Beef Quesadillas with Salsa (Printable View)

Savor beef quesadillas served with fresh salsa and creamy guacamole in a simple, delicious Tex-Mex dish.

# Ingredient List:

→ Beef Quesadillas

01 - 14 oz ground beef
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
07 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
08 - ½ teaspoon chili powder
09 - ½ teaspoon salt
10 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
11 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
12 - 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
13 - 8 medium flour tortillas

→ Fresh Salsa

14 - 3 ripe tomatoes, diced
15 - ½ small red onion, finely chopped
16 - 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
17 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
18 - Juice of 1 lime
19 - ¼ teaspoon salt

→ Guacamole

20 - 2 ripe avocados
21 - 1 small tomato, diced
22 - 2 tablespoons chopped red onion
23 - 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
24 - Juice of 1 lime
25 - Salt and pepper, to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and red bell pepper. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
02 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon. Cook until browned, about 5 to 6 minutes.
03 - Sprinkle in ground cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 2 more minutes then remove from heat.
04 - In a bowl, combine shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses.
05 - Lay one tortilla flat. Spread a quarter of the cheese blend over half of the tortilla. Top with a quarter of the beef mixture. Fold tortilla over to form a half-moon. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
06 - Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Cook each quesadilla 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown and cheese is melted. Keep warm.
07 - Combine diced tomatoes, red onion, jalapeño, chopped cilantro, lime juice, and salt in a bowl. Stir well.
08 - Scoop avocados into a bowl and mash with a fork. Stir in diced tomato, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste.
09 - Cut quesadillas into wedges and serve immediately alongside fresh salsa and guacamole.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in under half an hour, so you can have dinner ready before hunger turns into hanger.
  • The crispy tortilla edges against melted cheese create that perfect crunch-to-melt ratio that makes you reach for another wedge.
  • You can prep the salsa and guacamole while the beef cooks, so nothing sits around getting soggy.
02 -
  • If your skillet is too hot, the tortilla will burn before the cheese melts, so medium heat is your friend here.
  • Folding the quesadilla before the cheese goes in makes it harder to seal, so always layer cheese first, then beef, then fold.
  • Mash the avocados right before serving or they will start to brown, even with lime juice.
03 -
  • Shred your own cheese instead of buying pre-shredded, it melts smoother and does not have the anti-caking coating that can make things gummy.
  • Let the beef cool for a minute before filling tortillas so the heat does not make the tortilla soggy or tear.
  • Use a pizza cutter to slice quesadillas into even wedges without squishing the filling out the sides.

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