Go Back
Beef Quesadillas Recipe four golden-brown, crispy quesadilla triangles filled with seasoned ground beef, melted cheese, and colorful bell peppers, served with a lime wedge on a white plate.

How to Make Beef Quesadillas Recipe: A Simple Step-by-Step Guide

By Nancy
Learn how to make easy and delicious beef quesadillas recipe with ground beef, cheese, and tortillas. Perfect for a quick, cheesy meal the whole family
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican, Tex-Mex
Servings 4
Calories 520 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb 450 g ground beef, 85% lean:
  • 1 small yellow onion
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup tomato sauce
  • 4 large flour tortillas 10-inch
  • 2 cups shredded cheese
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 2 tablespoons butter or oil

Instructions
 

Step 1: Brown the Beef

  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and break it into small crumbles with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until no pink remains.
    Seasoned ground beef browning in a black skillet with a wooden spatula, cooking into a savory filling for beef quesadillas on a marble surface.

Step 2: Soften the Aromatics

  • In the same skillet, push the beef to one side, add the onion and bell pepper, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, stirring constantly during the last 30 seconds,
    Diced red and yellow bell peppers sauteing with onions and seasonings in a black skillet, being stirred with a wooden spatula on a marble countertop

Step 3: Season and Simmer

  • Sprinkle with chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Pour in the tomato sauce and let the mixture simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until it thickens and begins to dry out.
    Seasoned ground beef simmering in a black skillet with diced red and yellow bell peppers and onions, stirred with a wooden spoon to prepare the quesadilla filling.

Step 4: Drain and Cool Slightly

  • Once the mixture is cooked, the onions are caramelized, and the excess liquid has been drained, transfer it with a spoon to a bowl and wipe out the skillet. Let the mixture rest for 2 minutes.
    A clear glass bowl filled with cooked ground beef quesadilla filling, mixed with diced red and yellow bell peppers, onions, and flavorful Tex-Mex seasonings on a marble countertop.

Step 5: Assemble

  • Lay a tortilla flat. Scatter cheese over one half, spoon on about a quarter of the beef, then add a bit more cheese on top. That second layer of cheese acts like edible glue. Fold the tortilla over.
    Side-by-side steps showing a flour tortilla topped on one half with seasoned ground beef, onions, and red and yellow peppers, then generously covered with shredded cheese before folding.

Step 6: Pan-Frying and Slicing

  • Melt a little butter over medium heat. Place the quesadilla in the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, pressing gently with a spatula, until it’s golden brown all over and the cheese has melted.
    A folded beef quesadilla frying to a golden-brown, crispy perfection in a hot skillet with melted butter and ooey-gooey cheese visible along the edges.

Notes

Nutritional Information

  • Calories: 520 kcal
  • Protein: 30 g
  • Carbohydrates: 34 g
  • Fat: 29 g
  • Saturated fat: 13 g
  • Fiber: 3 g
  • Sodium: 780 mg
Note: The nutritional values provided are estimates and may vary depending on the ingredients, quantities, and brands used.
Keyword Beef Quesadillas Recipe