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Cheesy Beef Quesadillas

Cheesy beef quesadillas with seasoned ground beef and a melty Mexican cheese blend, cooked until golden and crispy in a skillet. Folded flour tortillas are pan-melted with butter for a crunchy exterior and gooey cheese filling.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 750
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

lean ground beef
  • 1 lb lean ground beef
olive oil
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
onion
  • 1 onion
garlic
  • 2 cloves garlic
taco seasoning
  • 1 tbsp taco seasoning
paprika
  • 0.5 tsp paprika
salt
  • 0.5 tsp salt
black pepper
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
salsa
  • 0.25 cup salsa
Mexican cheese blend
  • 2 cup Mexican cheese blend
flour tortillas
  • 8 flour tortillas large
butter
  • 2 tbsp butter

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook the beef filling
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering.
  2. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes until softened.
  3. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  4. Add the lean ground beef and cook until browned, stirring occasionally to break it up.
  5. Drain excess grease if needed.
  6. Stir in taco seasoning, paprika, salt, black pepper, and salsa; simmer for 2 minutes, then remove from heat.
Assemble and crisp the quesadillas
  1. Lay the flour tortillas flat on a work surface.
  2. Sprinkle Mexican cheese blend over half of each tortilla.
  3. Add a layer of beef mixture over the cheese.
  4. Top with additional Mexican cheese blend.
  5. Fold tortillas in half.
  6. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat.
  7. Cook quesadillas for 2–3 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy.
  8. Slice and serve with salsa, sour cream, or guacamole.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the filling slightly thick by draining excess grease, so the tortillas stay crisp instead of soggy. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet for best texture. Freezing is not recommended for quesadillas, but you can freeze cooked beef filling up to 2 months. For a dairy-lite swap, use a reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend and add a little extra salsa to keep the filling flavorful.