This Steak Quesadilla recipe is a keeper. I just made it for the first time last week, and it is a recipe that will for sure go into our frequent meal rotation.
What makes these tortillas so appealing is the brown, crispy outside of the tortilla. There is something about a crispy crunch into oozy gooey of cheese and the slight tender chew of the steak strips — this all makes the dish very memorable. It is texture heaven for the mouth!
The steak is well seasoned and smells amazing while cooking. Between the scent of seasoned steak and the aroma of bits of cheese that fall from the tortillas into the pan, your home will smell amazing and your people will come running!
My people did, and they all really enjoyed this meal. We are not huge steak eaters around here, so having a few bite-sized bits of steak in a crispy tortilla was perfect for our family. We also don’t do a ton of cheese in our meals, so I love that it is easy to control the amount of cheese in this dish. Just sprinkle your preferred amount!
I kept our steak quesadillas pretty plain, but they still had a ton of flavor! Dipping them in salsa adds more layers of flavor. If you use the suggested cilantro, tomatoes and green onions inside of the tortillas, even though not necessary your quesadillas will be colorful AND flavorful.
Don’t let the length of the recipe below make you feel like this recipe is hard. It is super easy and cooks quickly. You do need to cut and season the beef about 20 minutes ahead of cooking, allowing it to come to room temperature before putting into the hot pan.
Also, make sure you have all ingredients prepped ahead of time! This is key as the dish comes together very quickly and is done in a jiffy!
Easy Steak Quesadillas
(from How Jen Does It)
8-12 Flour Tortillas (or corn for gluten-free), cut in half.
1 pound Tri-Tip Steak, cut into thin strips against the grain
3-4 Tbsp Oil (I use Avodaco oil)
2 tsp Chili Powder
2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Cumin
Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper
1 c Shredded Colby Jack Cheese
1/4 c Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
1/2 tomato, chopped (optional)
2 green onions, chopped (optional)
Salsa for serving
Sour Cream, for serving (optional)
Prep Ingredients:
Cut tortillas in half. You will be folding each half in half, which helps keep the filling from falling out.
Cut steak into strips against the grain. Sprinkle steak with seasonings and toss. Let sit and come to room temperature for about 20 minutes.
Prep all ingredients ahead of time, as the assembly and cooking process goes fast!
Cook Steak Strips:
Heat oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Add steak strips and cook just a couple of minutes until cooked through but DON’T OVERCOOK! It will get tough. Take off of the heat right after the steak is cooked through.
Assemble Steak Quesadillas:
Heat more oil in a large skillet over med-high heat.
Work with 4 tortilla halves at a time. Lay the tortilla halves in the hot pan with points touching each other in the center, and the opposite points of each tortilla half hanging over the pan edge.
Working quickly, add cooked steak onto each tortilla. Sprinkle each with cheese. Fold each tortilla in half, grabbing the point that is hanging over the pan and folding over the other point.
Cook until nice and brown and crispy on the bottom. Crispy is key! Do not flip prematurely. Enjoy the sizzle!
Flip and Fill Steak Quesadillas with Toppings:
Flip each steak quesadilla over. Once flipped, pull the top over and sprinkle with cilantro, tomato, and green onion, if desired. Then refold and cook until brown and crispy on the bottom and cheese is melted.
Serve with salsa and sour cream to dip. A big green salad is a great side to add color and vegetables to your meal.
To see a video of the cooking process, visit How Jen Does It.
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