Steak Quesadillas Tex-Mex (Printable)

Seasoned steak and melted cheese in golden crispy tortillas, a quick Tex-Mex favorite.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 10 oz flank steak or sirloin, thinly sliced

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
03 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
04 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
05 - 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced (optional)

→ Dairy

06 - 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend or cheddar

→ Spices & Marinade

07 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
08 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
09 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
10 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
11 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
12 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
13 - Juice of 1 lime

→ Tortillas

14 - 4 large flour tortillas (10 inches)

→ For Serving

15 - Salsa
16 - Sour cream
17 - Guacamole

# How To Make It:

01 - In a mixing bowl, toss steak slices with olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and lime juice. Let marinate for 10 minutes.
02 - Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Sear the steak for 2 minutes per side until browned but still tender. Remove and set aside.
03 - In the same pan, sauté the onion and bell pepper along with the jalapeño if using for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
04 - Wipe the skillet clean. Place a tortilla on the skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle a quarter of the cheese over half the tortilla, then layer with steak, sautéed vegetables, and cilantro. Fold the tortilla over to enclose the filling.
05 - Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, pressing lightly with a spatula, until the tortilla is golden and the cheese has fully melted.
06 - Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling. Allow the quesadillas to rest briefly before slicing into wedges. Serve hot with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The lime and smoked paprika marinade transforms basic steak into something that tastes like you spent hours planning it.
  • Everything cooks in one skillet, which means cleanup is almost nonexistent and the flavors build on each other naturally.
02 -
  • If you slice the steak too thick, it will not absorb the marinade properly and the pieces will fall out of the quesadilla when you bite into it.
  • Cooking the quesadilla on heat that is too high will blacken the tortilla before the cheese has a chance to melt, so keep it at medium and be patient.
03 -
  • Let the steak rest for a minute after searing so the juices redistribute instead of running out onto your cutting board.
  • Shred your own cheese instead of using pre shredded bags because the anti caking powder on store bought cheese makes it melt poorly.

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