Description
These crispy oven baked beef quesadillas are a delicious and easy-to-make meal featuring seasoned ground beef, beans, and corn, layered with gooey melted cheese inside flour tortillas. Perfectly baked to a golden crisp in the oven, they make an ideal lunch or dinner served with avocado sauce, pico de gallo, or sour cream.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 250g/8oz beef mince (ground beef)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/3 cup corn kernels (canned, drained or frozen)
- 1/3 cup black beans (canned, drained)
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/2 tsp ground garlic
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt
Quesadillas
- 4 flour tortillas (20cm/8" diameter)
- 3 tsp olive oil (divided: 1 tsp for tray, 2 tsp for drizzling on quesadillas)
- 1 1/4 tightly packed cups shredded cheese (cheddar, colby, tasty cheese, Monterey Jack mix; avoid mozzarella)
To Serve (Optional)
- Avocado sauce or guacamole
- Pico de Gallo
- Sour cream
Instructions
- Prepare the filling: Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a non-stick pan over high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up as it browns until the red color mostly disappears. Stir in the taco seasoning (ground garlic, onion powder, oregano, cumin, paprika, cayenne, salt) and cook for 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds more. Stir in the black beans and corn kernels, then add 2 tablespoons water and mix well. The filling should be juicy but not watery. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool for at least 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 220°C (425°F) or 200°C fan-forced. Lightly grease a metal baking tray with 1 teaspoon olive oil, using your hand to spread the oil evenly.
- Assemble quesadillas: Lay out a flour tortilla and spread the cooled beef filling on one half. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup shredded cheese over the filling, then fold the tortilla to cover the filling completely. Place the assembled quesadilla on the prepared tray. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
- Oil and flatten quesadillas: Drizzle each quesadilla top and sides with about 1/2 teaspoon olive oil and spread it evenly using your hands. Press down gently to flatten the surface for even baking.
- Bake quesadillas: Place the tray in the preheated oven and bake for 8 minutes. Flip each quesadilla over and bake for another 5 minutes. Flip again and bake for a final 2 minutes or until they are golden crispy. Optionally, spritz with a light spray of oil to enhance crispiness during baking.
- Serve: Remove from oven and cut each quesadilla in half. Serve immediately with avocado sauce, pico de gallo, sour cream, or enjoy them plain.
Notes
- Use flour tortillas approximately 20cm (8 inches) in diameter for best results.
- Choose cheese varieties like cheddar, colby, tasty cheese, or Monterey Jack for good melting and flavor; avoid mozzarella as it doesn’t melt the same way.
- Ensure the filling is juicy but not watery to keep the quesadillas crispy after baking.
- Allow the filling to cool before assembling to prevent the tortillas from becoming soggy.
- Spritzing with oil during baking helps achieve extra crispiness but is optional.
- Quesadillas can be customized with different proteins such as chicken, turkey, pork, or lamb if desired.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: quesadillas, beef quesadillas, baked quesadillas, oven baked, ground beef recipe, Mexican food, easy dinner, cheesy quesadillas
