Cheesy Ground Beef Quesadillas
If you’re craving a hearty and satisfying meal that’s both quick and easy and bursting with flavor, these homemade ground beef quesadillas are the dinner you’re looking for. Savory ground beef is perfectly seasoned with taco spices and layered with gooey, melted cheese, and is surrounded by a perfectly crisp tortilla.
Our whole family loves this meal. And there’s a lot to love – this ground beef quesadilla recipe is comforting and delicious; easy and ready in 20 minutes. Made with simple ingredients, these family-friendly quesadillas are a weeknight winner.
Serve up the quesadillas with plenty of fresh toppings, creamy jalapeño sauce, and a simple and nutritious side like refried black beans or elote in a cup for a colorful, filling, and easy meal that the whole family will love.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
What You’ll Love About Ground Beef Quesadillas
- Quick and easy dinner
- Delicious cheesy beef flavor
- Full of flavor
- Made with simple ingredients
- Ready in 20 minutes
- High in protein
Ingredients
- Ground beef – Use whatever type of ground beef you prefer. If you use a higher fat content, drain off some of the grease if necessary after browning, before seasoning. You can also use ground turkey, ground chicken, or your favorite plant-based ground beef.
- Tomato paste – This is a secret ingredient that gives the beef rich and deep flavor. You could also use tomato sauce, but the paste adds a much deeper flavor.
- Spices – Sea salt, chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder – we’re making a quick homemade taco seasoning that’s full of flavor.
- Cheese – Use pre-shredded cheese as a shortcut or shred your own for the BEST quesadilla. After a trip to Mexico, I started using queso asadero or queso Oaxacain in all of my quesadillas and nachos, but you can also use a Mexican cheese blend, cheddar cheese, or Monterey jack. The most important factor is that you pick a cheese that melts well.
- Tortillas – Use large, burrito-sized flour tortillas (white or whole wheat). You can also use corn tortillas if you prefer the flavor. If you can find uncooked tortillas that need a quick sear before using, I highly recommend them!
- Toppings – Lettuce, cilantro, salsa, sour cream, etc. (See a full list below)
How to Make Beef Quesadillas
This is an overview, the detailed instructions can be found below in the recipe card.
- Brown beef. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon. Drain grease if necessary.
- Season ground beef. Add tomato paste, sea salt, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder to ground beef and stir to combine. through.
- Cook quesadillas. Heat your tortilla in a large skillet over medium heat and top with a layer of cheese, some of the taco ground beef, and another layer of cheese. Cook until golden brown and top with your favorite toppings.
FAQs
Of course! Veggies like onions or bell peppers would be delicious additions, as well as black beans or corn.
Storage
These beef quesadillas are best served fresh. If you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
How to reheat
For best results, reheat in a hot skillet until heated through. You can also microwave them, but the tortillas won’t be crispy.
Can you freeze quesadillas?
You could freeze them in a freezer container, but they cook up so quickly, I’d recommend making them fresh.
How to prep ahead
Make the taco ground beef a day or two in advance and then you can assemble, cook, and eat!
Topping Ideas for Taco-Style Beef Quesadillas
One of my favorite ways to elevate the simple quesadilla is by putting out a spread of fresh toppings. It’s a delicious and nutritious way to add flavor, color, crunch, and spice to this basic meal.
- Corn Salsa (Chipotle Copycat)
- Quesadilla Sauce (Taco Bell Copycat)
- Thinly sliced lettuce
- Sliced grape tomatoes
- Chopped red onion
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Pickled jalapeño peppers
- Favorite salsa
- Pico de gallo
- Sour cream
- Diced avocado
- Guacamole
- Lime juice
More Quesadilla Recipes
We are quesadilla-obsessed and I have the recipes to prove it! You can take just about any protein and turn it into quesadillas and we’ve done a lot of them here. Here are a few favorites:
Want More?
Read more about my nutrition philosophy here and follow Emily on Instagram or TikTok for family dinner recipe videos and tips for feeding kids.
Cheesy Ground Beef Quesadillas
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: Tex Mex
Description
These mouthwatering ground beef quesadillas have layers of perfectly seasoned beef, melty cheese, and crispy tortillas. Quick and delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. cumin
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. onion powder
- 16 oz. shredded cheese
- 4 large tortillas (burrito size)
- Fresh toppings: lettuce, cilantro, salsa/tomato, sour cream, etc.
Instructions
- Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook 3-4 minutes, breaking up with a spoon.
- Add tomato paste, sea salt, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder to skillet and mix everything well. (Depending on fat content, add a splash of water if it’s dry.)
- Turn the heat down to low and cook for 3-4 more minutes, stirring frequently, until ground beef is cooked through. Set aside.
- Assemble quesadillas. In a large skillet over medium heat, layer 1/3 cup shredded cheese on one half of the tortilla. Top with 1/2 cup ground beef mixture and another 1/3 cup shredded cheese.
- Fold over top and cook for about 2-3 minutes, and when the cheese starts to melt, carefully flip over with large flipper and cook for another 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Repeat with remaining 3 quesadillas.
- Cut into wedges and serve with toppings. (See topping ideas in post or below)
Notes
- You may not need all of the cheese, but I like to err on the side of having more than enough for a super cheesy quesadilla.
Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.
This post may contain affiliate links. They do not add any charge to you, but I will make a very small commission from them. I only link to products I use and recommend. Thank you for your support!
Wonderful recipe
Thank you!
Very Nice post
This has turned into a regular meal at our house, we love it!