Steak Quesadillas are an easy, crowd-pleasing dinner loaded with flavor thanks to quick-cooking, taco-seasoned steak strips, melty Monterrey Jack cheese, and sauteed onions and peppers. The ingredients come together in a toasty flour tortilla on the stovetop, and dinner is served in less than 30 minutes — start to finish!
STEAK FOR QUESADILLAS
The best steak for Steak Quesadillas is Top Sirloin. This particular cut boasts great flavor and contains very little fat. For this reason, it will not require any tenderizing or marinating before searing and is an excellent choice for quick-cooking on the stovetop.
You’ll also find it an economical cut, as a little bit goes a long way. The Sirloin will be cut into thin strips and divided amongst multiple quesadillas.
STEAK QUESADILLA INGREDIENTS
In addition to the steak, these quesadillas are beefed up with even more flavor thanks to taco-seasoning, a couple of veggies, and of course, melty cheese. The ingredients for Steak Quesadillas are as follows:
- Sirloin Steak
- Taco Seasoning
- Canola or Avocado Oil
- Green Bell Peppers
- White Onion
- Monterrey Jack Cheese
You can use either store-bought or Homemade Taco Seasoning. If using homemade, you will need 2 tablespoons of seasoning.
HOW TO MAKE STEAK QUESADILLAS
This is a very quick-cooking dish, so you’ll want to have your ingredients prepped before you begin cooking the steak. The prep work is minimal, and all you’ll need to do is dice the peppers and onions and grate the cheese.
- Prep the steak and toss with taco seasoning.
- Pan-sear steak strips, followed by diced peppers and onions.
- Add a tortilla to the pan, top with cheese. Then, add steak, peppers, and onions to half of the tortilla.
- Fold the cheesy side over the steak side using a spatula, and hold down until ingredients meld together. Repeat until all of the tortillas have been used. Cut, serve and enjoy!
1. PREP THE STEAK
To make slicing the steak for your Steak Quesadillas easier, place it in the freezer for 15 minutes before cutting into. If you don’t have time for this little trick, be sure to enlist your sharpest knife for the job. Slice the steak into thin strips, cutting against the grain.
GOING AGAINST THE GRAIN
The “grain” are the lines you see running across the beef. Notice they’re all headed in one singular direction. You’re going to cut in the opposite direction of those lines.
Once your Sirloin has been cut into strips, transfer it to a mixing bowl along with the taco seasoning. Massage the seasoning into the meat until the beef is evenly coated in seasoning.
2. SEAR THE STEAK & SAUTE VEGGIES
All you need for a good sear is oil and a hot pan. Make sure the pan and the oil have come to temperature before adding your steak strips. When you add your strips to the pan, do your best not to stack them on top of one another. They can’t sear if they’re smothered.
Sear the steak for just under 2 minutes on one side, then flip and sear for 2-3 minutes on the second side. Remove the steak from the pan, add a little more oil if needed, and it’s time for the peppers and onions to go in.
You’ll need about 5-7 minutes on the stove-top for the vegetables to soften up. Then, transfer them to a bowl, remove the pan from the heat and wipe it clean. Or, get another pan. Whatever floats your boat.
3. ASSEMBLE THE QUESADILLA (IN THE PAN)
The Steak Quesadillas come together fully in the pan. First, lay the tortilla down in a clean pan drizzled with a scant amount of oil over medium-low heat. Then, sprinkle the tortilla to cover with the grated cheese. Try not to get any outside of the tortilla. Add steak strips to cover only one side of the tortilla and sprinkle with the diced vegetables.
4. FOLD THE QUESADILLA
Folding a tortilla in half versus flipping one on the stovetop is not only way easier, but you’re also much more likely to keep your filling in tact this way. Bonus.
Once the cheese is melted all across the tortilla, use your spatula to fold the cheesy side over the steak side. Then, use the back of your spatula to hold the quesadilla in place, just until everything inside is melded together. Right about this time, your Steak Quesadilla will be perfectly toasty. Cut it in half and serve!
WHAT TO SERVE WITH STEAK QUESADILLAS
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:
- Sour Cream
- Pico de Gallo
- Easy Guacamole
- Tomatillo Avocado Salsa
- Fresh Salsa
- Ranchero Sauce
SIDE DISH IDEAS:
5 MORE MEXICAN DINNERS YOU’LL LOVE
- Crock-pot Chicken Tacos come together easily with less than 10 minutes of prep and feature Mexican shredded chicken enhanced by fresh ingredients and a simple blend of spices. Cooked low and slow, this chicken picks up on every ounce of yummy the slow cooker has to offer, and always turns out succulent, moist, and bounding with flavor!
- Pulled Pork Quesadillas puts Slow Cooker Pulled Pork leftovers to work on the stovetop. They’re loaded with flavor and are over-the-top easy to make!
- Homemade Beef Chimichangas are loaded with a savory ground beef filling and topped with a quick and easy stovetop queso! Plus, tips for frying to perfection and more.
- Tex-Mex Beef Enchiladas features a flavorful enchilada gravy, a taco-seasoned ground beef, and melty cheese!
- Baked Chicken and Ranchero Sauce is a healthy take on a Mexican classic. Perfectly baked chicken featuring a topping of Ranchero sauce and Monterey Jack cheese. Cut it up and serve it with tortillas and sliced avocados.
Steak Quesadillas are a quick and flavorful dinner idea made with taco-seasoned steak strips, onions and peppers, and of course, melty Monterrey Jack cheese! And, it all comes together in a perfectly toasty flour tortilla!
- 1 - 1 1/2 pound beef sirloin steak
- 1 (1 ounce) packet taco seasoning
- 2 tablespoons canola or avocado oil (plus extra for drizzling)
- 2 green bell peppers, seeded and diced
- 1 white onion, diced
- 8 flour tortillas
- 12 ounces freshly grated Monterrey Jack Cheese
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Cutting against the grain, slice the steak with a very sharp knife into thin strips, no more than a 1/4" thick. Transfer to a mixing bowl, along with the taco seasoning. Massage the taco seasoning into the beef until evenly coated and set aside.
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Add oil to a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is heated through, spread the steak strips evenly across the skillet and allow to sear for 1 1/2 minute. Do not jostle or move strips around. Turn the steak strips over and cook 1-2 minutes.
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If the pan is dry, add another 1-2 tablespoons of oil. Add the diced peppers and onion and sauté 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until softened. Transfer the vegetables to a small bowl and set aside.
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Wipe the pan clean and place over medium-low heat. Add a light drizzle of oil to the pan and allow to come to temperature.
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Carefully, place 1 flour tortilla on the pan and scatter about a 1/4 cup of shredded cheese over the entire tortilla. Then, to only one half of the tortilla, add steak strips and a scatter of the onion and pepper mixture.
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Once the cheese starts to melt (about 1 minute), use a spatula to fold the side with cheese only over the steak side. Hold the quesadilla down with your spatula until the filling has melded together, about 30 seconds to 1 minute more.
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Repeat with the remaining tortillas, adding an additional light drizzle of oil to the pan as needed. Cut in halves or quarters, serve and enjoy!
To make slicing the steak easier, place it in the freezer for 15 minutes before cutting into.
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