Taco Quesadillas

Taco quesadillas are the best of both worlds: A hearty taco filling made with beef and peppers, and your favorite cheese that will melt to goodness sandwiched on a corn or flour tortilla. A truly Mexican food lover’s dream!

Taco quesadillas served with pico de gallo salsa and lettuce.

Leftover taco meat quesadillas?

Yes of course! You can make those melty taco quesadillas using your favorite taco meat recipe or use the one we share below. Well, you can actually make this recipe even with this lentil taco meat!

Flour or Corn Tortillas?

You can make our taco quesadillas recipe with either flour or corn tortillas. Just make sure to adjust the temperature of your stove accordingly, since flour tortillas are softer and burns faster than corn.

We also have a recipe for blue corn tortillas which I think are perfect to make taco quesadillas since the texture on those are sturdy and can hold better the filling.

Blue corn tortillas banner.

The Step By Step Recipe

Make the taco meat mixture

Heat oil on a cast iron skillet or a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add onions and peppers and sauté for 3 minutes or until veggies start to soften.

Peppers and onions sautéed on a skillet.

Add the meat to the pan and season with cumin, garlic, chipotle powder (or paprika), salt and pepper. You can also use your favorite brand of taco seasoning instead.

Seasoning taco meat with chipotle powder.

Add 1/4 cup of water, mix well and cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes or until meat is browned, well cooked and there’s not liquids left. Cover and set aside.

Taco meat fully cooked on skillet.

Make the taco quesadillas

Heat a skillet or comal over medium-low heat until smoking. Brush the skillet with a little oil, then place a tortilla and top with cheese.

Corn tortilla with cheese on a comal.

Spoon some taco meat and add more cheese on top. Cook for about 1 minute or until you see the cheese starts to melt.

Tortilla with cheese and taco meat.

Carefully and using a spatula, fold into half and press a little bit the tortilla so it will stick to cheese and meat mixture.

Folding taco quesadilla with a spatula.

Flip over the taco quesadilla and cook on the other side until is lightly crispy and the cheese is completely melted.

Taco quesadilla with melty cheese and juicy taco meat filling.

Place on a serving plate and cover with a kitchen towel to keep it warm. Repeat the steps until ingredients are gone.

Serve with your favorite toppings. I served mine with a simple lettuce and red onions salad and pico de gallo salsa.

Mexican taco quesadillas served with a side of pico de gallo salsa and lettuce salad.

Recipe notes

  • Start by making one taco quesadilla at time, once you feel confident with the cooking times, make 3-4 at time.
  • Make this a prep meal by cooking the taco meat ahead of time. Assemble taco quesadillas any day of the week.
  • You can use any type of peppers you want, like bell peppers, spicy peppers, Anaheim peppers, etc.
  • Always adjust seasoning to your taste. Adding more garlic, cumin or other spices will make you enjoy more the recipe.
  • For “juicy” taco quesadillas, allow the taco meat to keep some juices by adding a little bit more water to the mixture.
  • I used 6-inch (15cm) corn tortillas and made taco quesadillas in total. Take in mind that flour tortillas are bigger so you’ll end with less pieces or you can double the recipe too.
Three taco quesadillas on a cast iron comal.

Troubleshooting

  • If your tortillas break or fall apart, means you need to warm them a little bit more before you fold.
  • On the other hand, if tortillas won’t fold because they get too crispy, you need to cook it less and fold it as soon as you see the tortilla is soft enough to be folded.
  • Tortillas burns quickly. Adjust the heat in your stove and make sure to flip often the taco quesadillas. Also, flour tortillas burns more easily than corn tortillas, take in mind that.
Opening a taco quesadilla to see its cheesy filling.
Look at that cheesy, juicy goodness!

Other taco recipes you might love

Taco quesadillas recipe.

Taco Quesadillas

20
Taco quesadillas are the best of both worlds: A hearty taco filling made with beef and peppers, and your favorite cheese that will melt to goodness!
prep 30 minutes
cook 25 minutes
total 55 minutes

Ingredients 

For taco meat

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 large red bell pepper (diced)
  • 1 medium onion (diced)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • 1 Tbsp chipotle powder or smoked paprika
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • salt and pepper

For taco quesadillas

  • 20 corn tortillas (or 15 flour tortillas)
  • 3 cups monterey jack or Oaxaca cheese (or any other melty cheese you prefer)
  • vegetable oil (as needed)

Instructions
 

Make the taco meat mixture

  • Heat oil on a non-stick pan over medium heat. Sauté onions and peppers for 3 minutes or until veggies are a bit soft.
  • Add the meat to the pan and season with cumin, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper.
  • Add ¼ cup of water, mix well and cook, stirring constantly for about 15 minutes or until meat is browned, well cooked and there’s not liquids left. Cover and set aside.

Make taco quesadillas

  • Heat a skillet or no-sticking pan over medium-low heat. Brush it with a little oil, then place a tortilla and top with cheese.
  • Spoon some taco meat and add more cheese on top. Cook for about 1 minute or until cheese starts to melt.
  • Using a spatula, fold tortilla into half and press a little bit so it will stick to the filling.
  • Flip over the taco quesadilla and cook on the other side until is lightly crispy and the cheese is melted.
  • Place on a serving plate and cover with a kitchen towel to keep it warm. Repeat the steps with all tortillas.
  • Serve with your favorite toppings.

Notes

  • Start by making one taco quesadilla at time, once you feel confident with the cooking times, make 3-4 at time.
  • Make this a prep meal by cooking the taco meat ahead of time. Assemble taco quesadillas any day of the week.
  • You can use any type of peppers you want, like bell peppers, spicy peppers, Anaheim peppers, etc.
  • Always adjust seasoning to your taste. Adding more garlic, cumin or other spices will make you enjoy more the recipe.
  • For “juicy” taco quesadillas, allow the taco meat to keep some juices by adding a little bit more water to the mixture.
  • I used 6-inch (15cm) corn tortillas and made taco quesadillas in total. Take in mind that flour tortillas are bigger so you’ll end with less pieces or you can double the recipe too.
Troubleshooting
  • If your tortillas break or fall apart, means you need to warm them a little bit more before you fold.
  • On the other hand, if tortillas won’t fold because they get too crispy, you need to cook it less and fold it as soon as you see the tortilla is soft enough to be folded.
  • Tortillas burns quickly. Adjust the heat in your stove and make sure to flip often the taco quesadillas. Also, flour tortillas burns more easily than corn tortillas, take in mind that.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 215mg | Potassium: 150mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 560IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 146mg | Iron: 1mg
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Recipe Rating




2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    OMG! Those were such a BIG hit last night! Thank you so much for the recipe, the meat was so easy to make, I used taco seasoning because I didn’t gave paprika or chipotle powder but still was delicious and my kids devoured them, i printed your recipe and is now hanging in my fridge, thank you :D

  2. 5 stars
    Saw a few days ago this taco quesadilla recipe in a Facebook group and I knew I had to try. It surely took some time to get all fixings together but it worths, everything from scratch taste better.