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    Home » Recipes » Handheld Meals

    Tuna Quesadillas

    Published: April 5, 2021 Updated: March 16, 2022 / By: Dawn | Girl Heart Food 12 Comments

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    Stack of seven cheesy tuna quesadillas.

    Made with some pretty humble ingredients, these cheesy tuna quesadillas take a simple can of tuna up a notch and turn it into something extra special! Made in under 30 minutes, this tuna quesadilla recipe is sure to be a favourite for your next taco Tuesday!

    Stack of seven cheesy tuna quesadillas.

    If you’ve been following along for a little bit, you know how we love canned fish recipes and we love quesadilla recipes.

    So, something awesome was bound to happen.

    Enter these cheesy tuna quesadillas!

    These quesadillas are a delicious collision of all the yummy things.

    It’s like tuna salad meets tuna melt meets cheesy quesadillas.

    Whatever it is, it’s freaking awesome!

    When I started to dream up these seafood quesadillas (because I’m pretty much always thinking about food), I was thinking, “What goes with tuna melt or tuna salad?”

    Then it came to me. Like I always do, I have a big pickle and side of potato chips with my sandwich. So, instead of having a pickle or chips on the side of the tuna quesadillas, I put them inside!

    Man, oh man. Talk about good.

    Just try them for yourself and you’ll see just how yummy they are!

    Invite some friends over, or not; I mean, I guess it really depends on how hungry you are, right?!

    Why We Love This Tuna Quesadilla Recipe

    • These tuna quesadillas are made with some pretty simple pantry and fridge items.
    • This recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes.
    • They taste so freaking good!

    How To Make Tuna Quesadillas

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

    1. In a bowl, mix together the tuna quesadilla filling ingredients (canned tuna, dill pickle, mayonnaise, salt, black pepper, chives and cayenne pepper).
    2. To assemble the quesadillas, distribute half of the cheese on top of one half of each tortilla, then top with the tuna tuna salad mixture, the remaining cheese and potato chips (so good for crunch).
    3. Fold over each tortilla so it’s a half-moon shape, then cook on both sides in a greased frying pan until the outside gets all crispy, golden brown and delicious and the cheese is melted inside.
    4. Once the quesadillas are cooked, you can cut them in half.

    I just love that little cheese skirt on the exterior of the quesadillas. As the cheese melts, some of it seeps into the pan and gets all crispy and delicious. Oh the little things!

    Collage of steps to make tuna quesadillas.

    Best Canned Tuna To Use

    For this tuna quesadilla recipe, use a quality canned tuna packed in water, not oil.

    You can use either a chunk or flaked canned tuna. If you use a chunk tuna, just break up the tuna a bit when preparing your quesadilla filling.

    Crispy quesadillas on a sheet pan.

    Tips for Making This Recipe

    • You don’t have to add the potato chips to these tuna quesadillas, but I just love the flavour and texture they add. You want something crunchy, like a kettle chip, versus a more delicate potato chip.
    • The potato chips are crispiest when the quesadillas are enjoyed as they are made.
    • I used a combo of Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese in these quesadillas, but you could use all of one or the other if you prefer.
    • Ensure your canned tuna is drained well so it doesn’t make things soggy.
    • I didn’t use a whole lot of mayonnaise to bind the quesadilla filling, but if you’d like to use another tablespoon, go for it.
    Hand holding a cheesy tuna quesadilla.

    Sides To Serve With These Quesadillas

    Enjoy these seafood quesadillas on their own or with any of these sides:

    • Potato chips (potato chips in these tuna melt quesadillas and potato chips alongside; delicious, right?)
    • French fries
    • Simple side salad
    • Quinoa salad
    Stack of four cheesy tuna quesadillas with a taller stack of quesadillas behind it.

    Quesadilla Dipping Sauces

    Enjoy these tuna quesadillas as they are or serve with any of these dipping sauces:

    • Sour cream or Greek yogurt
    • Hot sauce
    • Tzatziki (this isn’t a traditional quesadilla dipping sauce, but it pairs lovely with these tuna quesadillas)

    More Easy Quesadilla Recipes

    • Cheesy Ground Beef Quesadillas
    • Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas
    • Cheesy Ground Turkey Quesadillas
    • Black Bean Quesadillas
    • Refried Bean Quesadillas

    If you make these cheesy tuna quesadillas, be sure to leave a comment below!

    Stack of seven cheesy tuna quesadillas.

    Tuna Quesadillas

    Dawn | Girl Heart Food
    Made with some pretty humble ingredients, these cheesy tuna quesadillas take a simple can of tuna up a notch and turn it into something extra special! Made in under 30 minutes, this tuna quesadilla recipe is sure to be a favourite for your next taco Tuesday!
    4.88 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 12 mins
    Total Time 22 mins
    Course Main Course
    Servings 12 pieces
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
     

    • 2 (6-ounce or 170-gram) cans flaked tuna in water, drained well
    • ⅓ cup chopped kosher dill pickle (chopped small), about 1 small to medium pickle
    • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
    • pinch salt
    • pinch freshly ground black pepper
    • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
    • ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
    • 1.5 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided (about 6 ounces)
    • 1.5 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese, divided (about 6 ounces)
    • 1 (40-gram) bag kettle salt & vinegar chips, about 1 small bag
    • 6 flour tortillas, each about 7 to 8 inches in diameter
    • 3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil, for pan frying the quesadillas

    Instructions

    • Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. This is used to keep your quesadillas warm while you are pan frying your batches.
    • Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix the tuna with kosher dill pickle, mayonnaise, salt, black pepper, chives, and cayenne pepper until well combined.
    • Distribute ½ of both Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese (¾ cup or 3 ounces of each) among one half of each tortilla.
    • Top cheese with tuna mixture (about ⅓ cup per tortilla).
    • Top tuna mixture with remaining Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese (¾ cup or 3 ounces of each) and distribute potato chips over top (crush any larger potato chips if needed).
    • Fold over each tortilla so it's a half-moon shape.
    • To cook quesadillas, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil or vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat and gently swirl around to coat.
      Note: Cook the quesadillas in batches, two quesadillas at a time, adding more oil to the pan between batches.
    • Place two quesadillas in the pan. Cook quesadillas for 2 minutes on one side.
    • Carefully flip the 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 has melted inside (carefully watch to ensure they don't burn). Once done, transfer the 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 the quesadillas are done, cut each in half so you end up with 12 pieces. Serve with your favourite dipping sauce or enjoy as is!

    A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

    Keyword canned tuna recipe, quesadiilla recipe, seafood quesadillas

    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!

    More Handheld Meals

    • Loose Meat Sandwich
    • Moose Taquitos (Or Use Beef)
    • Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Meatloaf Sandwich
    • Easy Chicken Fajitas

    © Girl Heart Food Inc. All photographs and content are COPYRIGHT PROTECTED.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Linda

      August 27, 2022 at 8:31 am

      5 stars
      I can’t wait to try this. We love quesadillas and tuna melts what a perfect combination. Thanks.

      Reply
      • Dawn | Girl Heart Food

        August 27, 2022 at 12:11 pm

        Thank you, Linda – hope you love the recipe!!

        Reply
    2. Kathleen

      May 24, 2022 at 9:54 pm

      4 stars
      These were delicious. Always trying to eat less meat. Perfect for dinner on a random Tuesday night. Yum 😋

      Reply
      • Dawn | Girl Heart Food

        May 25, 2022 at 7:35 am

        Thank you very much, Kathleen! So happy you enjoyed the recipe!

        Reply
    3. Dawn D.

      January 16, 2022 at 9:36 pm

      5 stars
      Love love this recipe!! Tried recipe as is and then Made some changes just to boost the flavor even more; crushed fire roasted pita chips instead of potato chips. Used dill pickle relish (didn’t have pickles), added black beans, sweet bell peppers and onions. Soooo, good!

      Reply
      • Dawn | Girl Heart Food

        January 17, 2022 at 7:34 pm

        Thank you so much, Dawn!! Sounds like some delicious additions!!

        Reply
    4. Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop

      April 07, 2021 at 11:16 am

      5 stars
      What a great lunch idea! I do love a good quesadilla and turning it into a flavor packed quesadilla is perfect. I can’t wait to bite into those crunchy chips! What a great idea. 🙂

      Reply
    5. Michelle | Sift & Simmer

      April 07, 2021 at 1:09 am

      5 stars
      What a fantastic idea putting chips into the quesadilla! And you are the queen of the stacked foods, my friend!

      Reply
    6. Katherine | Love In My Oven

      April 07, 2021 at 12:24 am

      5 stars
      Those potato chips in this are the BEST!! I can’t wait to try this for lunch soon Dawn! We’ve always got canned tuna on hand too.

      Reply
    7. Valentina

      April 06, 2021 at 4:04 pm

      Dawn, this will be a big hit at my house. We love tuna melts and who doesn’t love a good quesadilla!? And those chips! Brilliant! 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
    8. David @ Spiced

      April 06, 2021 at 10:44 am

      5 stars
      What a fun idea, Dawn! I love a good tuna fish sandwich, and I also love quesadillas…but I’ve never combined them together into one. This definitely needs to happen. Definitely!

      Reply
    9. Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers

      April 05, 2021 at 4:52 pm

      5 stars
      I love this idea! I am a big fan of tuna melts and this is just a fabulous hand-held version. And love the addition of chips 🙂

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Dawn! Welcome to Girl Heart Food, a food blog that's all about easy comfort food recipes (especially cheesy recipes) that'll satisfy your taste buds and make your belly happy. Have a look around and find something that'll inspire you to get into the kitchen and whip up something delicious to enjoy today!

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