Cheesy Ground Turkey Quesadillas

Name: Cheesy Ground Turkey Quesadillas
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 yellow onion (peeled and minced); 1 pound ground turkey; 1 bell pepper (cut into small dice); 1 cup canned no salt added black beans (rinsed and drained ); 1 cup canned corn kernels (drained); 1.5 to 2 tablespoons taco seasoning; 2 teaspoons ground chipotle chili pepper; 3 tablespoons tomato paste; 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth (or low sodium vegetable broth); 12 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (divided (about 3 cups)); 10 flour tortillas (each about 7 to 8 inches in diameter); 3 to 3.5 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil (to grease pan (about 2 teaspoons per batch)); Salsa, sour cream and/or guacamole (for serving (optional))

Published: May 8, 2020 Updated: May 8, 2020 / By: Dawn | Girl Heart Food 26 Comments

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These ground turkey quesadillas are seriously cheesy, hearty and straight-up delicious! They’re super easy to prepare and can be enjoyed as is or with guacamole, salsa and sour cream and your favourite side dish!

Stack of seven ground turkey quesadillas next to cilantro.

Hi friends!

Today I’m sharing another easy quesadilla recipe: ground turkey quesadillas, to be exact!

If you follow Girl Heart Food, you know how we love quesadillas. A couple of our faves are these cheesy ground beef quesadillas and black bean corn quesadillas.

I mean, crispy tortilla, hearty protein and plenty of melty cheese. Sounds yummy, right?

Plus, these are totally do-able for a simple weekday dinner (hello taco Tuesday!) or Friday night eats. The recipe can easily feed up to 6 people when combined with a side. And, if you don’t feel like sharing, there’s always leftovers to be had!

I love to serve with a big helping of homemade guacamole and maybe a frozen margarita, if I’m feeling extra fancy. What’s your favourite thing to enjoy with quesadillas?

Why We Love These Ground Turkey Quesadillas

They’re made with lean ground turkey.
They’re jam-packed with veggies and hearty beans.
This recipe is super simple to prep.
Leftovers? They reheat well.
These quesadillas are totally delicious!

How To Make It

Full details are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:

Prepare the filling for the quesadillas

In a frying pan, cook some onion in a little olive oil until softened.
Add ground turkey and break any larger pieces into smaller pieces.
Mix in your veggies, beans and seasonings. Cook until the turkey is fully cooked through.
Stir in tomato paste and broth. This will kinda make things stick together for one delicious quesadilla filling. Give it a little cook.
Now everything is ready to be used in your turkey quesadillas!

Ground turkey, bean and vegetable filling for quesadillas in a frying pan.

Assemble and pan fry the quesadillas

Spread half of the cheese onto one half of each tortilla.
Top with the cooked ground turkey mixture.
Then pile on more cheese.
Fold over the tortillas so they are a half-moon shape.
Working in batches, cook the quesadillas on both sides in a greased frying pan. They’re done when the outside is golden brown and crispy and the cheese is nice and melty inside!
Cut in half and enjoy these super scrumptious turkey quesadillas!

Collage of steps to make a ground turkey quesadilla recipe.

Best Cheese To Use

Use a good melting cheese. A marbled cheddar was used, but you can use mozzarella, fontina, Gruyere, provolone, Monterey Jack, Gouda, Asiago or regular Swiss. There’s pretty much a bunch of different options here. If you want to go all out, use a combo of your faves!

Another delicious add-in is crumbled feta cheese (in conjunction with a melty cheese). Feta doesn’t melt well but does add a lovely salty flavour. Queso Fresco would be another yummy option.

Crispy quesadillas piled on a sheet pan.

What To Serve With Them

Classic dips or sauces for quesadillas are salsa, guacamole or sour cream. Honestly, though, the possibilities are endless! Other delicious goodies to serve with this turkey quesadilla recipe are:

Greek yogurt
Hot sauce
Wedges of lime
Quinoa salad
Rice
Simple green salad

Quesadillas on a blue board next to cilantro, lime wedges and a dish of salsa.

Reheating the Quesadillas

Quesadillas are crispiest when they’re freshly made. Having said that, if you can’t devour the whole batch in one sitting, you can totally reheat leftovers!

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.

Another option is to place leftover turkey quesadillas on a microwave-safe plate in the microwave and heat in 30-second intervals until heated through.

Just keep in mind that the oven or microwave will not yield the same crispy results as pan-frying. Your quesadillas will be softer.

Stack of two ground turkey quesadillas next to cilantro, lime, salsa & more quesadillas.

Tips and Variations

It’s better to have your frying pan over a lower heat setting and cook these gently. The turkey quesadillas crisp up fast (and can burn quickly) so don’t have your heat too high or leave them!
Though there is ground cayenne pepper in the taco seasoning, these are not overly spicy. If you want to add a little heat, add an extra pinch or so of cayenne or a drizzle of your favourite hot sauce.
No salt was added to this recipe because the taco seasoning has salt in it, but you can add some to taste if you wish.
You can totally omit the beans if you like. Beans add a little heft and nutrition but can be omitted.
Don’t have canned corn? Use frozen corn instead.
Try corn tortillas instead of flour.

Stack of five ground turkey quesadillas alongside cilantro.

More Delicious Recipes

If you make these cheesy ground turkey black bean quesadillas, be sure to leave a comment below!