Can't seem to wrap your head around quesadillas?
Are your quesadillas too floppy, too messy, or just bland and boring?
Don't flip out! Keep watching to learn how to overcome your quesadilla quandary.
If you're new to making quesadillas, it could seem tempting to make giant quesadillas.
You might do this by taking two large flour tortillas and putting filling on one,
topping it with the other, and trying to fry it. Unfortunately,
doing so invariably makes a mess when the filling spills on the flip. You can use two tortillas
if you plan to bake them in the oven, but we all know that fried quesadillas taste better.
One flour tortilla is far easier to flip. Put the fillings on half the tortilla and fold it
over for an easy quesadilla that crisps up and turns without spilling. When the job is
neater and faster, it won't matter that you need to make more quesadillas for your crew.
Corn tortillas are the exception to this rule because they are not only smaller
but tend to crack if you fold them. Making quesadillas with two corn tortillas is fine,
but stick to fewer fillings until you have the skill of flipping down pat.
There are endless options for quesadillas, but you should avoid acting like a kid in a candy store.
It's tempting to want to stuff your tortilla with meat, cheese, beans, veggies, and…oh! What about
some avocado slices? But always remember, you're going to have to flip that bad boy,
and nothing ruins a quesadilla faster than everything sliding into the pan on the flip.
Beginners can start with cheese. Shredded cheese melts faster,
but feel free to mix varieties you enjoy. Keep fillings away from the edge,
so there's some room for melting and be sure to let it sit for a few minutes
before flipping to crisp the tortilla, melt the cheese, and make the flip as easy as possible.
Add more toppings if a cheese quesadilla sounds too simple, but it's recommended
that you limit the total amount of filling to half a cup. That may seem skimpy if you
have a lot of ingredients to choose from. But quesadillas are handheld bites, not super subs.
More flavor comes from serving dips like salsa, sour cream, or guacamole.
A very common kitchen misconception is that cooking with more heat cooks food faster.
Turning the burner too high might seem obvious when you're hungry or crunched for time.
And when it comes to quesadillas, we're all guilty
of wanting that cheesy goodness in our mouths as quickly as possible.
Remember, tortillas are thin, so using high heat can ruin your quesadilla before you know it.
While quesadillas don't need much cooking time since the fillings are precooked,
you want everything heated through and all the cheese to melt. Keeping the heat lower
lets the cheese melt evenly, filling the spaces and gluing the tortilla down around the fillings.
That makes it so that when the quesadilla is cut, it holds together and can be handheld.
The goal is beautifully brown and crispy...not burned to a crisp!
Using low-medium heat and carefully timing your flip ensures the perfect golden brown
color and crispness, so if your quesadillas tend to get black spots, turn down your burner.
Most home cooks will pull out a frying pan when making quesadillas.
Will it work? Of course, it will. Any frying pan, and especially a cast iron skillet,
will deliver beautifully made quesadillas, but it still isn't the easiest way to make them.
A griddle isn't just for pancakes. Griddles, or flat pans without sides, make every part of
the quesadilla-making process easier. No sides mean nothing gets in the way of the flip, which
means that fillings rarely slide out. These pans distribute heat evenly so that tortillas will be
uniformly golden and crisp. Making quesadillas for a family is far easier with a griddle because even
a small one will cook two at a time, and with a large griddle, four or even six will fit at once.
If a single quesadilla is your plan, go ahead and use a skillet. If quesadillas are a family meal,
or you're making them for friends watching the game, a griddle will make life much easier.
Don't forget that vegetarian quesadillas make a light,
healthy meal. Chicken, pork, beef, and shrimp quesadillas are heavenly,
but there are so many options for fillings and seasonings that meat is optional.
Our own sweet potato quesadillas are full of fiber, vitamin A,
protein, and healthy fat, thanks to the addition of chickpeas and avocado slices.
This recipe has no cheese, making it a nutritional powerhouse. If cheese is non-negotiable,
adding beans and cooked vegetables adds fiber and vitamins for a quick,
one-dish meal. Favorite vegetarian fillings include any combination of sautéed peppers,
onions, spinach, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, chile peppers, mushrooms, and asparagus.
Try sautéeing small chunks of potato, onion,
and garlic with any seasonings and some black beans for a very filling vegetarian quesadilla.
Add a sprinkling of cheese, and you'll have a hearty meatless meal in no time.
The perfect quesadilla is golden and crispy, and thin enough for the filling to remain in place.
Unfortunately, too many cooks wreck their creations because they ignore how wet the
fillings are and end up with a mushy quesadilla that won't hold together.
Vegetables are a great example. While they boost the nutritional content and flavor,
sautéed veggies release water, and the fat used for cooking
clings and makes them slippery. Meat, beans, and seafood also have plenty
of moisture to soften the tortilla and turn your crisp creation floppy.
Do those quesadillas a favor and blot the fillings with a paper towel before
adding them — sparingly — to the tortilla. Use a small amount of cheese directly on the tortilla
and also atop the fillings, so that the quesadilla holds together. This
is the only way to make a quesadilla that can be cut and eaten correctly by hand.
Don't worry about dry quesadillas; dipping sauces solve that in a snap.
Yes, quesadillas are part of traditional Mexican cuisine, but don't let that limit you. While the
Spanish meaning of quesadilla mentions cheese, you can make a quesadilla any way you want.
To be delicious, quesadillas don't have to be spicy, savory,
or dipped in salsa. If it involves a filled tortilla fried crispy, consider it a quesadilla.
Start by thinking of other flavors that make you happy. Buffalo chicken quesadillas sound
incredible, right? If you're a fan of Thai flavors, you could make a Pad Thai-inspired
quesadilla using chicken, peanut sauce, a squirt of lime, and chopped peanuts. In the
mood for Italian? Some eggplant Parmesan could transform a quesadilla into a new favorite.
Quesadillas can make quick breakfasts, too. If you're a fan of meal prepping,
make a large pan of scrambled eggs, sauté some veggies, and shred some cheese to keep
in the fridge. Each morning, combine them for a breakfast quesadilla in just a few minutes,
and you'll be out the door with a healthy breakfast in no time.
Why not try a dessert quesadilla if you like something sweet at night?
Use your imagination and make combinations with peanut butter,
Nutella, banana, berries, marshmallows, caramel sauce, chocolate chips, or chopped nuts.
Quesadillas might seem like the perfect party food. Crispy, cheesy, and versatile…
"Woooooo! Love it!"
Right! Who doesn't? But before you start planning your next get-together,
you might want to rethink putting quesadillas on the menu.
These morsels are best served hot and fresh, not sitting on a buffet table.
They get less appetizing as they cool, and since wasting food is something we should all avoid,
quesadillas aren't the best choice. Taquitos would be a fabulous party-friendly substitute. They
use the same ingredients, but baking keeps them low-maintenance, and you can freeze any leftovers.
Avoid making too many quesadillas for a regular family dinner, too. The best way to have
quesadillas on the dinner table is to precook the fillings but only fry the quesadillas as
needed. You've done most of the work ahead of time, but the result is fresh off the skillet.
If you somehow end up with a leftover quesadilla, it's better to reheat it than to toss it. The
best way to reheat is to add a tiny bit of oil to a frying pan and let it sit a minute or two
on each side over low heat. While it won't be as good as fresh, it's the closest thing.
It's quesadilla night!
[screaming]
No, no! You're supposed to be excited, not frightened!
[sighing]
Okay, now that that's all sorted out, you're ready to cook! But,
the question is, which fat to use? While some cooks dry fry quesadillas to save calories,
most agree that oil or butter adds too much to the color, crispness,
and flavor to skip. What they might not agree on is whether butter or oil is best.
Some say that since quesadillas are similar to grilled cheese, butter is the way to fry them,
and nobody can argue with the flavor. Oil enthusiasts point out that the water in butter can
sabotage a quesadilla, turning it droopy. These cooks recommend using canola, vegetable, or corn
oil for quesadillas because these oils are bland and have a high smoke point, unlike olive oil.
Whichever you choose, everyone agrees that the amount you use is more important than
the type of fat. Although it may seem that more oil would make a crisper quesadilla,
you'll find that it soaks into the tortilla, making it mushy. And nobody wants that! Instead,
use just 1/2 teaspoon of oil, spread a very thin layer of butter directly on the tortilla,
or lightly coat the pan with cooking spray.
Lightening up on the cooking fat will make a lighter, healthier
quesadilla while giving the best results. Whether you decide to use corn or flour,
packaged tortillas can be found in practically any grocery store, so maybe you're wondering why
anyone bothers to make them homemade. The simplest answer is that they're…
"Fabulous!"
If you want a quesadilla beyond your wildest dreams, making fresh tortillas is the way to go,
and you might be shocked at how easy it is.
Homemade flour tortillas just need flour, oil, salt, and a little water. You'll need
a trip to the store to make homemade corn tortillas if you don't have masa harina,
which is dried corn ground to a fine meal. But you'll just need to add water and salt to that
once you have it. Keep practicing to learn the art of dough texture and rolling out tortillas.
Because when fresh tortillas become second nature, you'll wonder how you
ever ate packaged ones — especially when it comes to building the perfect tortilla.
Whether you choose corn or flour, making your
tortillas brings next-level freshness and authenticity to your quesadillas.
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