The secrets to the best quesadilla are quite simple and possibly crazy to post about but totally necessary as they are so good!

A photo of the best quesadilla sliced into pieces and stacked on each other with cheesy oozing out and a bowl of fresh pico de gallo in the background.

How silly is this post? The secrets to the BEST quesadilla? Does anyone really have to make a post on a food blog about a tortilla and cheese? Why yes, this girl does and I’ll tell you why — because you’ve been doing it ALL wrong.

Making restaurant-style quesadillas is a fine art, and although this is a super easy quesadilla recipe there are a few things you must always do when making homemade cheese quesadillas. Follow the recipe below exactly as written, and you’ll be making the world’s best cheese quesadillas in no time! 

Cheese Quesadillas Ingredients

To make the best homemade quesadillas EVER, you’ll need three simple ingredients:

  • fresh tortillas
  • shredded cheese
  • butter

No really, that’s all you need! 

What makes this quesadilla recipe so good are the fresh quesadillas. You need to look for fresh, uncooked quesadillas at your grocery store, or you can make them yourself. Tortilla Land makes fantastic uncooked tortillas as well! 

A photo of a cheese quesadilla with one side being pulled up and the gooey cheese showing.

What’s the Best Cheese for Quesadillas? 

When making homemade cheese quesadillas, you need to buy flavorful cheeses that melt well. You may want to consider blending different cheeses to amp up the flavor. A Mexican cheese blend would work perfectly in these quesadillas, as would a sharp cheddar. Avoid using Mozzarella, as it’s too mild in flavor to be the star of your quesadilla. 

How to Make Quesadillas 

Homemade quesadillas couldn’t be any easier to make! The basic steps for making cheese quesadillas are as follows: 

  1. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and cook the fresh tortillas.
  2. Remove tortilla from pan and add cheese to one half of it. 
  3. Add a little butter to your pan (be careful not to add too much!) and plop the tortilla with cheese back into the buttery pan. 
  4. Cook the quesadilla on each side until golden and the center is gooey.

Tips for Making the Best Quesadillas

It’s so important that you preheat your skillet before cooking the quesadilla. I say this because I know not everyone will be able to find fresh tortillas, so you may not have to cook your tortillas before adding the cheese. If this is the case, make sure your skillet is hot. Your tortilla will soak up the butter in the pan and might not crisp up correctly if your skillet is not hot. 

If you decide to add extra fillings to your cheese quesadilla, be careful not to overfill it. I know it’s tempting to really load up your quesadilla, but if you have too much filling the quesadilla won’t get heated through all the way and it’ll be difficult to remove from the pan. 

Lastly, homemade quesadillas are best enjoyed immediately after they’re made. They don’t reheat very well, so eat them while they’re fresh! 

A photo of a cheese quesadilla on a plate with a bowl of pico de gallo and a bowl of guacamole in the background.

Quesadilla Fillings We Love

Once you’ve mastered making plain cheese quesadillas, you’re ready to move onto filled quesadillas. Pretty much everything pairs well with cheese and tortillas, so you can throw whatever you want into a quesadilla! A few of our favorite quesadilla fillings include: 

  • Beans (any kind)
  • Sliced onions and peppers
  • Shredded meat
  • Shrimp
  • Cooked rice or quinoa 
  • Grilled corn
  • BBQ sauce 
  • Sausage 
  • Thinly sliced apples 
  • Leafy greens 

You can put literally anything you want into your cheese quesadillas! They’re a great clean out the fridge meal, and you can also transform your quesadilla into an open-faced sandwich of sorts if desired (although then it won’t be a true quesadilla, but who cares?). 

Can You Make Quesadillas in the Oven?

Yes, quesadillas can be made in the oven! If you use uncooked tortillas, they will need to be cooked first on the stove top. Once the quesadilla is assembled (with cooked tortillas), place it on a baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes or until the tortilla is golden brown. Spreading a little butter or spraying them with cooking spray will help the tortillas golden up nicely.

A photo of the best quesadilla sliced into pieces and stacked on each other with cheesy oozing out and a bowl of fresh pico de gallo and bowl of guacamole in the background.

How Do You Reheat a Quesadilla?

Quesadillas do not reheat well. They end up soggy or over done. Just eat it all while it’s fresh and hot! Let this be your excuse to pig out!

Are Quesadillas Tex-Mex?

Quesadillas can be made to be Tex-Mex. A Tex-Mex quesadilla has two flour tortillas on top of each and stuffed with cheese, some sort of meat, lettuce, tomatoes, etc.

Can You Make Quesadillas with Corn Tortillas?

Yes! Corn tortillas make great quesadillas! And a corn tortilla a great alternative for our gluten free friends! In fact, a traditional Mexican quesadilla is made with corn tortillas. Yum!

A photo of a cheese quesadilla on a plate with a bowl of pico de gallo and a bowl of guacamole in the background.

Are Quesadillas Good Cold?

If you’re in to cold leftovers like cold pizza, then you’ll love a cold quesadilla. For me, it’s a no go! But I know some people love it! I just prefer them hot and gooey!

Can You Eat a Quesadilla that Has Been Left Out?

The general rule of thumb for leaving food out is to never eat anything that has been left out for more than 2 hours.  Food that has been cooked is unsafe to eat when it is between 40°F and 140°F which is the temperature range where bacteria grows rapidly.

What to Serve with Quesadillas 

As much as I wish cheese quesadillas were considered a well-balanced meal, they’re not. If you’re looking to round out your meal with some filling, easy sides, here’s what I recommend making: 

Or keep things super simple with steamed veggies or fruit salad. The whole point of making quesadillas is that they’re so easy to make, so don’t stress about making a fancy side. 

Try these simple tricks for making the best quesadilla and show us your work! We would love to see your quesadillas!!

All our QUESADILLA and BURRITO RECIPES and more:

The Secrets to the BEST Quesadilla

The Secrets to the BEST Quesadilla

3.36 from 17 votes
Servings: 6
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 4 minutes

Description

The secrets to the best quesadilla are quite simple and possibly crazy to post about but totally necessary as they are so good!

Ingredients 

  • 6 Tortillas, Fresh, uncooked
  • 2 Cups Sharp, or Mexican Cheese Shredded
  • 1 Tablespoon Butter

Instructions

  • Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and cook each tortilla on each side until just cooked.
    6 Tortillas
  • Remove the tortillas from the pan, add cheese to half of each tortilla and fold in half.
    2 Cups Sharp
  • Add a little butter to the pan and fry the quesadilla on each side, repeating with each tortilla.
    1 Tablespoon Butter

Notes

Quesadillas will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5quesadillaCalories: 262kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 11gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 482mgPotassium: 67mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 436IUCalcium: 311mgIron: 1mg
Author: Sweet Basil
Course: 300 + Back to School Recipes Every Kid Loves
A photo of the best quesadilla sliced into pieces and stacked on each other with cheesy oozing out and a bowl of fresh pico de gallo in the background.

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