These Ground Beef Quesadillas are an explosion of flavor! From the evenly-seasoned ground beef dotted with crisp corn and a sweet bell pepper to the gooey, melted cheese and finally to the crisp tortillas — every bite is spectacular!
Make these quesadillas on the stovetop OR in the air fryer — instructions are included for both methods.
Quick Tip
Vegetarian? No problem! Save this quesadilla with ground beef for the meat-eaters in your family and try our Black Bean Quesadillas instead!
Ground Beef Quesadillas
Since getting an air fryer, quesadillas and grilled cheese sandwiches have been two of our frequent “go-tos” for lunches or quick dinners. The kids love ’em, I can’t get enough of them, and they’re quick and straightforward with minimal clean-up! The texture imbued on the tortillas or sandwich bread after air frying is unbeatable — and especially when considering they aren’t being fried in oil.
That said, we also love these cheesy Ground Beef Quesadillas in a skillet and directions for both methods are included in this recipe! In fact, I’ll often air fry a couple of these quesadillas while cooking a few more in a skillet– so dinner is ready at the same time for everyone.
Quick Tip
To make healthy Ground Beef Quesadillas, choose extra-lean ground beef or replace the beef with ground turkey or even vegetarian meat substitute. Reduce the amount of cheese and replace the tortillas with low-carb or lighter tortillas.
Ground Beef Quesadilla Ingredients
This recipe for Ground Beef Quesadillas uses everyday ingredients. Included below are a few more in-depth notes on a couple of the ingredients!
- Flour tortillas. home cooks enjoy these unbaked tortillas by TortillaLand® (I use them in quesabirria as well). They have the best flavor and are generally found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store near the cheese. That said, any flour tortillas will work fine.
- Taco seasoning. Seasoning ground beef for quesadillas is done best with a taco seasoning blend. Taco seasoning packets can vary in spice level and even in overall flavor. If you don’t mind spending a couple of extra minutes of prep time, you can always make your own. (You can make a few from-scratch taco seasoning “packets” when meal prepping for the week.) Check out my “quick tip” box below!
Quick Tip
For this Ground Beef Quesadilla Recipe, you can make your own taco seasoning blend instead of using a packaged mix, if you prefer. (from-scratch always tastes best!) And while you’re at it, make a big batch of this and divide it into packets for convenience next time you need seasoning! Alternatively, you can store the seasoning mix in a larger container and measure out 3 tablespoons to equal one packet.
Here’s my go-to taco seasoning blend (this mix evenly replaces the store-bought mix in this recipe):
- 1 tablespoon ground chili powder (McCormick® for mild chili powder)
- 1 teaspoon EACH: ground cumin, paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon EACH: onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, fine sea salt, and pepper
How To Make Ground Beef Quesadillas
Here are a few tips for this Ground Beef Quesadilla recipe:
- Spray (with cooking spray) or brush oil on each side of the quesadilla before cooking. This promotes even browning and crisping.
- I use, love, and recommend this Air Fryer (affiliate link). Air fryers do vary a bit from brand to brand, so the timing for quesadillas may need to be slightly tweaked for your specific model. Also keep in mind that after the initial air fry, the machine is warmed up and will cook the next batches a bit faster.
- If you’re air frying the quesadillas, press toothpicks in each corner and/or on the center edge to keep the tortilla from lifting up as it fries. Even with the toothpicks, the tortilla may want to lift up, so press it down to keep the layers together when flipping the quesadilla.
How To Make Cheesy Ground Beef Quesadillas
- First off, let’s chat cheese. We recommend sharp or extra-sharp Cheddar, which has a richer and more present flavor. Mild or medium Cheddar tends to get muted. In addition to the Cheddar, we like using Monterey Jack as well. The combo of these two cheese are unbeatable!
- The “secret” to the cheesiest quesadillas? Add cheese on either side of the ground beef filling!
- This recipe is aimed at being simple, but the one thing we highly recommend to get ultra gooey cheesy results is grating your own cheese to ensure a nice, even melt. Pre-grated cheese contains preservatives that keep the shreds from clumping together in the bag, but they also keep the cheese from melting smoothly in these quesadillas.
Ground Beef Quesadilla Toppings
While the quesadillas are cooking, assemble any and all toppings you’d like. Here are a few suggestions:
- Chili-lime sauce. This sauce first appeared on these Sweet Potato Burrito Bowls and has been a staple in my home ever since. We are obsessed with this sauce and any excuse I have to use it, I’ll take! This is a reliable sauce for these Ground Beef Quesadillas.
- Cilantro-lime sauce. If you prefer more of a cooling, citrusy sauce, this Cilantro-Lime Sauce is wonderful with these quesadillas.
- Guacamole. Try a reliable from-scratch Guacamole Recipe or get some at the store for ease/quicker dinner prep. A ripe diced avocado is also a great topping
- Sour cream. Fat-free, light, or regular all work great!
- Salsa. Again, this from-scratch Salsa is sublime, but store-bought works great too. Pico de gallo is also especially satisfying here.
- Fresh lime and/or cilantro. A squeeze of fresh lime and a sprig or two of cilantro make such a great addition to these quesadillas — they add a burst of freshness and acidity.
- Hot sauce. ‘Nuff said!
Storage
Ground Beef Quesadilla Storage/Freezing
These quesadillas store really nicely (uncooked) in the fridge for up to 5 days. We wrap each one individually and put them all in a large airtight freezer bag or container. Cook them straight from the fridge, adding a minute or two on cook time. Once cooked (in a skillet or air fryer), these quesadillas are best enjoyed promptly and don’t store very well.
Want to freeze your Ground Beef Quesadillas? Here’s a wonderful resource that goes into depth about freezing, thawing, and reheating leftovers!
