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Steak Quesadillas are stuffed with fajita veggies, lots of melty cheese, and served up with smoky chipotle crema. These decadent quesadillas make an easy dinner or serve them as an appetizer for a crowd-pleasing game day food!
Have extra steak on hand? Try my Cowboy Butter Steak, Garlic Butter Steak Bites with Parmesan Cream Sauce, or my Loaded Baked Potato with Steak Bites. You can browse my beef recipes for even more!
Why You’ll Love Steak Quesadillas
These steak quesadillas are the best ones you’ll ever have. We first season up the steak with a simple kosher salt and black pepper seasoning so the savory beef flavor shines. Then, peppers, onions, and garlic are caramelized and stuffed into the quesadilla, along with the peppery, juicy steak, and plenty of cheese. Of course, these get pan-fried with some butter. The Chipotle crema is a necessity – a blend of smoky chipotle peppers, mayo, sour cream, and lime juice.
Key Ingredients
Just a handful of ingredients are needed to throw together this delicious dinner. Here’s a shopping list for you (you’ll find precise measurements in the recipe card below):
Steak – choose from your preferred cut – flank steak, skirt steak, ribeye, sirloin, or tenderloin. They all work for these quesadillas.
Cheese – quesadilla cheeses like Oaxaca or Chihuahua are traditionally used in quesadillas, but you can also use mozzarella or Monterey Jack. Either way, avoid using pre-shredded cheese, as the anti-caking agents can hinder its meltability.
Fajita Veggies – green peppers, yellow onions, and fresh garlic are cooked down until caramelized, adding lots of aromatics to these quesadillas.
Tortillas – Burrito-sized flour tortillas or soft taco flour tortillas are the best options, depending on your preferred quesadilla size.
Butter – just a little to prevent sticking in the pan and to add flavor to the outside of the tortilla shell.
Chipotle Crema – a simple combination of chipotles in adobo, mayo, sour cream, and lime juice creates the most incredible condiment for dipping the steak quesadillas in.
Kosher salt and pepper – to season up the steak and fajita veggies we just use a simple combination of kosher salt and freshly grated black pepper.
How to Make Steak Quesadillas
- Caramelize the fajita veggies – In a large saute pan over medium-low heat, add the onions, peppers, and garlic and cook for 15 minutes or until they start to caramelize, adding a little water to speed up the process. Set aside.
- Sear the steak – Liberally season the steak with salt and pepper, then turn the skillet to medium-high heat and sear the steak slices for about 2 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches medium-well.
- Assemble quesadillas – to assemble, lay a tortilla flat and layer with shredded cheese, steak, and fajita veggies on one half of the tortilla, fold in half and transfer to a buttered skillet.
- Cook the quesadillas – add one tablespoon of butter to the same skillet (wiped clean) and cook the quesadilla over low heat until golden brown on the bottom. Flip and repeat on the underside, cooking until cheese is completely melted through.
- Make the crema– in a small bowl, combine mayo, sour cream, chipotle sauce, lime juice, and a pinch of salt. Mix well and serve alongside the quesadilla.
The Best Meat to Use for Steak Quesadillas
Traditionally, flank or skirt steak is most popular for steak quesadillas. Not only are they inexpensive, but they are also what you often find at popular Mexican restaurants. However, they can tend to be more on the tougher/chewier side. If you feel the urge to splurge, consider using a ribeye or tenderloin steak as an alternative. The juiciest, tender steak makes these quesadillas even more delicious.
Looking for More Beef Recipes?
Cowboy Butter Steak
Beef and Broccoli
Garlic Butter Steak Bites with Parmesan Cream Sauce
Hawaiian Roll Cheeseburger Sliders
Loaded Baked Potato with Steak Bites
Crockpot Hamburger Potato Casserole
I hope you enjoyed this recipe for my Steak Quesadillas with Chipotle Crema! I look forward to your questions and feedback below.
Please be sure to tag me @BadBatchBaking using hashtag #badbatchbaking if you made this recipe, and I will feature you on my story! Plus, I LOVE to see your baking accomplishments.
Steak Quesadillas with Chipotle Crema
Ingredients
- 1 lb. steak, cut into thin slices flank, skirt steak or ribeye
- 4 burrito-sized flour tortillas or 8 soft taco sized flour tortillas
- 4 cups shredded cheese oaxaca, chihuahua or mozzarella cheese
- 1 green bell pepper sliced thin
- 1 yellow onion sliced thin
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2-3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Chipotle Crema
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons chipotle sauce or the sauce from chipotles in adobo
- 1/4 lime juiced
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan over medium-low heat, add the onions, peppers, and garlic and cook for 15 minutes or until they start to caramelize, stirring frequently. Add a little water to speed up the process. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Liberally season the steak with salt and pepper.
- In the same pan, increase heat to medium-high, sear the steak slices for about 2 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches medium-well. Set aside to rest then dice steak into bite-sized pieces.
- To assembe, lay a tortilla flat and layer with shredded cheese, steak, and fajita veggies on one half of the tortilla, fold in half.
- Wipe the skillet clean. Over low heat, add 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Cook the quesadilla until golden brown on the bottom. Flip and repeat, cooking until cheese is completely melted through.
- While the quesadilla is cooking mix together the chipotle crema. In a small bowl, combine mayo, sour cream, chipotle sauce, lime juice, and a pinch of salt. Mix well and serve alongside the quesadillas.
Never thought to put steak in my quesadillas we always do just cheese or chicken. Delicious and the chipotle sauce makes the dish!!