Ground Beef Quesadillas
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Easy, cheesy, and delicious! These beef quesadillas are a crowd pleaser and come together fast! We give you step-by-step instructions, including how to prep them as a freezer meal.
These beef quesadillas are cookbook-worthy.
In fact, a version of these ARE in a cookbook! This recipe is probably my husband’s favorite from our cookbook, From Freezer to Table. It’s long overdue that we put a version of the recipe on our site for the world to know about.
Ingredients for Beef Quesadillas
Here’s what you’ll need to make this yummy dinner!
- Olive oil or avocado oil – This is for sautéing the onion.
- Yellow onion – A white onion will work fine, too.
- Ground beef – Use lean ground beef or you can sub ground turkey or chicken. We get our beef from ButcherBox.
- Ground cumin
- Salt
- Corn – Canned or frozen will work.
- Black beans – Rinsed and drained.
- Salsa – I prefer medium spice. This is a shortcut to adding a lot of flavor to the beef mixture.
- Butter – Make sure it’s softened so you can spread it on the tortilla. For dairy-free, use cooking spray or brush on a little olive oil.
- Tortillas – To make this recipe a little healthier, use whole wheat tortillas.
- Shredded cheddar cheese – Did you know you can freeze cheese?
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How to Make This Beef Quesadilla Recipe
Make the Ground Beef Mix
Your first step is making the beef filling.
I highly highly highly recommend doubling or even tripling the ground beef mixture. It can be repurposed in so many ways. Here are some ideas.
Other Ways to Use This Ground Beef Filling
- Make Baked Nachos in the oven
- In a Taco Casserole
- For a Taco Bar
- On top of a Taco Salad
- In Bell Pepper Nachos
Assemble the Quesadilla
Once the filling is cooked and set aside, preheat another skillet or griddle to medium-low heat.
Add a little softened butter or brush on olive oil to the outside of 1 tortilla.
Place the tortilla on the skillet and spread about 2 tablespoons of cheese and a heaping 1/2 cup of beef mixture over it.
Top with another 2 tablespoons of cheese and then another tortilla.
Add a little more butter or olive oil to the top of the 2nd tortilla.
Cook the Beef Quesadilla
Cook for 4-6 minutes, flipping once, until the tortilla is browned and a bit firm.
You’ll also want to make sure the cheese is melted.
How to Freeze Ground Beef Quesadillas
Freeze for Later:
Place cooked and cooled beef filling in an airtight freezer bag or container. In a separate bag, freeze the cheese. In yet another bag, freeze the tortillas. Freeze all the bags together as a kit.
To Prepare:
Let all the ingredients thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Follow the cooking instructions as directed.
Here are our recommended freezer containers.
Recipes to Serve with Beef Quesadillas
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Ground Beef Quesadillas
Easy, cheesy, and delicious! These beef quesadillas are a crowd pleaser and come together fast. This is a recipe that is very easy to double and freeze for later.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
- 1/2 medium sized yellow onion
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup frozen or canned corn, drained
- 1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup salsa
- 2 tablespoons butter (Dairy-Free Option: cooking spray or olive oil)
- 16 (soft taco-sized) tortillas (Gluten-Free Option: Use corn tortillas or gluten-free tortillas)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
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Instructions
Make the Beef Filling:
- In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion until it begins to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Add in the ground beef, cumin, and salt. Break up and cook the beef until it is no longer pink. Drain off the excess grease.
- Reduce the heat to low and stir in the corn, black beans, and salsa. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
Make the Quesadillas:
- Preheat another skillet or griddle to medium-low heat.
- Add a little softened butter (or brush on olive oil) to the outside of a tortilla. Place the tortilla on the skillet and spread about 2 tablespoons of cheese and a heaping 1/2 cup of beef mixture over it. Top with another 2 tablespoons of cheese and then another tortilla. Add a little more butter to the top of another tortilla.
- Cook for 4-6 minutes, turning once, until the tortilla is browned and a bit firm.
- Repeat Steps 2-3 until all quesadillas are done. Cut into triangles. Serve with guacamole, salsa, sour cream, and other Mexican Toppings
Freeze for Later:
Place cooked and cooled beef filling in an airtight freezer bag or container. In a separate bag, freeze the cheese. In yet another bag, freeze the tortillas. Freeze all the bags together as a kit.
To Prepare:
Let all the ingredients thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Follow the cooking instructions as directed.
Notes/Tips
Dairy-Free Option: Use cooking spray or olive oil in place of the butter. Omit the cheese. You can add in smashed avocado in place of the cheese to add richness.
Gluten-Free Option: Use corn tortillas or gluten-free tortillas.
My daughter goes NUTS for these and she’s not a big meat eater. They are so easy to make and we end up with leftover meat that we freeze. So we can get two meals out of this recipe.
★★★★★
That’s awesome! Thanks for leaving a review Erin. It’s always a win when we find things our kids like!
These were delicious and I loved having a meal kit in the freezer with everything I needed. Adding this one to faves for sure!
★★★★★
That’s so great to hear, Becka. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!