Beef Quesadilla with Crispy Low-Carb Tortillas and Monterey Jack
By Isabella Quinn
Prep
10 min
Cook
15 min
Total
25 min
Servings
8
Level
Easy
This beef quesadilla recipe can be made in 25 minutes. Low-carb tortillas are used to make a filling that is cooked in a pan. Ingredients added to make the filling include sweet red pepper and corn and melted Monterey Jack cheese. Tortillas that have not been fried are heated in an empty pan.
Olive oil and chopped onions and garlic are cooked with ground beef and seasonings, including garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, chili powder, and black pepper, to create the filling for quesadillas. Red bell pepper adds sweetness and other flavors to the filling. Tomato paste and corn are cooked with ground beef. Shredded Monterey Jack cheese is placed on the top and bottom of the filling to help hold the quesadilla together and melt into the tortilla.
The filling in quesadillas is cooked when the meat is no longer pink and the peppers are tender. Browned tortilla halves and melted cheese are signs that quesadillas cooked in a skillet are ready to be removed. Overcooking is a risk because tortillas cook more quickly than other ingredients. Medium-low heat helps cheese melt properly. Do not pack filling tightly; this can cause filling to leak out when quesadillas are flipped.
Serve quesadillas hot and sliced with guacamole, pico de gallo, French fries, roasted vegetables, mashed cauliflower, and fried cauliflower rice. Plan to prepare the beef filling ahead of time and reheat assembled quesadillas at another meal or time.
Why we keep this one around
- Saves time on weekdays using the recipe tip that 1 pound of beef requires 10 minutes of prep time and 15 minutes of cooking time to make eight quesadillas without a separate sauce.
- Reduces work involved in preparing food by cooking all the meat filling in one pan and all the folded tortillas in a nonstick pan.
- Ingredients include common grocery products like ground beef, corn products, tomato paste, onion, bell pepper, tortillas, and shredded cheese. These ingredients can make planning meals simpler.
- Saves time when preparing a meal by letting you prepare the beef mixture one day and mainly assemble the meal on another day.
- Serves a group of people because this recipe yields eight servings, and the filling ingredients are measured for each quesadilla to promote even cooking.
- Doesn't need any special equipment beyond a large pan, nonstick skillet, and spatula for cooking and pressing tortillas.
Ingredients
- •8 low carb tortillas
- •2 cups Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)
- •1 lb ground beef
- •1 tbsp olive oil
- •2 cloves garlic (minced)
- •1 medium onion (finely chopped)
- •1 red bell pepper (diced)
- •½ cup canned corn
- •2 tbsp tomato paste
- •½ tsp garlic powder
- •½ tsp onion powder
- •½ tsp oregano
- •1 tsp chili powder
- •½ tsp ground cumin
- •¼ black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
- 2
Add the chopped onion and minced garlic and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until tender.
- 3
Add the ground beef and quesadilla seasoning mix.
- 4
Cook the beef until no longer pink, breaking up the meat as it cooks.
- 5
Add the chopped bell pepper and cook for 5 more minutes until the pepper is tender.
- 6
Add the tomato paste and canned corn and stir until everything is well combined.
- 7
Cook for a few more minutes, then set the filling aside.
- 8
Preheat a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat without adding oil.
- 9
Add one tortilla to the skillet, sprinkle shredded cheese on half, add a few tablespoons of beef mixture, and top with more cheese.
- 10
Fold the tortilla in half and cook for 2 minutes on each side until the cheese is melted.
- 11
Remove the beef quesadilla from the skillet and repeat with the remaining beef mixture.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
351
Calories
21g
Protein
25g
Fat
20g
Carbs
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