How to Make Quesadillas at Home on the Stovetop

Not all quesadillas are created equal. Do you know how to make stovetop quesadillas that are crispy, cheesy, and delicious? I’ll show you how to make quesadillas at home like a pro, right on your stovetop using a simple pan. This is undoubtedly one of my favorite lunchtime meals to prepare. Even the most picky eaters will find themselves eagerly anticipating this lunchtime meal!

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Ingredients Needed to Make Quesadillas

Quesadillas are super easy and quick to put together, but let’s be honest, we have all had a bad quesadilla. The quality and type of ingredients you use will direct this process to be either mediocre or deluxe.

Tortillas

Tortillas are the first necessary ingredient. For best results choose wheat flour tortillas that are sized to fit your pan’s cooking area. I discovered uncooked flour tortillas at Costco a few years ago and never looked back. These things are fresh, last longer in the fridge, and are the perfect size for a breakfast burrito or lunch quesadilla.

Cheese

Cheese is the other essential ingredient. A mixture of Monterey Jack cheese and Cheddar cheese is a great place to start. Your local grocery store will have pre-shredded cheese that works great for quesadillas. I used a “4 Cheese Mexican blend” in this recipe which tasted great.

Optional Ingredients

When learning how to make quesadillas on the stovetop, stick with the basic three ingredients to make sure you have the cooking technique in place. However, once you’ve made a couple consider including some of the below optional ingredients to make your cheesy quesadillas even better!

Quesadilla Meat

Leftover meat from last night’s dinner can really shine here. Chop up a burger patty, some leftover chicken or steak, or even some salmon from last night’s dinner, and add that to your quesadilla for some additional protein and flavor.

If you have the time and desire, fresh grilled or pan-seared chipotle spiced chicken will make this quesadilla taste like it came from a Michelin Star-awarded taqueria. (That probably doesn’t exist, but it definitely should!)

Quesadilla Toppings

The sky is the limit when it comes to toppings for your chicken quesadilla. My favorites include:

• Guacamole
• Sour Cream
• Lime
• Cabbage
• Lemon Pickled Onion
• Fresh Salsa
• Yellow Bird Sirano Hot Sauce

How to Make Quesadillas Like a Pro

As I stated above in the ingredients, I discovered uncooked tortillas at Costco and haven’t purchased store-bought tortillas since. For this reason, I will give you two methods for how to make quesadillas, follow the one that represents the ingredients you choose.

How to Make the Best Stovetop Quesadillas with Uncooked Tortillas

Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat. Cook one side of each tortilla then set aside, and add a touch of butter or oil to the uncooked side. This will give you a nice crispy texture on the outside of the quesadilla.

Place one of your tortillas butter side down in the pan and sprinkle with cheese and optional chicken. Cover with the other tortilla butter side up. Check the underside and flip the quesadilla once it has reached your desired doneness.

Remove the quesadilla from the pan and cut it into quarters. Serve with Fresh guacamole, sour cream, and/or salsa.

How to Make Quesadillas with Cooked Tortillas

• Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat. Butter one side of each tortilla. Place one tortilla in the pan buttered side down and sprinkle with cheese and optional chicken. Cover with the other tortilla butter side up.
• Once browned and the cheese is melting, flip the quesadilla and cook the other side until the desired doneness is achieved.
• Remove the quesadilla from the pan and cut it into quarters. Serve with Fresh guacamole, sour cream, and/or salsa.