Beef Quesadillas with Salsa Guacamole (Printable View)
Tender beef and melted cheese in crisp tortillas with fresh salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.
# Ingredient List:
→ Beef Filling
01 - 10 oz flank steak or sirloin, thinly sliced
02 - 1 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
04 - 1 garlic clove, minced
05 - 1 tsp ground cumin
06 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
07 - 1/2 tsp chili powder
08 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Quesadillas
09 - 8 medium flour tortillas
10 - 7 oz shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
11 - 1 tbsp butter or oil, for frying
→ Salsa
12 - 2 medium ripe tomatoes, diced
13 - 1/4 red onion, finely diced
14 - 1 small jalapeño, seeded and minced
15 - 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
16 - Juice of 1 lime
17 - Salt, to taste
→ Guacamole
18 - 2 ripe avocados
19 - 1 small tomato, finely diced
20 - 1 tbsp lime juice
21 - 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
22 - Salt and pepper, to taste
→ To Serve
23 - 1/2 cup sour cream
# How to Make It:
01 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add beef, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Sauté until beef is browned and cooked through, about 4–5 minutes. Set aside.
02 - In a bowl, combine diced tomatoes, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
03 - In another bowl, mash avocados with a fork. Stir in diced tomato, lime juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste.
04 - Lay four tortillas flat. Evenly distribute beef filling and shredded cheese over each. Top with remaining tortillas.
05 - Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Melt a little butter or add oil. Cook each quesadilla for 2–3 minutes per side, until golden brown and cheese is melted. Remove and cut into wedges.
06 - Arrange quesadilla wedges on plates. Serve with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream on the side.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The beef is actually seasoned and cooked properly, so every bite has flavor instead of tasting like flavorless protein stuffed into bread.
- Fresh salsa and guacamole made while you cook mean you get that bright, alive taste that balances the richness of melted cheese.
- The whole thing comes together in about 40 minutes, which means you can go from hungry to fed without drama.
02 -
- Don't use cold avocados or your guacamole will be lumpy and sad—pull them out the night before and let them sit on the counter.
- Cook the beef filling all the way through before assembling; it doesn't finish cooking inside the quesadilla, and cold beef in the center is a disappointment.
- Medium heat is your friend here—high heat burns the outside while leaving the cheese barely melted, low heat makes everything gummy and pale.
03 -
- Use a cast-iron skillet or griddle if you have one—it holds heat evenly and gets the tortillas golden brown without burning them.
- Don't press the quesadilla down with your spatula while it's cooking; let it sit and develop that golden crust on its own pace.