Steak Quesadilla
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Make the best Steak Quesadilla with this easy recipe that’s loaded with flavorful carne asada, fajita veggies, and tons of cheese! It only takes 30 minutes to make this delicious Mexican dish for an easy weeknight meal that’s better than fast food or a restaurant chain.
Serve it with guacamole, salsa, and copycat Taco Bell quesadilla sauce for a delicious trio of dipping sauces!
Table of contents
If you love ordering a steak quesadilla at Taco Bell, Chipotle, or your favorite Mexican restaurant, then you’re really going to love this homemade steak quesadilla recipe! It tastes so much better than what you would get at a fast food chain, and it’s easy to make at home.
You can even prepare the carne asada and fajita veggies in advance and make this recipe in just 10 minutes! This quesadilla is super cheesy and loaded with flavor from the perfectly seasoned grilled steak, to the delicious mix of fajita veggies.
Make it your own by serving the quesadilla with any and all of your favorite sauces on the side for dipping. From chipotle sauce and guacamole, to salsa and sour cream, this quesadilla pairs well with all of the Mexican-style sauces and dips, and is perfect for serving as a party appetizer or game day snack!
Ingredients
- Carne asada – for this recipe, I recommend using a flank steak or skirt steak. Rub the steak with olive oil, then season it with carne asada seasoning and grill the steak. If you have a little extra time, you can marinate the meat in my famous carne asada marinade. Click the link for the seasoning above and it will take you to the recipe for the marinade.
- Olive oil – or another neutral vegetable oil to cook the fajita veggies.
- Fajita vegetables – I like to use a combination of one red bell pepper and one green bell pepper, a red onion and one jalapeno pepper. Feel free to use the same combination or switch up the colors of the bell peppers or onion.
- Salt + black pepper – to season the fajita veggies.
- Cheddar cheese + pepper jack cheese – this quesadilla recipe is very cheesy. After all, it’s a quesadilla, it should be cheesy! I always recommend grating the cheese at home, instead of buying pre-shredded cheese at the grocery store. The bags of shredded cheese contain anti-caking additives, which means the cheese won’t melt nearly as well as freshly grated cheese. This cheese grater is my favorite! It grates cheese so quickly and easily, and it’s only $12.
- Large tortillas – for this recipe you’ll want “burrito size” tortillas, which are 10 inches wide. This will make two large quesadillas, enough to feed 4 people. If you want to make 4 smaller quesadillas, instead of two large quesadillas, I recommend using 6 inch “fajita size” tortillas.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Season the steak. Coat a skirt steak, or flank steak, with olive oil. Season the steak on all sides with carne asada seasoning.
- Grill the steak. Preheat a grill over high heat. Cook the steak for 3-5 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature of the steak reaches 135°F for a medium-rare steak. A skirt steak will cook faster than a flank steak. If using a skirt steak, plan for 3-4 minutes per side. If using a flank steak, plan for 5 minutes per side. Remove the steak from the grill and let it rest for 10 minutes.
If you have time, you can marinate the steak for up to 8 hours before grilling, instead of simply seasoning and grilling the steak. Follow the blog post for carne asada seasoning for the marinade recipe.
- Prepare the fajita veggies. While the steak is resting after the grill, prepare the fajita veggies on the stove. Heat olive oil in a large pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add sliced onions to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add sliced bell peppers and jalapenos to the pan. Season with salt and pepper, then cook for 6-8 minutes.
- Dice up the steak. Use a sharp knife to slice the grilled steak against the grain into thin strips, then dice it into small pieces. Once the fajita veggies are done cooking, turn off the heat on the stove and stir in the pieces of steak, then set the pan aside.
- Make the quesadillas. Heat a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Wait for the skillet to get hot. This is important to make sure that the tortilla is browned on the outside and the cheese is melted on the inside. Spray one side of a tortilla with cooking spray, then place the sprayed side of the tortilla down in the skillet.
- Add the filling. Add about one cup of shredded cheese to the tortilla. Spread the cheese around so it’s in an even layer. Add about 1 ½ cups of the fajita veggie and steak mixture in an even layer on top of the cheese. Add another cup of shredded cheese in an even layer on top of the steak and veggies. Top with another large tortilla and spray the top of the tortilla with cooking spray.
- Cook and flip. Allow the quesadilla to cook for 3-4 minutes. Carefully flip the quesadilla over. I use two large spatulas to do this at home. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, or until the tortilla is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Remove the quesadilla from the skillet and repeat one more time with another quesadilla. Cut each large quesadilla into 4 quarters or 8 triangles for serving. Optionally sprinkle fresh cilantro on top as a garnish.
What to serve it with
This quesadilla is delicious with all of the dips and sauces! Try it with any of these options to recreate a steak quesadilla from your favorite restaurant. Or pair the quesadilla with your favorite Mexican-style sauce!
- Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce – this copycat recipe for creamy jalapeno sauce from the fast food chain is easy to make in 5 minutes and delicious paired with this steak quesadilla!
- Guacamole – my authentic guacamole recipe is easy to make in 10 minutes, and is the perfect quesadilla pairing for all of the avocado-lovers!
- Dragon Sauce – this is a popular sauce at Chipotle, where people combine their Tomatillo Red Chili Salsa with sour cream. If you want to make it at home, use my 10 minute restaurant-style salsa recipe and combine it with sour cream.
- Pico de Gallo
- Chipotle Sauce
- Poblano Sauce
- Cilantro Lime Sauce
- Creamy Avocado Salsa
If you’re looking for a side dish to serve with the quesadillas, try this Mexican Rice, Cilantro Lime Rice, or Mexican Street Corn.
Recipe notes
- If you’d like to make four smaller quesadillas, instead of two large quesadillas, you have two options. Either use one large “burrito size” tortilla, and only add the cheese, steak, veggies and cheese to one half of the tortilla, then fold the other half of the tortilla over the fillings. This will make a “half quesadilla” instead of the whole quesadilla you see pictured throughout this post. You can also use 8 small “fajita size” tortillas and make them as described in this recipe, but only use half of the cheese and filling in each quesadilla.
- Always make sure the skillet is hot before adding the tortilla and assembling the steak quesadilla in the skillet. If the skillet isn’t hot, the tortilla will not become golden brown and crispy. And it will take a long time for the cheese to melt. This will compromise the overall texture of the steak quesadilla.
- You can make the carne asada and fajita veggies ahead of time. Feel free to cook these up to 2 days in advance. Store them in the fridge until you’re ready to make the quesadillas. I recommend reheating the steak and veggies in a hot skillet on the stove for 2-3 minutes before preparing the quesadillas. They will reheat in the quesadilla, but not all of the way through during the quesadilla cook time.
- You don’t have to add the fajita veggies. If you just want a steak and cheese quesadilla, simply omit the fajita veggies and double up on the steak.
- If you don’t have a grill, you can cook the steak on the stovetop instead. Use a cast iron skillet or grill pan, if you have one available. If not, use the heaviest bottom, largest skillet you have. Turn the stove on to high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the carne asada and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 135°F. Remove from the skillet and rest for 10 minutes before slicing and dicing.
- To make this recipe gluten free, use 8 small corn tortillas to make 4 small quesadillas, instead of using the burrito size flour tortillas.
- This recipe is mild on the spice scale. If you don’t want any spice at all, omit the jalapeno. Replace the pepper jack cheese with Monterey jack cheese or Oaxaca cheese. If you want to spice things up, add 1-2 sliced serrano peppers to the fajita veggies.
Storage and reheating
I highly recommend only making as many quesadillas as you plan on eating in that setting. You can always store any leftover steak and fajita veggies in the fridge and make a fresh quesadilla in less than 10 minutes.
If you do find yourself with prepared steak quesadilla leftovers, I recommend storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can reheat them in a skillet on the stove over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes per side. You can also reheat them in an air fryer at 400°F for 4-6 minutes.
More Mexican recipes
If you love these steak quesadillas, I guarantee that you’ll love the other 175+ Mexican recipes on the blog. Let’s start with these fan favorites, then work our way through the rest!
Steak Quesadilla
Ingredients
For the steak
- ½ pound skirt steak, or flank steak
- ½ tablespoon olive oil, or vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon carne asada seasoning, click link for the recipe (or use steak seasoning or fajita seasoning)
For the fajita veggies
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 bell peppers, sliced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, sliced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For the quesadillas
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 cups pepper jack cheese, shredded (or monterey jack cheese)
- 4 large tortillas, burrito-size
- cooking spray
Instructions
For the steak:
- Rub the skirt steak with olive oil, then cover on all sides with the carne asada seasoning. If you have more time, you can marinate the steak for up to 8 hours, using the carne asada marinade recipe in this post.
- Preheat a grill over high heat.
- Cook the steak for 3-5 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature of the steak reaches 135°F for a medium-rare steak. A skirt steak will cook faster than a flank steak. If using a skirt steak, plan for 3-4 minutes per side. If using a flank steak, plan for 5 minutes per side.
- Remove the steak from the grill and let it rest for 10 minutes on a cutting board.
For the fajita veggies:
- While the steak is resting, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the sliced bell peppers, jalapeño, salt and pepper, cook for an additional 6-8 minutes.
- Thinly slice the steak into strips, the dice it into small pieces, and toss it in with the sauteed veggies. Remove the skillet from the heat.
For the quesadillas:
- Heat another large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Wait for the skillet to get hot, then spray one side of a tortilla with cooking spray. Place the sprayed side of the tortilla down in the hot skillet.
- Add about 1 cup of shredded cheese in an even layer on top of the tortilla. Top the cheese with about 1 ½ cups of the fajita veggie steak mixture in an even layer. Add another cup of shredded cheese on top of the steak and fajita veggies, then top with another tortilla and spray the outside of the tortilla with cooking spray.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes, carefully flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- Remove the quesadilla from the skillet and repeat with the other two tortillas and the remaining ingredients to make one more quesadilla.
- Cut each quesadilla into 4 or 8 pieces per serving.
Notes
- Optionally serve the quesadilla with guacamole, salsa, Taco Bell copycat quesadilla sauce, sour cream, Pico de Gallo, or Chipotle Sauce for dipping.
- If you’d like to make four smaller quesadillas, instead of two large quesadillas, you have two options. Either use one large “burrito size” tortilla, and only add the cheese, steak, veggies and cheese to one half of the tortilla, then fold the other half of the tortilla over the fillings. This will make a “half quesadilla” instead of the whole quesadilla you see pictured throughout this post. You can also use 8 small “fajita size” tortillas and make them as described in this recipe, but only use half of the cheese and filling in each quesadilla.
- You can make the carne asada and fajita veggies ahead of time. Feel free to cook these up to 2 days in advance. Store them in the fridge until you’re ready to make the quesadillas. I recommend reheating the steak and veggies in a hot skillet on the stove for 2-3 minutes before preparing the quesadillas. They will reheat in the quesadilla, but not all of the way through during the quesadilla cook time.
- You don’t have to add the fajita veggies. If you just want a steak and cheese quesadilla, simply omit the fajita veggies and double up on the steak.
- If you don’t have a grill, you can cook the steak on the stovetop instead. Use a cast iron skillet or grill pan, if you have one available. If not, use the heaviest bottom, largest skillet you have. Turn the stove on to high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the carne asada and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 135°F. Remove from the skillet and rest for 10 minutes before slicing and dicing.
- To make this recipe gluten free, use 8 small corn tortillas to make 4 small quesadillas, instead of using the burrito size flour tortillas.
Nutrition Facts
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