Cheesy Beef Quesadillas

Name: Cheesy Beef Quesadillas
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef; 1 tablespoon garlic paste; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon salt; 8 ounces tomato sauce, (with basil, garlic, and oregano); ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, (optional); 2 tablespoons butter, (divided); 8 (10-inch) flour tortillas; 4½ cups Colby jack cheese, (shredded)

This gooey, hearty cheesy beef quesadilla recipe is so easy to make in just 20 minutes with seasoned ground beef, tortillas, and lots of cheese!

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Table of Contents

Cheesy Beef Quesadillas Ingredients
Substitutions And Additions
How To Make This Cheesy Beef Quesadilla Recipe
How To Serve This Beef and Cheese Quesadilla
Storing Beef Quesadillas
More Recipes You’ll Love
JUMP TO RECIPE

This easy cheesy beef quesadilla recipe is ready to eat in just 20 minutes, making it a perfect weeknight dinner option. Loaded with seasoned ground beef and gooey melted cheese inside a crispy tortilla, everyone will love this simple Mexican classic.

Cheesy Beef Quesadillas Ingredients

Cheesy Beef Quesadillas raw ingredients that are labeled

When it comes to Mexican cuisine, beef quesadillas are a classic favorite. A crispy tortilla packed with flavorful seasoned beef, melted cheese, and fresh toppings – it’s no wonder why this dish is so popular.

Each bite is a perfect blend of savory and cheesy goodness combined with tangy salsa and creamy sour cream. The beef provides a rich and meaty flavor that makes for a satisfying meal.

You’ll need:

1 pound of ground beef
1 tablespoon of garlic paste
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon of salt
1 (8-ounce) can of tomato sauce with basil, garlic, oregano
½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes, optional
2 tablespoons of butter, divided into ½ tablespoon and 1½ tablespoons
8 (10-inch) flour tortillas
4½ cups of Colby jack cheese, shredded

PRO TIP:

This is a great recipe to buy pre-shredded cheese for as it makes prep time even quicker for your easy meal.

Substitutions And Additions

CHEESE: You could also use sharp cheddar cheese, pepper Jack, Mexican blend, Monterey Jack, or another favorite in this recipe.

BEANS: Add a can of black beans or even refried beans into the mix if you’d like.

RICE: We love serving rice on the side of these cheesy quesadillas, but it’s delicious tucked inside as well.

VEGGIES: Add a can of corn, spinach, bell pepper, or mushrooms for a few great options.

SPICE: You can add more red pepper flakes, chili powder, or even diced jalapeños if you’d like a kick of heat while you eat.

TORTILLAS: We definitely prefer this easy quesadilla recipe with flour tortillas, but you could substitute corn tortillas if you wanted.

CILANTRO: We love fresh cilantro, and this is a great recipe to enjoy it with.

LIMES: Serve fresh lime wedges on the side of the cheese quesadillas to kick up your presentation a notch.

How To Make This Cheesy Beef Quesadilla Recipe

Here’s how you make our beef quesadilla recipe:

STEP ONE: In a large skillet over medium heat, add the ground beef. Cook ground beef until no longer pink. Drain grease and return beef to the skillet.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

I recommend using lean beef or draining the excess grease off when you’re done cooking the meat so that your quesadillas don’t get soggy.

STEP TWO: Continue to brown beef. Add garlic paste, onion powder, salt, tomato sauce, and red pepper flakes. Stir the beef mixture well to combine.

ingredients added to the ground beef in the skillet

STEP THREE: In a separate large skillet over medium-low heat, add ½ tablespoon of butter and allow it to melt.

STEP FOUR: Place a tortilla in the skillet. Sprinkle cheese, add the meat mixture, and then more cheese to the whole tortilla.

tortilla, beef mixture, and cheese added to the skillet

STEP FIVE: Lay another tortilla on top and spread butter over the tortilla.

tortilla placed on top of the cheese mixture in the skillet

STEP SIX: Flip the quesadilla over and continue cooking until all of the cheese is melted.

PRO TIP:

Watch it closely while it is cooking so that you don’t burn the quesadilla at the last second.

STEP SEVEN: Repeat the steps for each quesadilla and serve with your favorite toppings, like salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.

How To Serve This Beef and Cheese Quesadilla

This melty cheese quesadilla recipe is warm, hearty, and ideal for a quick lunch or dinner. Kids seem to love anything inside a quesadilla, so you can fill it with all kinds of goodies.

Quesadillas are also the perfect dish for dipping. We have lots of recipes that you can use alongside them, including our homemade guacamole, salsa, and white queso dip.

Serve with our Spanish rice and Mexican corn salad.

MORE MEXICAN DISH RECIPES

Chicken Dinner Ideas

White Chicken Enchilada Skillet

Casserole Ideas

Mexican Beef And Rice Casserole

Storing Beef Quesadillas

Keep a stash of these so the kids can warm one up when they need a quick snack.

IN THE FRIDGE: You can store leftover ground beef quesadillas in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days after making them.

IN THE FREEZER: You can make these cheesy ground beef quesadillas ahead and store them in between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-safe container for up to two months.

REHEATING: Skip the soggy leftovers and use the oven to warm these back up. To reheat, place them on a cookie sheet in a 375°F oven for about 10 minutes until they’re heated through and crispy again.

overhead shot of Cheesy Beef Quesadillas on a plate

This beef quesadilla recipe is a classic Mexican food that will become a homemade favorite. They’re packed with deliciously seasoned ground beef, and lots of gooey cheese, all served in a perfectly toasted flour tortilla with your favorite toppings. Plus, they’re ready in just 20 minutes.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do I store these easy quesadillas?

This ground beef quesadilla recipe can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and frozen for up to 2 months.

Can I use other ground meat in the quesadillas instead of ground beef?

You can use whatever meat you prefer. Try ground pork, turkey, or chicken. You can also use ham, pepperoni, or plain cheese. Veggies are always a great addition to quesadillas too.

Can I use corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas?

You can use either flour or corn tortillas, whichever you have available.

More Recipes You’ll Love

Cheesy Beef Quesadillas

5 from 6 votes

This gooey, hearty cheesy beef quesadilla recipe is so easy to make in just 20 minutes with seasoned ground beef, tortillas, and lots of cheese!

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings

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Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces tomato sauce, with basil, garlic, and oregano
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
2 tablespoons butter, divided
8 (10-inch) flour tortillas
4½ cups Colby jack cheese, shredded

Instructions

In a large skillet over medium heat, add ground beef. Cook until no longer pink. Drain grease and return beef to the skillet.
Continue to cook the beef until browned. Add garlic paste, onion powder, salt, tomato sauce, and red pepper flakes. Stir well to combine.
In a separate large skillet over medium-low heat, add ½ tablespoon of butter and allow it to melt.
Place a tortilla in the skillet. Add cheese, beef mixture, then more cheese to the tortilla. Lay another tortilla on top and spread butter over the tortilla.
Flip the quesadilla over and continue cooking until all of the cheese is melted.
Repeat steps for each quesadilla.

Video

Notes

This is a great recipe to buy pre-shredded cheese for as it makes prep time even quicker for your easy meal.
I recommend using lean beef or draining the excess grease off when you’re done cooking the meat so that your quesadillas don’t get soggy.
Watch it closely while it is cooking so that you don’t burn the quesadilla at the last second.

Nutrition

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This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

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Beef Quesadilla Recipe