Beef Quesadillas with Salsa Guacamole (Printable)
Tender beef and melted cheese with fresh salsa and creamy avocado for a flavorful Tex-Mex dish.
# What You Need:
→ Beef Quesadillas
01 - 14 oz beef sirloin or flank steak, thinly sliced
02 - 1 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
04 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
05 - 1 tsp ground cumin
06 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
07 - 1/2 tsp chili powder
08 - 1/2 tsp salt
09 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
10 - 4 large flour tortillas
11 - 7 oz shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
→ Salsa
12 - 3 medium tomatoes, diced
13 - 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
14 - 1 small jalapeño, seeded and minced
15 - 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
16 - Juice of 1 lime
17 - Salt and pepper, to taste
→ Guacamole
18 - 2 ripe avocados
19 - 1 small tomato, diced
20 - 2 tbsp red onion, finely chopped
21 - 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
22 - Juice of 1 lime
23 - Salt and pepper, to taste
# How to Make It:
01 - Combine diced tomatoes, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix gently and set aside.
02 - Mash avocados in a bowl. Add diced tomato, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine, cover, and refrigerate.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and bell peppers; sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Add sliced beef, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Cook 4 to 5 minutes until beef is browned and cooked through. Remove from heat.
04 - Lay out tortillas. Spread half the cheese on one side of each tortilla, top with beef mixture, then sprinkle remaining cheese. Fold tortillas in half.
05 - Wipe skillet clean and heat over medium heat. Cook each quesadilla 2 to 3 minutes per side, pressing gently, until golden brown and cheese melts.
06 - Slice quesadillas into wedges. Serve hot with prepared salsa and guacamole on the side.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The beef stays tender and savory, never dried out or tough like quesadillas can become when rushed.
- Homemade salsa and guacamole taste nothing like the jarred versions, and they're faster than you'd think.
- It feeds four people in less time than ordering takeout, and everyone leaves genuinely satisfied.
02 -
- Don't overcrowd the tortillas or the filling will squeeze out when you fold them; you want about two tablespoons of beef mixture per quesadilla.
- Cooking them medium heat, not high, is the secret to melted cheese and a golden tortilla instead of burned edges around unmelted cheese.
03 -
- Slice the beef thin by partially freezing it for 30 minutes first; it's so much easier and the pieces cook more evenly.
- Press the quesadilla gently while it cooks so the filling gets evenly heated and the cheese melts all the way through instead of staying separated.