Authentic Quesadilla Recipe Mexico, North America
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Introduction & history
Ranging from basic to elaborate, quesadilla is a popular Mexican snack that was heartily embraced in the American southwest. The preparation starts with corn or wheat tortillas, which can be homemade or store-bought. Corn tortillas or tortillas de maíz are more common in most parts of Mexico, while wheat tortillas (tortillas de harina or tortillas de trigo) are predominant in the U.S. and northern Mexico. The preparation is simple. Flour, water, salt, and lard or shortening for the wheat variety, are mixed into an elastic dough, which is divided and rolled or pressed into flat discs. Tortillas are cooked shortly on both sides on a cast-iron griddle comal, after which they are ready to become quesadillas. The filling always contains cheese, preferably Mexican varieties such as queso Oaxaca or queso Chihuahua, which melt well when heated. Additional ingredients are virtually endless — fresh or leftover meat, poultry,... Read more
Serve With
Cooking tips
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tortillas
As one of the basic building blocks for quesadillas, tortillas can be prepared with either cornflour or wheat flour. Corn tortillas are prepared with white, yellow, or blue corn flour made from finely ground nixtamalized corn kernels. Usually, cornflour is mixed with only salt and water with no leavening agents. On the other hand, wheat tortillas combine wheat flour, salt, water, and lard or shortening.... Read more -
cheese
The three most common Mexican kinds of cheese for quesadillas are Oaxaca, Chihuahua, and Manchego. Oaxaca is a semi-hard cow’s milk cheese similar to mozzarella. Its taste is mild, but it melts very well. Chihuahua cheese is soft, the taste is similar to white cheddar or Monterey Jack, and it is available in blocks, braids, or balls. Manchego cheese should not be confused with the Spanish variety ... Read more -
comal
Comal is a Mexican shallow cast-iron griddle used, among other things, for preparing tortillas and cooking quesadillas. If you do not have a comal, use a regular cast-iron pan or a non-stick frying pan. -
fillings
The main filling for a quesadilla is cheese, which can be paired with a wide range of additional ingredients — freshly prepared or leftover. When it comes to meat, beef and pork are a more traditional choice than chicken, which is also very popular. Finely chopped chorizo sausage is another favored meat filling. Quesadillas can include seafood such as shrimp and tuna as well. Beans are used canned ... Read more -
authentic fillings
The Mexicans often fill their quesadillas with local ingredients. Nopal, also known as prickly pear, is a cactus fruit that is peeled, cut into small pieces, and cooked and/or fried. Squash blossoms or flor de calabaza can be used fresh, fried, or batter-fried. Huitlacoche is a fungus that grows on corn and is considered a delicacy in Mexico, and its taste is described as earthy and mushroom-like.... Read more -
condiments and sauces
Quesadillas can be served with a wide range of condiments and sauces, such as sour cream, guacamole, green or red salsa, diced tomato, lettuce, onions, chili peppers, and pickles. -
assembling
To assemble a quesadilla, arrange the filling on one half of a tortilla, leaving a 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) border around the edges so you can stick them together — this will prevent the cheese from pouring out during cooking. Next, fold the tortilla in half and transfer it onto a comal or a griddle. This way, you can cook two quesadillas at the same time. -
cooking
Quesadillas are cooked on a lightly oiled comal for 1,5 to 3 minutes on each side. Press the top gently with a spatula to help the cheese melt better, and turn over carefully so the filling remains inside the quesadilla. The quesadillas are done when brown spots appear on both sides. Alternatively, quesadillas can also be deep-fried in vegetable oil and are then called quesadillas fritas.
Recipe variations
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Basic Quesadillas
Ready in 1h 30minThis recipe offers a simple approach to making traditional quesadillas. The first step is to prepare the tortillas — which are, in this case, made with corn flour, salt, and water. White, yellow, and blue corn flour can be used, depending on the preferred color of the tortillas. The tortillas are then filled with Mexican cheese such as Chihuahua, Oaxaca or Manchego. Finally, the quesadillas are cooked in a comal and served hot with some sauce or salsa.
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Spicy Chicken Quesadillas
Ready in 55minThis recipe describes how to make flour tortillas that are more common in the USA and turn them into tasty, spicy quesadillas filled with cheese, chicken, and jalapeño peppers. It is recommended to use back lard for the tortillas due to its mild flavor, although leaf lard or vegetable shortening may also be used. Since this quesadilla recipe calls for only two tortillas, and the ingredients for the tortillas will yield ten, store the remaining tortillas in the refrigerator and reheat when ready to use.
Quesadillas with Black Beans, Spinach and Tomato
PREP 15min
COOK 10min
READY IN 25min
This recipe gives a fresh twist on the bean-and-cheese quesadillas by adding fresh spinach and tomato. You can use canned black beans, or refry the leftovers.
Ingredients
Quesadillas with Black Beans, Spinach and Tomato
4 tortillas
1 tomato
200g (7 oz) Chihuahua cheese
1 bunch spinach
1 clove garlic
260g (1 cup) black beans
salt
pepper
olive oil
Preparation
Quesadillas with Black Beans, Spinach and Tomato
Wash and dry the spinach leaves, but do not chop them. If you are using canned black beans, drain them well. Chop the garlic clove finely. Slice the tomatoes. Grate the cheese or slice it thinly.
Heat a little olive oil in a large, non-stick pan over medium heat. Cook the garlic for 20 seconds, add spinach, and season with salt and pepper. Let the spinach wilt, add black beans, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Assemble the quesadillas. Cover half of each tortilla with cheese, follow with spinach and black beans mixture, arrange tomato slices, and top with another round of cheese.
Fold the quesadillas in half. Cook them in a hot pan for 3 minutes on each side.
Serve hot.
Other Variations
-
Basic Quesadillas
Ready in 1h 30minThis recipe offers a simple approach to making traditional quesadillas. The first step is to prepare the tortillas — which are, in this case, made with corn flour, salt, and water. White, yellow, and blue corn flour can be used, depending on the preferred color of the tortillas. The tortillas are then filled with Mexican cheese such as Chihuahua, Oaxaca or Manchego. Finally, the quesadillas are cooked in a comal and served hot with some sauce or salsa.
-
Spicy Chicken Quesadillas
Ready in 55minThis recipe describes how to make flour tortillas that are more common in the USA and turn them into tasty, spicy quesadillas filled with cheese, chicken, and jalapeño peppers. It is recommended to use back lard for the tortillas due to its mild flavor, although leaf lard or vegetable shortening may also be used. Since this quesadilla recipe calls for only two tortillas, and the ingredients for the tortillas will yield ten, store the remaining tortillas in the refrigerator and reheat when ready to use.
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