Steak Quesadilla
This Steak Quesadilla recipe is packed with flavor! They feature marinated grilled steak, peppers, onion, jalapeño, and spices with plenty of monterey jack cheese! Serve these steak quesadillas with guacamole and salsa for dipping.
Creating this Steak Quesadilla Recipe
As a mom and wife first, I stay pretty busy. To help with my time management, I have found that the dinner cooking schedule the suits me best is every-other-day.
Because I cook like this, it isn’t often that I have the chance to use dinner leftovers for another meal and create something new out of it; we’re always eating the leftovers for dinner the next day.
Last week when I made the flank steak fajitas, we had more than enough meat for two night’s worth of dinner. With the leftover steak I threw together a recipe for beef quesadillas that was super tasty!
This is a great way to use up steak leftovers, but like I told my husband – this recipe is good enough to make on purpose.
Tools Need to Make this Steak Quesadilla Recipe
You’ll need a few different kitchen tools to prepare these quesadillas. Here’s what I recommend having on hand before beginning this easy recipe:
- Cutting Board – to cut the vegetables, steak, and the quesadilla on.
- Sharp Knife – to chop the onions, peppers, jalapeño, and steak.
- Large Skillet – for cooking the vegetables and the quesadilla. I prefer using cast iron.
- Wooden Spoon – to stir the vegetables while cooking.
- Cheese Grater – to grate the cheese for the quesadilla.
- Large Spatula – to flip the quesadilla while cooking.
- Pizza Cutter – to cut the cooked steak quesadilla into wedges.
What is in Steak Quesadillas
Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:
- Red Bell Pepper
- Yellow Bell Pepper
- Red Onion
- Jalapeño
- Garlic
- Cumin
- Chili Powder
- Fresh Cilantro
- Marinated and Grilled Flank Steak
- Large Flour Tortillas
- Monterey Jack Cheese
For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.
How to Make a Steak Quesadilla
Here’s a quick breakdown of the process for preparing this steak quesadilla recipe:
Cook the onions and peppers with the jalapeño and seasonings. Then, stir in the steak.
Layer on half of a tortilla: cheese, sauteed onions and pepper mixture, and steak. Top again with a thin layer of cheese.
Fold in half and grill in a cast iron pan until ingredients are hot, tortilla is golden brown, and cheese is melted.
The above is simply a quick summary of this easy dinner recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.
Tips for Making the Best Steak Quesadilla
- If not using leftover steak, let the flank steak marinade for at least 4 hours, or up to overnight for best results.
- Slice the flank steak into thin strips (cutting against the grain). Then, cut the steak strips into bite sized pieces.
- I like to use at least two colors of bell peppers in this steak quesadilla recipe. Choose whatever colors you like for a variety!
Steak Quesadillas FAQ
Got questions about how to make delicious quesadilla recipe? Here are the answers to a few commonly asked questions. Feel free to leave any other questions in the comments on this post and I’ll respond with answers.
What Can I Substitute for Flank Steak in these Quesadillas?
If you’re looking for another cut of beef to use when making this quesadilla recipe, I recommend skirt steak which also works really well.
If you don’t want to use beef, you can use boneless, skinless chicken breast instead.
- Make sure to cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F rather than medium rare. Probe Thermometers are great for checking temps!
Regardless of the cut of meat you use, you’ll still want to let the meat rest for 10 minutes after cooking and slice it against the grain for best results.
What Other Cheese Can I Use in this Quesadilla Recipe
If you don’t have Monterey Jack Cheese, you could also use cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese, or a Mexican blend cheese when making these steak and cheese quesadillas.
How to Store Leftovers
The best way to store leftover steak quesadillas is unassembled.
I recommend only cooking what you plan to eat. Then, store leftovers of the cheese, veggie mixture, steak, and remaining tortillas separately in the refrigerator.
An airtight container work best for storing the filling ingredients. It will last for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
How to Reheat Leftover Steak Quesadillas
Reheatingleftovers that were not assembled: simply prepare the steak quesadilla as the original recipe instructs. This way you end up with fresh, crispy tortillas.
Reheating leftover cooked quesadillas: I recommend reheating already cooked steak quesadillas in a skillet over low heat until the filling is hot and the cheese is melted.
- You can also place the quesadillas on a sheet pan and reheat in a 200 degree oven.
- Reheating in a microwave would cause the tortillas to become soggy.
What to Serve with Steak Quesadillas
Here are some of my favorite things to serve to dip this quesadilla in:
- Homemade Guacamole
- Salsa Verde
- Restaurant-Style Salsa
- Pico de Gallo
- Sour Cream
For some yummy side dishes to go with this Steak Quesadilla, I recommend:
- For a healthy veggie side dish to go with your fajitas, try this Mexican inspired Cilantro Lime Kale Slaw.
- Refried Beans or Black Beans are another great side dish traditionally served with fajitas.
- For rice, try this recipe for Homemade Spanish Rice as a side.
- If you want a different from traditional type of side dish, you’ll love this recipe for Roasted Poblano Cilantro Quinoa.
- For dessert after fajitas for dinner, try these No Bake Mango Lime Cheesecake with Fruit Salsa.
What are your favorite side dishes to serve with steak quesadillas?
Try this Steak Quesadilla Recipe at Home!
Next time you’re looking for an easy easy weeknight dinner idea, give these delicious Steak Quesadillas a try!
Did your whole family think these were the best steak quesadillas? Leave a comment below and give it a review for others to see what you thought of this great recipe.
On Instagram? Share your photo and tag me with @goodlifeeats and #goodlifeeatsrecipes. I’d love to see your photo of this steak and cheese quesadilla recipe!
More Quesadilla Recipes to Try
I hope you’ll give these Steak Quesadillas a try next time you’re craving Mexican food! If you’re looking for a few more easy quesadilla recipes, you’ll see some of our favorites below:
These Veggie Quesadillas are filled with spinach, onion, mushroom, and pepper jack cheese for a tasty vegetarian quesadilla recipe!
Pork and Pineapple Quesadillas are a delicious, light summer grilling recipe featuring cumin-lime marinated pork tenderloin and a fresh pineapple salsa between tortillas with melty cheese.
Chicken, Black Bean, and Spinach Quesadillas are super yummy and easy to prepare! Garlic sauteed chicken, refried black beans, and chopped spinach are stuffed between two whole grain tortillas for a tasty meal.
Breakfast Quesadillas are a fun idea for breakfast, featuring scrambled eggs, ham, peppers, and onions, but you can adapt them with plenty of fun breakfast burrito ingredients!
Don’t see what you’re looking for here? You can always head over to check out the recipe index to look for more recipes.
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Steak Quesadilla
Ingredients
For the Steak Quesadillas
- 1 small Red Bell Pepper, chopped
- 1 small Yellow Bell Pepper, chopped
- 1 Red Onion, thinly sliced
- 1 Jalapeño, finely chopped
- 2 cloves Fresh Garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons Cilantro, finely chopped
- 8 - 12 ounces Marinated Skirt Steak or Flank Steak, cooked and chopped into bite sized pieces (depending how much meat you want in your quesadillas)
- 8 Flour Tortillas (8 inch size)
- 8 oz. Monterey Jack Cheese, grated
Accompaniments
- Pico de Gallo
- Sour Cream
- Guacamole
- Salsa
Instructions
Making the Steak for the Quesadillas
- Pound the flank steak with a meat tenderizer before putting it in the fajita marinade. This will help tenderize the muscle fibers of the steak and you can even out any thicker spots on your cut of beef so it cooks evenly.
- Add the flank steak and the marinade (see marinade ingredients in fajita recipe) to a resealable gallon sized bag, making sure the meat is fully coated, and let marinate for 4 hours or up to overnight.
- Heat the grill to high and remove the meat from the marinade. Grill the flank steak to your desired doneness. I like medium rare.
- Let the meat rest for 10 minutes, then slice the flank steak into thin strips (cutting against the grain). Cut the steak strips into bite sized pieces. Set aside
Preparing the Filling for the Steak Quesadillas
- Thinly slice the bell peppers and onions. Chop the jalapeño
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large cast iron skillet, at least 12 inches in diameter, and warm over medium heat. When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the peppers and onions.
- Sauté for 5 minutes, until they start to become tender. Then, add the jalapeño and sauté for 3 more minutes.
- Next, add the minced garlic, cumin, and chili powder. Sauté 2 more minutes.
- Stir the chopped steak into the vegetable mixture. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
Assembling the Steak Quesadillas
- Brush one side of each tortilla with oil. Place the oiled side of a tortilla down.
- Layer half of tortilla (on the un-oiled side) with 1/2 ounce of cheese, 1/8th of the vegetable mixture, and another 1/2 ounce of cheese.
- Fold the tortilla in half so the side without the toppings is covering the toppings. Press gently. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Cooking the Steak Quesadillas
- Heat a large cast iron griddle or skillet over medium heat. Place the oiled side of an assembled quesadilla down on the hot skillet.
- Cook until the tortilla is golden and crispy, then flip and cook the other side until it is golden and the cheese has melted completely.
- Repeat with the rest of the quesadillas.
Serving the Steak Quesadillas
- Cut each finished quesadilla into 2 or 3 wedges. Serve with desired toppings or accompaniments.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 284Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 449mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 12g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy. This provided information is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
Amy says
I will say it again, you are a gifted photographer! Those look absolutely delicious- I am going to have to try those! We have a little Cuisinart Panini maker that has been gathering some dust in my kitchen. Thanks for sharing!
Lo says
This is a fantastic use for leftover fajita filling! Love it.
Tori says
That looks like a simple-yet tasty recipe! Thanks for sharing, I’ll have to try this one for sure.
Maris says
Genius idea! So many brightly colored fresh-vegetables!
Maria says
Love the colors! Great idea, we will have to make these!