Steak Quesadillas are filled with seared steak, melted cheese, onions, and mushrooms, then cooked in a skillet until the tortillas are crisp and golden. Use leftover steak for a fast meal, or sear fresh steak first and tuck it into warm flour tortillas.
Why You'll Love These Steak Quesadillas
Steak quesadillas are a good way to turn a little cooked steak into a full meal. The skillet crisps the tortillas while the cheese melts around the beef, onions, and mushrooms, so every wedge has a hot filling and a golden outside.
- Great for leftover steak: A small amount of cooked steak stretches into several cheesy quesadillas.
- Easier to eat: Chopped steak pieces stay in the tortilla, so every wedge cuts cleaner and does not drag long strips of beef out with the first bite.
- Skillet friendly: A cast iron skillet gives the tortillas a crisp, golden surface without needing special equipment.
- Easy to customize: Change the cheese, add jalapenos, swap the vegetables, or serve them with your favorite dipping sauces.
Ingredients Overview
Steak quesadillas work with freshly seared steak or leftover cooked steak, including ribeye, sirloin, flank steak, or roast beef. Bite-size steak pieces stay tucked inside the tortilla better than long slices, so each wedge is easier to cut and eat.
Flour tortillas fold easily around the filling, while shredded cheese helps hold the steak, onions, and mushrooms together as it melts. A little Cajun seasoning gives the beef and tortillas a savory kick without needing a long seasoning list.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Steak Quesadillas
Start by searing the seasoned steak pieces in a hot skillet, then set them aside while you build the quesadillas. Keeping the steak pieces small makes the quesadillas easier to fold, cut, and eat.
Butter and season the tortillas, add cheese, steak, onions, and mushrooms, then fold and cook over medium heat until the tortillas are golden and the cheese is melted.
The step-by-step photos below show how to build and cook each quesadilla in a skillet.
Step 1: Preheat your skillet until it is hot enough to sear the steak. Cut the raw steak into cubes or strips, then season with Cajun seasoning.
Step 2: Sear the steak pieces in the hot skillet for 4 to 5 minutes for medium rare, or 6 to 8 minutes for well done, turning them so they brown on all sides.
Step 3: Remove the seared steak from the skillet and set it aside while you prepare the tortillas.
Step 4: Spread butter over one side of a flour tortilla, sprinkle it with the remaining Cajun seasoning, and place it butter side down in the skillet over medium heat.
Step 5: Sprinkle shredded cheese and steak pieces over the tortilla while it is in the skillet.
Step 6: Add onions and sliced mushrooms to one half of the tortilla, then fold the other half over the filling.
Step 7: Press the quesadilla gently with a metal spatula and cook for a minute or two, until the cheese melts and the filling heats through.
Step 8: Remove each steak quesadilla from the skillet when the tortilla is golden and the cheese is melted. Transfer to a platter and cut into thirds, like pie wedges.
Serve hot with your favorite toppings.
Serving Suggestions
Serve steak quesadillas hot from the skillet with pico de gallo, Mexican pickled onions, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, or Mexican white sauce. Cut them into wedges for lunch or dinner, or slice them smaller for an appetizer platter.
For a fuller meal, add cebollitas asadas, cilantro lime coleslaw, or Mexican pickled vegetables on the side.
Substitutions and Variations
Use the same skillet method with a few easy swaps.
- Different steak cuts: Ribeye, sirloin, flank steak, skirt steak, or leftover roast beef all work well when sliced or chopped into small pieces.
- Cheese options: Mexican blend, Monterey Jack, cheddar, Pepper Jack, or Oaxaca cheese all melt well in quesadillas.
- Vegetable swaps: Replace the mushrooms with bell peppers, poblano strips, or extra onions if that fits what you have on hand.
- Extra heat: Add sliced fresh jalapenos, pickled jalapenos, or Pepper Jack cheese for a spicier filling.
- Different proteins: Cooked chicken, pulled pork, or shrimp can be used instead of steak for a different quesadilla filling.
Tips for Success
A few small details keep the tortillas crisp and the filling hot.
- Cut steak small: Bite-size pieces stay inside the tortilla better than long strips and make the quesadillas easier to cut and eat.
- Use medium heat: Medium heat gives the cheese time to melt before the tortilla gets too dark.
- Do not overfill: Too much steak or cheese makes the quesadilla hard to fold and more likely to spill in the skillet.
- Press gently: Light pressure with a spatula helps the cheese bind the filling without squeezing everything out.
- Serve right away: Quesadillas are best while the tortillas are crisp and the cheese is still melted.
Storage Options
Quesadillas reheat best when the tortilla can crisp again.
- Refrigerate: Store leftover steak quesadilla wedges in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in a skillet: Warm leftovers in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until the tortilla crisps and the filling is hot.
- Use the microwave only if needed: Microwave for 20 to 30 seconds for speed, but the tortilla will soften instead of staying crisp.
- Freeze with caution: Cooked quesadillas can be frozen, but the tortillas may soften after thawing. Reheat from thawed in a skillet for the best texture.
Related Recipes
- Birria Quesadillas
- Chicken Burritos
- Mexican Beef Birria
- Shredded Chicken Tacos
- Chili Lime Shrimp Tacos
Frequently Asked Questions
Ribeye, sirloin, flank steak, and skirt steak all work well for steak quesadillas. Ribeye gives a tender, flavorful filling, while flank and skirt steak should be sliced thin so they are easy to eat inside the tortilla.
Avoid overfilling the tortilla and keep wet toppings like salsa, sour cream, and guacamole on the side until serving. Cook the quesadilla over medium heat so the tortilla crisps while the cheese melts.
Yes, but corn tortillas are smaller and more delicate than flour tortillas. Use less filling, warm the tortillas first, and handle them carefully so they do not crack when folded.
Monterey Jack, Mexican blend, cheddar, Pepper Jack, and Oaxaca cheese all melt well in steak quesadillas. Use shredded cheese so it melts quickly and helps hold the steak inside the tortilla.
es, but small chopped steak pieces are easier to eat in quesadillas. Long slices can pull out of the tortilla when you bite into them, so chopped or bite-size steak pieces usually work better.
Mexican Recipes
Get The Recipe!
Steak Quesadillas
Equipment
- 9 inch Round Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb beef steak raw or leftover
- 2 tablespoon Cajun seasoning Divided
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 6 large flour tortillas burrito size
- 1½ cup Mexican cheese blend or any shredded cheese you prefer
- 1 cup mushrooms sliced thin
- ½ cup onion finely diced
- toppings like salsa, queso, etc
Instructions
- Preheat your skillet hot enough to sear your steak. Cut the raw steak into cubes of slices and season with Cajun seasoning.1 lb beef steak , 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- Place the steak cubes in the hot skillet for 4 to 5 minutes (medium rare), or 6 to 8 minutes for well done, turning them to sear all the sides. Remove the seared steak from the skillet and set aside.
- Spread a teaspoon of butter over each flour tortillas. Sprinkle the buttered tortilla with the remaining Cajun seasoning and place in the skillet butter side down. Keep the skillet on medium heat.2 tablespoon butter, 6 large flour tortillas, 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- Sprinkle cheese and steak pieces on the top of the flour tortilla while in the skillet.1½ cup Mexican cheese blend
- Top with onions and sliced mushrooms on one half of the tortilla. Fold the tortilla in half.1 cup mushrooms , ½ cup onion
- Let the cheese melt for a minute or two, pressing down with a metal spatula so that the cheese, onions, mushrooms, and steak all heat up together.
- Remove each steak quesadilla from the skillet when you can see the cheese is melted. Transfer to a platter and cut into thirds, like pie wedges.toppings
Video
Notes
- Cut steak small: Bite-size pieces or thin slices make the quesadillas easier to fold, cut, and eat.
- Use medium heat: Medium heat gives the cheese time to melt before the tortilla gets too dark.
- Do not overfill: Too much steak or cheese makes the quesadilla hard to fold and more likely to spill in the skillet.
- Press gently: Light pressure with a spatula helps the cheese bind the filling without squeezing everything out.
- Serve right away: Quesadillas are best while the tortillas are crisp and the cheese is still melted.
Nutrition
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Kelly Bloom says
Delicious, I'm making this again!
Kelly Bloom says
So easy to make, and so delicious!