Cheese Crusted Quesadillas: gooey cheese inside, crispy cheese outside, and enough cheesy goodness to spark a family feud.
Best Cheese Quesadilla
I love the crunchy, cheese that leaks out of a quesadilla and gets crispy on the pan. It's a cook's treat that I don't tell anyone in my family about.
But then I thought... wait a minute... Why don't I just make the entire outside of my cheese quesadilla crispy, crunchy cheesy? Brilliant!
Well, I thought I was creating a world-shattering idea with this 3 Ingredient Cheese Crusted Quesadilla, but come to find out, Qdoba offers them on occasion. But not for like $0.32 cents like we can make at home. So, this recipe is a winner on all accounts. Delicious and inexpensive!
You might have noticed I've been on a quesadilla kick lately. Evidenced by my Big Mac Quesadilla, BLT Quesadilla, and Strawberry Cheesecake Quesadilla. I suggest you try them all.
Ingredients
- Shredded Cheese - Flavor of your choice. I used a combination of fresh shredded sharp cheddar cheese and a swiss/gruyere cheese.
- Tortillas - Flour tortillas are my favorites, but corn tortillas work too.
- Butter - Smoothed on the outside of the tortilla for perfectly toasted quesadillas.
- Toppings and additional fillings of your choice - Rotisserie chicken, pico de gallo, sour cream, sauteed vegetables such as red bell pepper or onions, carne asada, black beans, green onion, cilantro, ground beef,
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Cheese Crusted Quesadillas
- Heat a medium skillet or griddle over medium high heat. Melt 1 teaspoon of butter in the pan.
- Butter the outsides of each flour tortilla.
- Next sprinkle the pan with shredded cheese of your choice.
- Place tortilla butter side down on top of the cheese.
- Sprinkle more cheese on the tortilla and top with the second tortilla with the buttered side facing up.
- When the cheese has browned slightly and the inside cheese starts to melt lift the quesadilla and sprinkle more cheese in the bottom of pan before flipping the quesadilla over.
- Cook until the bottom later of cheese is golden brown and the inside cheese is melted.
- Cut into triangles and serve with toppings of your choice.
Hint: Shred your own cheese for the best flavor and meltability.
Substitutions
The best part about quesadillas is they are easy to customize for each person's preferences.
- Low Carb - use the low carb flour tortillas
- Gluten Free - substitute gluten free tortillas or corn tortillas
- Mayonnaise - Use mayo instead of butter for a crispy outer crust
Variations
- Crispy Chicken Quesadilla - add rotisserie chicken or other cooked chicken to the filling
- Veggie Deluxe Quesadilla - add grilled onions, peppers, or any other veggies to the filling
- Air Fryer Chicken Quesadilla - cook in your air fryer for 6-8 minutes or until the outside is crispy and the middle is full of melted cheese
See this Air Fryer technique on my website!
Storing Cheese Crusted Quesadillas
Quesadillas come together very quickly so I usually make them to order and everyone usually easts the entire quesadilla. However, if you make extras, store remaining quesadillas in the fridge for 3 to 5 days in an airtight container.
To prevent the tortilla from getting soggy, store all toppings separately.
Reheat quesadillas in skillet over medium heat.
Top tip
Be sure to keep a close eye on while cooking to prevent the cheese from burning. And use a nonstick pan or one that releases food easily.
FAQ
Use a small amount of butter to get a crispy quesadilla. Over use of butter can make the outsides soggy.
Cheddar, Monterey, and Gruyere are my favorites, but use any cheese you like that melts well. If you have access Oaxaca cheese or Chihuahua cheeses are great traditional Mexican cheese.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:
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Food safety
We sometimes take for a granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience, that the average visitor may not. Add to, or remove from, the list below with health and safety tips.
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Cheese Crusted Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Butter divided
- 2 Flour tortillas
- ½ cup Shredded Cheese Divided
- Toppings and additional fillings of your choice - Rotisserie chicken pico de gallo, sour cream, sauteed vegetables such as peppers or onions, carne asada, black beans, green onion, cilantro, ground beef,
Instructions
- Heat a medium skillet or griddle over medium high heat. Melt 1 teaspoon of butter in the pan.
- Butter the outsides of each tortilla.
- Sprinkle the pan with 1 Tablespoon shredded cheese of your choice.
- Place tortilla butter side down on top of the cheese.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese on the tortilla and top with the second tortilla with the buttered side facing up.
- When the cheese has browned slightly and the inside cheese starts to melt lift the quesadilla and sprinkle more cheese in the bottom of pan before flipping the quesadilla over.
- Cook until the bottom later of cheese is golden brown and the inside cheese is melted.
- Cut into triangles and serve with toppings of your choice.
Chuckie says
Yall! I love the crusty cheese on the outside of these quesadillas! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.
Linda says
Yummy! I serve it with tomato soup!!
Chuckie says
Ooooohhhh.... good pairing idea!