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 made lots of varieties, like chicken, turkey, and 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 in 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!
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
Leftovers
Properly store leftover quesadillas in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within 3 to 4 days. Reheat before serving.
Reheating Leftover Quesadillas
You can reheat leftover quesadillas in a non-stick frying pan on the stovetop over about medium-low heat until the cheese is melted and everything is heated through. This reheating method will yield the crispiest results.
Alternatively, you can reheat the quesadillas in an oven. To do so, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, place the quesadillas on a sheet pan and bake 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).
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 quesadilla 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
- 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 degrees 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 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 them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within 3 to 4 days. Reheat before serving.
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.
© Girl Heart Food Inc. Photographs and content are copyright protected.
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!
Laura says
These look so good,, Dawn! Who doesn’t love a quesadilla? And this one is so beautiful and easy! I love that you toasted it in the pan, too! Often my kids just simply microwave a quesadilla – I think they’re missing the best part of quesadilla texture – a crispy crust! So delish!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Thanks Laura! Right?! Thank you Laura! They’re a favourite around here for sure 🙂
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says
I’m right there with you on your love for quesadillas! These look fabulous and just the thing for a delicious dinner 🙂
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Yay! Happy to hear that! Thank you Jennifer 🙂
annie@ciaochowbambina says
I have been looking! So happy I found them! Wowza these look incredible! These are just plain fun! Happy week, my friend! XOXO
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
You’re so sweet! Thank you so much, Annie! Have a wonderful week too! XOXO
David @ Spiced says
These ‘dillas look amazing, Dawn! And you want to know something funny? I just made a very similar recipe here. I guess great minds do indeed think alike! 🙂 I absolutely love a good quesadilla, and I’ll never turn down ground beef…so the combo here sounds amazing. Pass me one of those wedges, please!
Kelly | Foodtasia says
Dawn, these look so cheesy and delicious! My family loves these!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Thank you so much, Kelly 🙂 Happy to hear that!
Katherine | Love In My Oven says
I’m with you, Dawn!! The more cheese the BETTER. We also eat a ton of quesadillas, they’re an easy win with the kids! I’ll definitely be trying this one, I just know everyone in my family will be devouring it!! Hope you had a nice weekend! XO
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Right?! Hope you guys love as much as we do! Thank you Katherine! Same to you, my friend! XOXO
Marie says
I love this recipe. These with some pico de gallo and sour cream and I’m in heaven.
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Yes! Thank you so much Marie 🙂
Ben|Havocinthekitchen says
We rarely make quesadillas, but when it comes to “that day”, I use a lot of cheese to make it. In my book, why do you even need to bother if a quesadilla doesn’t loaded with all the cheese, right?:) This totally looks and sounds wonderful; love the pictures too!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Yay for cheese! Thank you kindly, Ben 🙂
Valentina says
Dawn, these look AMAZING! I nearly jumped into my phone when I saw the pic on Instagram this morning. We make a lot of quesadillas around here and everyone would love these!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Lol!! Thank you so much, Valentina 🙂
Haylie / Our Balanced Bowl says
LOL! loved the part about how quesadillas are just another way to consume cheese….TRUE! These look seriously so delicious. Crispy on the outside, cheesy and maybe a little spicy on the inside! Looks right up my alley! 🙂
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Totally!! Thank you Haylie! Have a great week 🙂
Jeff the Chef says
This looks way too good to be unleashed upon the public!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Haha..that made me laugh out loud 😉 Thank you Jeff!
Milena says
Your quesadillas look so appetizing! I can absolutely have them for breakfast in addition to lunch and dinner. Or late night snack. Seriously, if I had them all they long I wouldn’t get tired of them. Pinned!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Thank you very much, Milena 🙂 I never do either 😉
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
We love quesadillas in our house too! One of the reasons is they are so darned easy to get on the table and they satisfy everyone! Love that you added ground beef – it turns these into a meal!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Totally!! Thank you Kathy 🙂
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking says
Dawn, you always have the most mouth watering quesadilla recipes! And this one is no exception. These would be perfect to whip up any day of the week – great for weekend snacking or a quick weekday meal! Happy Monday. Hope your week is off to a great start!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Thanks Leanne!! Have a great week too 🙂
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen says
Quesadillas are one of my favorites too! I love how versatile they are! (And of course I love eating cheese about any way I can get it.) Yours look so perfectly crispy, which is really the only way to go with quesadillas :). Have a great week, Dawn!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Totally!! Thank you Kelsie! You too 🙂