Shrimp Quesadillas

Quesadilla lovers! We have a new and delicious quesadilla recipe for you – shrimp quesadillas! Slightly spiced shrimp is layered with cheese and all cooked in a crispy tortilla to hold it together. It’s flavorful, filling, and an easy dinner!

Serve with a variety of fresh toppings and some easy sides to add extra flavor, color, and nutrition – it’s my favorite nutrition tip.

Be sure to try my baked crispy quesadillas, steak quesadillas, or black bean quesadillas next time! (Plus I have a lot more!)

Stack of shrimp quesadillas with sour cream and salsa.

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

What You’ll Love About Shrimp Quesadillas

  • Flavorful and lightly spiced and seasoned shrimp
  • Cheesy layers
  • Easy to make and simple recipe
  • Filling and balanced meal
  • Made with simple ingredients
  • Just 5 minutes prep time
  • Ready in 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • Tortillas – I’ve used flour tortillas as they are classic in shrimp quesadilla recipes, but you could also use corn, whole wheat, sprouted, or your favorite grain-free or low-carb tortilla if you prefer. Raw tortillas are my new favorite, you cook them quickly before using and they have amazing flavor.
  • Cheese – We’re using pre-shredded cheese as a shortcut but feel free to shred your own if you prefer. I recommend a quesadilla cheese, a Mexican cheese blend (that will melt well!), cheddar cheese, pepper jack, or Monterey jack cheese.
  • Oil – Use a vegetable oil. You can use avocado oil, canola oil, etc.
  • Shrimp – Use raw shrimp that have the peels and tail removed to minimize prep time. I prefer raw shrimp as I think it has the best flavor, but you could use precooked shrimp if you prefer, just adjust the cooking time as it won’t take as long. Since we are chopping up the shrimp, so you can buy smaller shrimp and save on your grocery bill a bit.
  • Spices – Sea salt, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. If you don’t like spice you can omit the cayenne pepper and if you love spice, add more.
  • Honey – This adds a nice slightly sweet flavor to the shrimp, but you can also omit it if you prefer.
Ingredients to make shrimp quesadilla recipe.

Emily’s Tip for Feeding Kids

My kids still don’t necessarily love anything but cheese quesadillas (except for the ground beef quesadillas!), so I will usually ask if they want them plain or with shrimp and offer some of the shrimp mixture on the side if they want. And then let them add the toppings as desired. As always, serve the meal with a few items you know your kids will eat, like fruit, milk, and/or bread and butter if they don’t do tortillas.

How to Make Quesadillas with Shrimp

This is an overview, the detailed instructions can be found below in the recipe card.

  1. Make spiced shrimp. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add chopped shrimp. Season the shrimp with sea salt, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and honey. Toss to combine and cook until shrimp is cooked through. Shrimp cooks quickly, so watch it closely!
Shrimp filling in pan for quesadilla with shrimp.
Shredded cheese on tortilla for shrimp quesadilla.
  1. Assemble quesadillas. Place tortilla in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle cheese on one side of the tortilla. Spoon cooked shrimp over the cheese and add another layer of cheese.
  2. Cook quesadillas with shrimp. Fold the tortilla over the fillings and cook for a few minutes on the side until the cheese is melty and the tortillas are golden brown. Cut into wedges and add toppings as desired.
Quesadilla with shrimp cooking in skillet.
Pulling quesadilla apart with cheese pulls.

FAQs

How do you make quesadillas not soggy?

There are two ways to ensure your quesadilla isn’t soggy. Make sure that you are draining any liquid from the filling (the shrimp mixture here) and then toast the quesadilla it in a skillet instead of cooking it in the microwave.

What tortilla is best for quesadillas?

This really depends on what type of tortillas are your favorite! Traditionally, quesadillas are made with flour tortillas and it’s my personal favorite. Use a high-quality tortilla or the raw tortillas that need a quick cook before using them if you can find them – they are DELICIOUS and my first choice.

Storage

Quesadillas are best eaten immediately but store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

How to reheat

Reheat this shrimp and cheese quesadilla in a hot skillet for best results.

Can you freeze quesadillas?

Yes, you can freeze quesadillas in an airtight container (like stasher bags) for 2-3 months.

Platter with shrimp quesadillas.

Quesadilla Topping Ideas

Put out a spread of fresh toppings for the simple shrimp quesadillas and let everyone go to town with their favorite toppings.

  • Corn salsa (Chipotle Copycat)
  • Quesadilla sauce
  • Thinly sliced lettuce
  • Sliced grape tomatoes
  • Chopped red onion
  • Chopped fresh cilantro
  • Pickled jalapeรฑo peppers
  • Pico de Gallo or salsa
  • Sour cream
  • Diced or sliced avocado
  • Guacamole
  • Lime juice
  • Hot sauce
Stack of quesadillas with shrimp..

What to Serve with Quesadillas

Serve the quesadillas with a variety of fresh toppings (see list above) and a side or two:

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.

Platter of shrimp quesadillas with salsa.
Print
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Stack of shrimp quesadillas with sour cream and salsa.

Easy Shrimp Quesadillas

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews

Description

These irresistibly delicious shrimp quesadillas are packed with spiced shrimp and layers of cheese. Quick and easy for weeknights.


Ingredients

Units Scale

For spiced shrimp:

  • 1 tsp. avocado oil
  • 16 oz. raw shrimp, roughly chopped (shells and tails removed)
  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp. cumin
  • 1/4 tsp. oregano
  • 1/8 tsp. smoked paprika
  • pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1 Tbsp. honey

For quesadillas:

  • 4 flour tortillas (burrito size)
  • 12 oz. shredded Mexican cheese (more if needed)
  • fresh toppings (see a big list of topping ideas above in the post)


Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.ย  Add shrimp and season with sea salt, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and honey and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until shrimp is cooked through.
    Shrimp filling in pan for quesadilla with shrimp.
  2. Assemble quesadillas. In large skillet over medium heat, layer 1/3 cup shredded cheese on one half of the tortilla. Top with 1/2 cup shrimp and 1/3 cup shredded cheese.
    Shredded cheese on tortilla for shrimp quesadilla.
  3. Fold over top and cook for about 2-3 minutes, and when cheese starts to melt, carefully flip over with large flipper and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Repeat with remaining 3 quesadillas.
  4. Cut into wedges and serve with toppings.
    Pulling quesadilla apart with cheese pulls.

Notes

  • See the list above for topping ideas.ย 
  • Nutrition facts are an estimate and will vary depending on tortilla, cheese, and amounts.ย 
  • Serve with refried black beans and elote in a cup.

Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.

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