Time to transform leftover carne asada into a melty Carne Asada Quesadilla. It's easy to eat and loaded with flavor.
This carne asada quesadilla is the perfect lunch or quick weeknight meal. The carne asada is marinated to perfection. The melted pepper jack cheese makes this a unique spin on the traditional cheese quesadilla.
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Carne Asada Recipe
There are two key ingredients to this carne asada quesadilla. The first and most important is the carne asada. I perfected the marinade and cooking process for making it on a Traeger Grill. Check out my full recipe for mouth watering and intensely flavorful carne asada.
The Other Ingredients
Next up is the cheese. I'm pretty obsessed with pepper jack in my quesadillas. I like the heat and flavor from the peppers and chilies. That heat combined with the melty goodness from the monterey jack, its a winning combination!
Other than that, we just need some tortillas, butter, and a little leftover carne asada marinade.
Supplies
Honestly, you don't need much here. I like using a cast iron skillet because the heat stays very consistent, but a nonstick skillet is also fine.
- cast iron or nonstick skillet
- box grater if you're using block cheese (recommended)
- cutting board
- knife
Carne Asada Quesadilla Recipe
Carne Asada Quesadilla
Equipment
- 1 large cast iron skillet or nonstick pan
- 1 box grater
- 1 cutting board
Ingredients
- 2 large flour tortilla
- ½ pound cooked carne asada
- 1 tablespoon carne asada marinade
- 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Dice the carne asada into small bite sized pieces. This makes biting into the quesadilla much easier, especially for kids. Pour over the carne asada marinade to infuse more flavor into the steak.
- Heat the skillet or pan on medium. Once the pan is warm, add the butter and swirl it around the pan for an even coating.
- Lay one of the tortillas in the pan. Sprinkle half of the cheese in an even layer leaving a ½" edge from the border.
- Add on the diced carne asada in an even layer.
- After the cheese begins to melt, fold the tortilla over in half. Continue to cook the quesadilla for another minute on each side.
- Remove the quesadilla to a cutting board and repeat the process to make the other quesadilla.
Nutrition
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Ingredient Substitutions
The Tortillas
Choose whatever kind of tortilla you like. This recipe is written with flour tortillas. I happen to eat gluten free as much as possible, so pictured here is a soft gluten free tortilla. You could also use corn if you like.
- Cheese: if you don't like the heat or spice from pepper jack cheese, I recommend using monterey jack. It still has a wonderful flavor and it is a great melting cheese. It's a great compliment to the carne asada and doesn't overwhelm the quesadilla like cheddar.
- Carne asada: pollo asada (marinated grilled chicken), will also be delicious. It's the marinade process that makes this quesadilla so good.
Tasty carne asada quesadilla side dishes...
Avocado salad- Check out this bright salad from Cooking Classy. It's bright and well balanced.
Black Beans and Corn- I love the combination of blacks beans and corn. Until I write up my own recipe post, use this one from Martha Stewart.
Mexican green salad- Check out this recipe from Dinner At The Zoo. It's loaded with crunch and fresh ingredients to balance out our plate.
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