or one really large one) to flip, or cut into pieces before browning. It may make things a little more manageable.
- 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).
What To Serve With These Ground Beef Quesadillas
You can certainly enjoy these quesadillas on their own or serve with any of these:
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Salsa
- Pico de gallo
- Guacamole
- Green salad, like this chopped Mexican salad with pepitas
- Rice
- Mexican street corn
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!
Cheesy Ground Beef Quesadillas
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef, I use extra lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground chipotle chili pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted beef stock/broth, or low sodium or regular
- 12 ounces shredded cheese blend, divided (about 3 cups. I used a combination of cheddar, Monterey jack and pizza mozzarella)
- 6 flour tortillas, about 7 to 8 inches in diameter each
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, to grease pan (about 2 teaspoons of oil per batch)
- Salsa, guacamole and/or sour cream, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 degree Fahrenheit (to keep quesadillas warm while cooking batches).
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan (about a 10-inch or 12-inch pan) over medium heat. Add ground beef, chili powder, chipotle pepper, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper (if using). Cook, breaking the ground beef into small pieces and stirring occasionally, until the ground beef is fully cooked through (the ground beef should no longer be pink and be browned all the way through), about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste and beef stock/broth and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Remove beef from the pan and place 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 of cheese (or 1 cup of cheese).
- Distribute ground beef on top of cheese. Then sprinkle remaining 1 cup (or 4 ounces) of cheese on top of ground beef. Fold over each tortilla so it's a half-moon shape.
- To cook quesadillas, heat about 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Gently swirl the oil around the pan to coat.Note: If you're using the same pan that you used for cooking the ground beef, just wipe out before greasing and cooking your quesadillas.Note: Cook the quesadillas in batches, two quesadillas at a time, adding more oil to the pan between batches as necessary.
- Place two quesadillas in the pan. Cook quesadillas for about 2 minutes on one side.
- Carefully flip quesadillas to the other side and continue to cook for another 2 minutes or until they're golden brown and crispy on the outside and the cheese is melted inside (carefully watch to ensure they don't burn). Transfer cooked quesadillas to a sheet pan and place into your preheated oven to keep warm while you are continuing to cook the remaining quesadillas.
- Repeat process to cook remaining quesadillas.
- Once done, cut each half-moon (quesadilla) in half so you have 12 pieces. Great served 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 before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition (estimate only)
Nutrition information 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 estimates only.
Tried this recipe?
If you do make this recipe, thank you!! It would mean so much if you could leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed it, and it helps other readers too!
Dustin
Am I reading that right 2 tablespoons of beef broth/stock? The dry ingredients are just like a taco packet right don’t you need more water for the dry ingredients to incorporate into the beef? I want to try this just don’t want to open a can of beef broth for 2 tablespoons. Let me know thanks.
Dawn | Girl Heart Food
Hi Dustin! Yes, the recipe uses 2 tablespoons of beef broth/stock and everything comes together nicely. You can substitute the broth/stock for water if you like. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Donna aka GG
I had left over ground beef and look for recipes and came across Cheesy Ground Beef Quesadillas. And it was perfect because the cardiologist put me on a low carb diet. I used low carb flour tortillas and dipped the quesadilla in guacamole. So yummy!!
Dawn | Girl Heart Food
Sounds delicious!! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, thank you very much!!
Cindy
Thank you for a great beef quesadilla recipe! It was delicious, fast and easy! We loved it!
Dawn | Girl Heart Food
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe, Cindy!! Thank you very much!!
Ruthie D.
My family said this recipe should get gold stars! Not just ordinary stars! Will be making this many more times. I did add a can of mixed beans to make it go farther for the hearty eaters. I have never left a comment before but had to after hearing family rave over this recipe! Thanks!
Dawn | Girl Heart Food
That’s wonderful, thank you so much, Ruthie!! So happy you and your family enjoyed the recipe!! The can of mixed beans sounds like a delicious addition!
Floyd Booth
Can you cook quesadillas in deep fryer and in place of spices use taco mix?
Dawn | Girl Heart Food
Hi Floyd! I’ve never tried cooking the quesadillas in a deep fryer before so I can’t say for certain how that would work out. Yes, you can use taco seasoning instead of the spices listed. This taco seasoning recipe is one that I enjoy.
Mary E Murray
I made these for dinner tonight. I added a can of black beans to the mixture. It was so good. I can see using all different spice combinations for different flavors. Great recipe.
Dawn | Girl Heart Food
Black beans sound like a delicious addition! Thanks so much, Mary! Happy you enjoyed the recipe!!
Shannon Pollmann
I made this tonight. I put in black beans, tomatoes and chilies. So yummy! It has a kick with the spices and with sour cream it is perfect.
Dawn | Girl Heart Food
Sounds like a delicious combination!! Happy you enjoyed – thank you!!
Tyler
Hi Dawn,
I just made this dish for my family and it was out of this world. I added green chilies to mine and it gave it the right amount of spice. I will enjoy cooking this again. Thank you!!
Dawn | Girl Heart Food
Thank you very much, Tyler!! So happy you enjoyed the recipe!! Green chilies sound like a delicious addition!!
Priscilla
I had leftover mince, added cumin, oregano and cayenne and made these quesadillas. So easy and delicious!! Best use of leftover cooked mince ever! Thanks for a brilliant recipe.
Dawn | Girl Heart Food
That’s awesome, Priscilla! Thank you very much! So happy you enjoyed!!
peggy lise elms
These quesadillas were delish. My husband and I just enjoyed every bite. I put orange cheddar in mine and he prefers white cheddar. Thank you, will make them again, we used sour cream.
Dawn | Girl Heart Food
Thank you very much!! So happy you both enjoyed!! Sour cream is definitely delicious served with them. 🙂
Andrea
Made this recipe tonight, kids and I loved it!! Good mix of spices making it very tasty. Will be making it again soon. And bonus it’s very quick and easy to make.
Dawn | Girl Heart Food
Thank you very much, Andrea!! So happy you all enjoyed the recipe!!
Crissy
These are delicious! I used taco seasoning and water! Such a great recipe!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thank you very much, Crissy!! So happy you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂
Sarah
I did not have any tomato paste so I omitted the beef broth also and added a can of Rotel. These are quick and easy to make. Great for a week night meal.
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Sounds like a yummy addition! Happy you enjoyed the recipe, Sarah!
Minnie
Hi Dawn,
Can this be done in a sandwich press?
Thank you.
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Hi Minnie, I haven’t tried these in a sandwich press before, but I’m sure that would work perfectly fine instead of pan frying the quesadillas. Hope you enjoy!
Katharina
Good combo! Tasted very good! Made it multiple times on days I just want something that’s delicious and finished fast!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thank you so much, Katharina! Happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Noy
My boyfriend LOVED it. He’s British and I made these for him and he’s very particular about his food, and this got the stamp of approval. I had avocado and salsa on the side. Very filling. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Michelle | Sift & Simmer
Wow Dawn, these are so epic! I’m gonna have to make these for the kids soon! Now that’s some serious comfort food 🙂
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thank you Michelle! They sure are! Enjoy!