Crispy, cheesy steak quesadillas are stuffed with tender steak and pepper strips and served with a spicy chipotle queso sauce for dipping.
These aren’t your average cheese quesadillas, y’all. We’ve got steak, peppers, and queso making dang sure of that.
Quesadillas are one of those Mexican dishes that I always seem to forget about, anyone else?? We’re absolutely redeeming them today with this steak version that’s locked and loaded with all the good stuff.
You may never make another quesadilla again, if I’m being 100% honest here.
The real winning factor to these quesadillas is the fact that they taste just as good (if not better) than a Mexican restaurant and you get to enjoy them at home where the margaritas and extra chip baskets are free.
Mexican night doesn’t get any better than that.
These Steak Quesadillas feature…
- Juicy steak and sweet pepper strips
- Crispy tortillas and gooey cheese cooked inside
- A spicy chipotle queso sauce for dipping
Making the Quesadillas
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Unsalted butter
- Garlic
- Chipotle in adobo sauce
- All-purpose flour
- 2% or skim milk
- Heavy whipping cream
- Monterey jack cheese
- Cheddar cheese
- Steak
- Vegetable oil
- Sweet pepper
- Red onion
- Garlic
- Flour tortillas
- Cilantro
Choosing Your Steak
We recommend using a top sirloin or round steak for these quesadillas. These are both fairly affordable cuts of meat and cook up super tender and juicy when pan-fried.
To prep the steak for cooking, thinly slice against the grain into thin strips. Tip: put the steak in the freezer 20 minutes before cutting for easier slicing.
Tips for Perfect Quesadillas
- Cook steak and peppers/onions separately – for more even cooking without overcrowding the pan, I recommend cooking the steak first and then sautéing the peppers and onion in drippings.
- Use burrito-sized tortillas – this gives you a nice big tortilla size to work with that’s ideal for quesadillas.
- Cook quesadillas in batches – for best results, I recommend cooking quesadillas one at a time in pan and adding more butter to pan between batches. This helps the quesadillas cook more evenly and flip easier.
- Cut quesadillas into wedges for serving – transfer quesadillas to a cutting board and use a chef’s knife to cut each quesadilla into 2-3 wedges, depending on the size you prefer.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this recipe.
- Adjust heat level – you can skip the chipotle for a mild queso or add additional chipotle or cayenne pepper for a spicier version.
- Use chicken – this recipe works great with thinly sliced chicken breast strips in place of the steak.
- Try different vegetables – try using mushrooms, zucchini, or spinach as a veggie addition.
- Use a different cheese – try a sharp cheddar, gouda, or mozzarella.
Make Ahead Instructions
Follow these instructions for time-saving make ahead tips.
- Prep steak and vegetables – slice the steak, peppers, onion, and garlic and store separately in refrigerator up to 4 days.
- Make the queso – make up the queso and store in refrigerator up to 6 days. Reheat on stovetop or in microwave for serving.
- Shred the cheese – shredded cheese stores well in refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
- Assembly – when ready to cook quesadillas, fill tortillas with steak mixture and cheese, and cook per recipe instructions.
These quesadillas are just pure magic, no way around it. The steak and peppers are perfectly tender and juicy, every bite features crispy tortilla and gooey cheese, and don’t even get me started on how insane that chipotle queso is for dipping.
Let’s put it this way, you won’t be returning to regular cheese quesadillas anytime soon.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
Watch these quesadillas made step-by-step on Google web stories.
More Mexican dinner favorites to try next!
Steak Quesadillas with Chipotle Queso
This recipe may included paid links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
Chipotle Queso
- 1-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced chipotle in adobo sauce
- 1-1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup 2% or skim milk
- 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Steak Quesadillas
- 1 lb top sirloin steak, thinly sliced
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 medium sweet pepper, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 3 burrito-sized flour tortillas
- 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
- 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
- 1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Cilantro for topping
Instructions
Chipotle Queso
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in garlic, chipotle, and flour and let cook 2-3 minutes. Slowly drizzle in milk and cream, whisking constantly until smooth and incorporated.
- Cook sauce over medium heat, stirring occasionally until queso is bubbly and thickened. Remove from heat and add cheeses, stirring until cheese is melted. Season queso with salt and pepper to taste and keep warm.
Steak Quesadillas
- Season steak strips well with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak and sauté over medium-high heat until no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Transfer steak to a bowl.
- Add pepper and red onion to drippings in pan and sauté over medium-high heat 4-6 minutes until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 additional minute until fragrant. Toss vegetables with steak strips.
- Divide steak and pepper mixture between flour tortillas and top with cheeses. Heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat in a large nonstick skillet. Working in batches if necessary (I typically cook one at at time) cook quesadillas 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown and cheese is melted. Repeat with remaining quesadillas, adding additional butter as necessary.
- Transfer quesadillas to a cutting board and cut each into 2-3 wedges. Arrange quesadillas on a serving plate and top with cilantro. Serve warm with chipotle queso for dipping and enjoy!
Leave a Reply