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Quesadilla servings stacked up on a plate with sour cream, chopped tomatoes, and shredded lettuce on top.
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Ground Beef Quesadillas

Get ready for a flavor-packed dinner with these easy, cheesy Ground Beef Quesadillas. Packed with savory Mexican flavors, this recipe is an instant crowd-pleaser. With a flavorful ground beef filling nestled between crispy tortillas, they’re perfect for any night of the week. Plus, we’ve got you covered with easy-to-follow steps, including tips for prepping them as freezer meals.

Yield: 8 servings 1x
Total: 30-45 minutes
Units:
Scale:

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
  • 1/2 medium sized yellow onion, diced
  • 1 pound lean ground beef (sub: ground turkey)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/2 cup frozen or canned corn, drained
  • 1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 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)
  • 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

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Instructions

Make the Beef Filling:

  1. 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 and cumin. Break up and cook the beef until it is no longer pink, about 5 minutes or so. Drain off the excess grease.
  2. 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:

  1. Preheat another skillet or a large griddle to medium-low heat. 
  2. 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 1/4 cup of cheese and a heaping 1/2 cup of beef mixture over it. Top with another 1/4 cup of cheese and then another tortilla. Add a little more butter to the top of another tortilla. 
  3. Cook for 4-6 minutes, turning once, until the tortilla is browned and a bit firm.
  4. Repeat Steps 2-3 until all quesadillas are done. Cut into triangles. Serve with guacamole, salsa, sour cream, or your favorite Tex Mex 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 quesadilla 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.
  • You will have roughly 4 cups of beef filling to work with. You can add more than 1/2 cup to each quesadilla but you may end up with less quesadillas in the end. 
  • You may be tempted to add salt to the beef mixture. But, once it is mixed with salsa, cheese, and in the tortillas, it is plenty salty.
© Author: Polly Conner
Cuisine: Mexican Method: Stove Top

Find it online: https://thrivinghomeblog.com/ground-beef-quesadillas/