It’s hard to beat carne asada, but if anything can, it’s adding cheese. So, Carne Asada Quesadillas anyone? Crisp tortillas stuffed with tender steak, roasted green chiles and plenty of melted cheese, they're irresistible! They're also conveniently made in the oven - so they're evenly crispy and done all at once.
You can make a fresh batch of carne asada for these, but it's also one of a few wonderful ways to enjoy leftover steak (I'm looking at you too Carne Asada Nachos and Carne Asada Fries!).
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Ingredients you need to make Carne Asada Quesadillas
- ½ Recipe Carne Asada or Carne Asada in the Oven: ideally made with skirt steak, but flank steak works well too
- Flour Tortillas: white or whole wheat, 8-inch tortillas are optimal
- Green Onions
- Cheese: Monterey Jack cheese is a great choice, but you can opt for a Mexican cheese blend if you prefer.
- Fresh Cilantro: tender leaves and stems
- Roasted Green Chiles: canned or you can roast your own
- Oil: Go for something with a neutral taste that can withstand high heat, such as avocado oil.
- Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black pepper
Why use the oven?
If you’ve ever been to Mexico, you’ve probably seen street food vendors making their quesadillas on a stovetop or griddle. So, why forsake hundreds of years of tradition to use an oven?
For one, if you want to cook more than one quesadilla at a time, it’s far easier to do it in the oven (for Pulled Pork Quesadillas too!). It's a hands-off approach that saves you from struggling to keep several quesadillas warm at once at the stovetop. You can make four quesadillas in the oven at once, and they'll come out evenly crispy, piping hot and ready to serve.
Recipe Tips
- Before turning the quesadillas over half way through the cooking time, brush the tortillas with oil again for extra crispiness.
- Don’t hesitate to add toppings! Pico de Gallo, Salsa Guacamole, cilantro, sour cream, sliced fresh jalapeños and lime wedges are all great options.
Make it a feast!
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Rice Cooker Mexican Rice or Mexican Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Mexican Corn on the Cob
- Homemade Refried Beans
How to Make Carne Asada Quesadillas
Warm and crisp up bite size pieces of carne asada in oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper let cool slightly in a medium bowl. To warmed carne asada in bowl, add green onions, cilantro, diced green chiles, and cheese and gently stir.
Lay tortillas out in a single layer on clean countertop or work surface. Spread ¼ of carne asada mixture over one half of each of 4 tortillas laid out in a single layer (leave a ½-inch border at the edge). Fold tortillas over filling and press to compact. Brush visible tortilla halves with oil. Arrange filled tortillas, oiled side down, in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet. Brush other side of tortillas with oil.
Bake in an oven preheated to 425˚F until quesadillas begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Carefully flip quesadillas and brush with more oil if desired. Bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes more. Transfer baking sheet to cooling rack and let stand 5 minutes. Cut each crispy quesadilla into 4 wedges with a pizza cutter or sharp knife and serve.
Carne Asada Quesadillas
Ingredients
- ½ recipe carne asada cut into bite size pieces (grilled Carne Asada or Carne Asada in the Oven)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil such as avocado oil or other high heat, neutral oil, divided
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 green onions very thinly sliced
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 4 ounces canned roasted and diced green chiles drained (recipe note #1)
- 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese shredded
- 4 8-inch flour tortillas
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425˚F.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- If carne asada has been refrigerated (not freshly made and still warm), warm the bite size pieces by adding 1 tablespoon oil to a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add cold steak and cook and stir until warmed through with a few crispy edges. Season to taste with salt and pepper and transfer to a medium bowl to cool slightly.
- To warmed carne asada add green onions, cilantro, diced green chiles, and cheese; gently stir to combine.
- Lay tortillas out in a single layer on clean countertop or work surface. Spread ¼ of carne asada mixture over one half of a tortilla, leaving about a ½-inch border at the edge. Repeat with remaining carne asada mixture and tortillas. Fold tortillas over filling and press down to compact. Brush visible tortilla halves with 1 tablespoon oil. Arrange tortillas oiled side down on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer with round edge facing to the baking sheet center. Brush other side of tortillas with remaining 1 tablespoon oil.
- Bake 10 minutes, or until quesadillas begin to brown. Carefully flip each quesadilla with a spatula, pressing down gently to compact (brush with more oil if desired). Bake an additional 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer baking sheet from oven to cooling rack and let stand 5 minutes. With a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges and serve.
Notes
- If you want to roast your own chiles, see my Green Enchilada Sauce post for detailed instructions.
You're killing me with the amazing comfort food lately, Marissa! Now I want these quesadillas...they look amazing! Quesadillas for lunch with those carne asada fries for dinner! 🙂
haha, thanks David! I love the way you think. 🙂