Beef Quesadillas Salsa Guacamole (Printable)
Tender beef and melted cheese in warm tortillas, enhanced by fresh salsa and creamy guacamole.
# What You'll Need:
→ Beef Quesadillas
01 - 14 oz ground beef
02 - 1 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 tsp ground cumin
07 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
08 - ½ tsp chili powder
09 - ½ tsp salt
10 - ¼ tsp black pepper
11 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
12 - 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
13 - 8 medium flour tortillas
→ Fresh Salsa
14 - 3 ripe tomatoes, diced
15 - ½ small red onion, finely chopped
16 - 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
17 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
18 - Juice of 1 lime
19 - ¼ tsp salt
→ Guacamole
20 - 2 ripe avocados
21 - 1 small tomato, diced
22 - 2 tbsp chopped red onion
23 - 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
24 - Juice of 1 lime
25 - Salt and pepper, to taste
# Directions:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and red bell pepper, sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
02 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook until browned, about 5 to 6 minutes.
03 - Sprinkle in ground cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Cook for an additional 2 minutes, then remove from heat.
04 - Combine shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses in a bowl.
05 - Lay one tortilla flat, sprinkle with one quarter of the cheese blend over half of the tortilla. Add one quarter of the beef mixture on top. Fold the tortilla over to form a half-moon. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
06 - Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Cook each quesadilla for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown and cheese is melted. Keep warm.
07 - In a bowl, combine diced tomatoes, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Mix thoroughly.
08 - Scoop avocados into a bowl and mash with a fork. Stir in diced tomato, chopped red onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste.
09 - Slice quesadillas into wedges and serve immediately alongside the fresh salsa and guacamole.
# Cooking Tips:
01 -
- The spiced beef filling tastes like something from a taqueria, but you control every ingredient.
- Cheese gets crispy on the outside while staying gooey inside, giving you texture in every wedge.
- Fresh salsa and guacamole make it feel like a real meal, not just a snack.
02 -
- Do not overfill the tortillas or the cheese will leak out while you flip them.
- Cook over medium heat, not high, so the tortilla crisps without burning before the cheese melts.
- Use ripe avocados that give slightly when you press them, or the guacamole will taste bland and lumpy.
03 -
- Mix the cheeses ahead of time and keep them in the fridge so assembly goes faster when you are ready to cook.
- Press down gently on the quesadillas with a spatula while they cook to help the cheese spread and the tortilla crisp evenly.
- Make the salsa and guacamole first so they have time to sit and the flavors can blend while you cook the beef.