The Best Cheese Quesadilla Recipe
This cheese quesadilla is so simple but so delicious! In less than 10 minutes you can have a cheesy, crispy, warm quesadilla at the ready for a quick lunch or a family-favorite dinner. And the best part? You can add other ingredients to make this a clean-out-the-fridge meal any night of the week!
You Will Love This
- You’ll need just 3 ingredients for this simple comfort food! Flour tortillas, a little bit of butter, and shredded cheese are all it takes to make these delicious cheese quesadillas.
- It’s like Taco Bell, but better – and just as fast. It’s easy to swing by the Taco Bell drive-thru for a fast meal, but making it yourself is so much better! I love copycat recipes and this one tastes just like a Taco Bell cheese quesadilla.
- If you loved this cheese quesadilla recipe, be sure to check out my:
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Butter – Butter is best for quesadillas but you can sub with olive oil or cooking spray as well.
- Shredded Cheese – I use a blend of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack and typically shred them myself.
- Flour Tortillas – Flour tortillas are nice and soft and will brown perfectly in the pan while the cheese melts. You can use any size flour tortilla depending on how large you want your quesadilla. If you’re using a burrito size flour tortilla, you can fold it over in half instead of topping it with another tortilla. You could also use corn tortillas if you prefer.
Instructions
Melt half the butter in a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Once it stops foaming, add one tortilla to the pan.
Spread shredded cheese in an even layer all the way out to the edges.
Top with remaining flour tortilla. Cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add remaining butter and cook the other side.
Use a pizza cutter to slice the quesadilla in half and then in half again, creating 4 wedges. Serve with Creamy Avocado Sauce, garnish with sliced green onion or chopped fresh cilantro, and enjoy!
Tips
- Shred your own cheese! Pre-shredded cheese from the grocery store is coated in cellulose so that it doesn’t clump together which also prevents it from melting well. Grate your own fresh cheese for the best flavor and texture!
- Serve with my homemade Creamy Avocado Sauce! Add just a few minutes to your prep time, and throw together my delicious 5 Minute Avocado Sauce – it’s the perfect dip for your quesadilla!
- Spice it up! When you put the cheese on the tortilla, sprinkle with some chili powder, paprika, and cumin to add a little kick, or use your favorite taco seasoning.
- Scale this recipe to feed your family! This recipe makes just one quesadilla but you can double or triple the amounts of everything to make as many as you want! If you are looking to feed a crowd, check out my sheet pan baked quesadilla recipe which allows you to make several quesadillas all at one time on a baking sheet!
The Best Cheese for Quesadillas
Any cheese that melts well will work for quesadillas. However, you can use any combination of:
- Chihuahua cheese
- Oaxaca cheese
- mild cheddar cheese
- sharp cheddar cheese
- Pepper jack cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
- Monterey Jack cheese
Serve Quesadilla With
- creamy avocado sauce
- crockpot queso
- sour cream
- guacamole
- salsa
- hot sauce or taco sauce
Varations
Feel free to switch up the ingredients in these quesadillas! A simple cheese quesadilla is delicious but you can also add:
- fajitas veggies
- sautéed shrimp
- shredded chicken
- seasoned ground beef
- ground turkey
- spinach
- diced tomatoes
- black beans
- jalapenos
FAQ
Cheddar, Chihuahua, or Monterey Jack – or a mix of all three – are my favorite cheeses for quesadillas. Feel free to use whatever melty cheese you’ve got on hand and be sure to shred it yourself for the best texture!
Cheese quesadillas typically just have cheese but you can add whatever you’d like! Veggies, chicken, and black beans are a few of my favorite add-ins.
Like most things in life – butter makes it better! A quesadilla will cook nicely in the fry pan without butter, but once you try a quesadilla made with sizzling butter you won’t want to make it any other way! Not only does the butter add flavor, it also creates a delicious crispy texture as well.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
- Make-Ahead: These cheese quesadillas are best served fresh and warm. However, you can make these an hour or so ahead and reheat them just before serving.
- Storage: Store quesadillas in aluminum foil or an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
- Reheating: Reheat quesadillas a skillet on the stove over low heat until it is warmed through and the cheese is melted. Or, you can also reheat these in the oven on a sheet pan at 350 degrees until warmed through.
Easy Family Dinner Recipes
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The Best Cheesy Quesadilla Recipe
In less than 10 minutes you can have this simple cheese quesadilla ready for a quick lunch or a family-favorite dinner.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese
- 2 fajita/soft taco size flour tortillas
Serve with
- Creamy Avocado Sauce
- sliced green onion
- freshly chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Melt half the butter in a skillet over medium heat.
- Once it stops foaming, add one tortilla to the pan.
- Spread shredded cheese in an even layer all the way out to the edges.
- Top with remaining flour tortilla.
- Cook for about 2-3 minutes or until a dark golden-brown crust forms.
- Remove quesadilla from pan and melt remaining butter in the pan.
- Flip quesadilla, add it back into the pan, and cook the other side for 2-3 minutes or until a dark golden-brown crust forms.
- Use a pizza cutter to slice the quesadilla in half and then in half again. Serve with Creamy Avocado Sauce and enjoy!
Notes
- Shred your own cheese! Pre-shredded cheese from the grocery store is coated in cellulose so that it doesn’t clump together which also prevents it from melting well. Grate your own fresh cheese for the best flavor and texture!
- Serve with my homemade Creamy Avocado Sauce! Add just a few minutes to your prep time, and throw together my delicious 5 Minute Avocado Sauce – it’s the perfect dip for your quesadilla!
- Spice it up! When you put the cheese on the tortilla, sprinkle with some chili powder, paprika, and cumin to add a little kick, or use your favorite taco seasoning.
- Scale this recipe to feed your family! This recipe makes just one quesadilla but you can double or triple the amounts of everything to make as many as you want! If you are looking to feed a crowd, check out my sheet pan baked quesadilla recipe which allows you to make several quesadillas all at one time!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 464
- Sugar: 0.3 g
- Sodium: 889.7 mg
- Fat: 30.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 27.3 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 19.6 g
- Cholesterol: 80.6 mg
I make these all the time. Great snack, meal or side served with a green salad.
Great idea, Sharon! This quesadilla recipe is one of our family’s favorites too!
Nice Recipe
Totally agree
I am impressed by cheese quesadilla as it is easy to cook and full of dairy nutrition. However, besides cheese, I love to add a dollop of grass-fed ghee. It will enhance the recipe flavor and a rich creamy mouthfeel. Benefits of ghee butter and tasteful cooking are the ghee advantages.
I prefer using Milkio grass-fed ghee for all my recipes.
Ghee is a great addition! Thank you for sharing that, Sofia!!
yummmmmm
Yum! Just fyi though, I think you forgot to include at what point the second half of the butter comes into play. You say to melt half of it before adding the tortilla— I’m thinking maybe you add the second half when you flip it?
You are absolutely right! I just updated the recipe card instructions to reflect the use of the rest of the butter. Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I appreciate it 🙂
Loved this recipe. Best cheese quesadilla I ever made.