Carne Asada Quesadilla

Smoky, savory, citrusy marinated steak nestled in rich melted cheese between crisp toasted tortillas. Make the carne asada in advance for a super quick, easy dinner!

5 from 86 votes

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Course: Appetizer, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Prep Time: 2

Cook Time: 8

Total Time: 10

Servings: quesadillas

Calories: 860kcal

Equipment

Large Frying Pan Cast Iron Pan, or Nonstick Pan
Spatula

Ingredients

Carne Asada

1 prepared recipe for Ranchera Meat

Quesadilla

8 tortillas
avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or other vegetable oil
2 cups shredded cheese such as cheddar, jack, asadero, or whatever you have on hand

Instructions

Carne Asada

Prepare the Ranchera Meat in advance or have another precooked carne asada on hand.

Quesadilla

Heat a cast iron, stainless steel, or nonstick pan to medium to high heat. Cast iron pans and stainless steel pans will do well on high heat. Nonstick pans should not be heated above medium heat.
Drizzle or spray some cooking oil into the pan. Add the first tortilla, a later of cheese, a layer of carne asada. Let melt for a minute or so, then add second tortilla to top. Press into the pan with a spatula.
Once the first side is golden brown and the cheese is mostly melted, flip and cook on the second side until a golden brown color and fully melted cheese is achieved.
Transfer to a cutting board, cut, and top with desired toppings. Serve hot.

Notes

Make the meat ahead of time and store in the fridge so you're prepared to make a quick meal.
Work in batches to create each quesadilla depending on the size of your pan. Two small quesadillas will likely fit in a large pan at a time.
Cool and then store quesadillas in an airtight container, making sure to transfer to the fridge within 2 hours of cooking for food safety reasons. They will last in the fridge for 3 days.
Reheat in a pan with a bit of oil or in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.
You can make this meal ahead of time and reheat as instructed above when ready to eat.
Shred your own cheese for superior melting. Pre-shredded cheeses have anti-caking agents to keep the individual bits of cheese separate so, unsurprisingly, it doesn't melt together as well as hand grated cheese.
Be sure to cut your meat against the grain for a tender dish. Instead of cutting with the direction of the long fibers running through the steak, cutting across these fibers shortens them and makes the meat easier to chew.
Patting your meat dry before cooking will ensure you get attractive grill marks and prevent the meat from boiling in the marinade.

Nutrition