Simple Steak Quesadillas Recipe
The quesadilla is a Mexican dish that dates back to the colonial period (that being the 16th century), when the Spaniards introduced dairy products to the country. The indigenous people had already been stuffing tortillas with vegetables, but with the addition of queso, they now had "little cheesy things" (which is what the name translates to). Chorizo and chicken may have also featured in early versions of the dish, but our recipe includes the ultimate upgrade: steak.
"These are really good quesadillas," recipe developer Patterson Watkins says of her simple steak quesadillas. "Easy, not overly labor-intensive nor requiring expert-level cheffy techniques — just good, tasty, simple, satisfying." That being said, despite being quick and easy, they still taste pretty amazing. As Watkins says, "The tender seared steak slices are seasoned with taco seasoning and topped with a hearty spoonful of pico de gallo. This combo balances the unctuous-savory qualities of the steak with pops of fresh vibrancy." You also get the melty, cheesy goodness of Colby Jack, plus the crispy outer shell. If you cut these up into smaller wedges, they make a great appetizer, while they can be halved or quartered to serve as an entree.
Assemble the ingredients for simple steak quesadillas
The main ingredients in this dish include steak strips, flour tortillas, and Colby Jack cheese, while you'll need olive oil for cooking and taco seasoning, chili powder, and salt for seasoning. To make the pico de gallo, you should also have tomatoes, red onions, cilantro, jalapeños, and lime juice.
Step 1: Prepare the pico de gallo
Make the pico de gallo by placing the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir to combine, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Step 2: Dry off the steak
Pat steak strips dry with paper towels.
Step 3: Heat some oil
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Step 4: Brown the steak
Once hot, add the steak to the skillet, spreading out evenly in a single layer. Sear the steak for 2 minutes before flipping.
Step 5: Add some spice
Season the steak with taco seasoning, chili powder, and salt.
Step 6: Continue cooking the meat
Toss to coat and continue cooking for another 2 minutes or until the steak is deeply seared and tender. Remove from heat.
Step 7: Grab a tortilla
To build a quesadilla, lay a tortilla out on a clean work surface.
Step 8: Cover half of the tortilla with cheese
Place approximately ⅓ cup of grated cheese on the bottom half of the tortilla. Repeat the process with all four tortillas.
Step 9: Add some steak
Divide the steak between the tortillas, placing on top of the cheese.
Step 10: Sauce it with pico de gallo
Top the steak with approximately 1 heaping tablespoon of the pico de gallo.
Step 11: Finish with more cheese
Evenly distribute the remaining cheese on top of the steak of each quesadilla, and then fold the tortilla in half.
Step 12: Grease the quesadillas
Brush both sides of each quesadilla with the remaining olive oil.
Step 13: Preheat a pan
Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat.
Step 14: Fry the quesadillas
Once hot, carefully transfer a quesadilla to the skillet or griddle, and cook for 2 minutes per side or until golden brown crisp on the outside and melty on the inside. Repeat until all quesadillas are cooked.
Step 15: Cut the steak quesadillas and serve
Slice the quesadillas into wedges and serve with the remaining pico.
What to serve with simple steak quesadillas
Simple Steak Quesadillas Recipe
Simple but delicious, these steak quesadillas come loaded with tender skirt steak, fresh pico de gallo, and plenty of melty cheese.
Ingredients
- For the pico de gallo
- 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
- ½ cup minced red onion
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh jalapeño
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- For the steak and quesadillas
- 1 pound sliced skirt steak (or raw unseasoned fajita steak strips)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons taco seasoning
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 large burrito-sized flour tortillas
- 8 ounces grated Colby Jack cheese
Directions
- Make the pico de gallo by placing the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir to combine, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Pat steak strips dry with paper towels.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add the steak to the skillet, spreading out evenly in a single layer. Sear the steak for 2 minutes before flipping.
- Season the steak with taco seasoning, chili powder, and salt.
- Toss to coat and continue cooking for another 2 minutes or until the steak is deeply seared and tender. Remove from heat.
- To build a quesadilla, lay a tortilla out on a clean work surface.
- Place approximately ⅓ cup of grated cheese on the bottom half of the tortilla. Repeat the process with all four tortillas.
- Divide the steak between the tortillas, placing on top of the cheese.
- Top the steak with approximately 1 heaping tablespoon of the pico de gallo.
- Evenly distribute the remaining cheese on top of the steak of each quesadilla, and then fold the tortilla in half.
- Brush both sides of each quesadilla with the remaining olive oil.
- Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat.
- Once hot, carefully transfer a quesadilla to the skillet or griddle, and cook for 2 minutes per side or until golden brown crisp on the outside and melty on the inside. Repeat until all quesadillas are cooked.
- Slice the quesadillas into wedges and serve with the remaining pico.
What type of steak works best for steak quesadillas?
The quickest and easiest option for these steak quesadillas involves using the kind of pre-sliced fajita meat you can buy at the supermarket. (Unseasoned if possible, since otherwise you may need to adjust the levels of spices and salt used in the recipe.) If you can't find or don't want to pay the upcharge for pre-sliced steak, you may, of course, purchase unsliced meat. Skirt steak, flan steak, and sirloin all work well for this recipe as they cook up fairly tender when cut into strips. Be sure to slice the meat against the grain, though, and make the strips nice and thin.
There are several types of steak you definitely should avoid using in this recipe, including chuck or eye round. You also won't want to use stew beef. These types of meat all need to be cooked low and slow in order to tenderize them. A quick stir-fry like you're doing here will result in steak strips that are tough and chewy if you opt for any of these cuts.
Could I use another type of cheese in this quesadilla recipe?
Colby Jack has "that perfect medium sharpness with maximum melt appeal," according to Watkins, so it makes it a very ideal cheese for this quesadilla recipe. If you prefer a different kind of cheese, though, you may certainly use one, as long as it melts. Cheddar, pepper Jack, and mozzarella will all work, but those like Parmesan and feta won't be sufficiently melty. Anything very strong, such as blue cheese, might also not be the best choice, as it could overpower the other flavors.
There are other ingredient swaps you can make here, too, such as using store-bought salsa in place of the homemade pico de gallo. You can also either add an extra jalapeño or swap for serranos for spicier quesadillas. If you prefer them milder, go with canned green chiles or leave the peppers out altogether. Even the steak can be replaced if you wish, with either chicken breast or sauteed portobello mushrooms, making for a more budget-friendly option. As for additions, sour cream can go inside the quesadillas or make for a tasty topper.