Quesadillas are endlessly customizable and so easy to make. They are my go-to last-minute lunch or dinner for the family. And no matter how you cook them (in a pan on the stovetop, baked in the oven, broiled, or grilled), they pretty much all end up awesome. Even really finicky kids seem to love quesadillas, and they lend themselves beautifully to vegetarian meals.

There are so many options for fillings, from simple Vegetable Quesadillas to decadent Beefy Chili Cheese Quesadillas, or, in the mornings, kick things off with some delicious Breakfast Quesadillas. At the end of the day, it’s just hard not to like melted cheese between two tortillas!

The basic quesadilla recipe makes four quesadillas, but you can divide or multiply at will. Also, check out the many other quesadilla recipes on this website. Serve quesadillas with salsa ranchera, pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole or diced avocado, creamy avocado dip, and/or cilantro, if desired. Now, here’s how to cook quesadillas 4 ways.

How to Cook Quesadillas: Here’s everything you need to know about how to make perfect crispy, cheesy quesadillas on the stove, in the oven, on the grill or in the broiler!

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Ingredients for Quesadillas

• Butter – A bit of unsalted butter ensures that the quesadilla doesn’t stick to the pan and the outsides get nice and crispy.
• Flour tortillas – For 2 two half-moon quesadillas, use just 2 medium-sized (8-inch) flour tortillas.
• Cheese – You will need about 2/3 to 1 cup of shredded or crumbled cheese to make two quesadillas. There are so many good cheese options: I like to choose between cheddar cheese (mild or sharp), pepper jack, mozzarella, feta, blue cheese, provolone, Gouda, Fontina, Monterey Jack (regular or spicy), muenster, brie, or anything else I have laying around. Monterey Jack, in particular, is a great melting cheese. Try some combos as well, and if you are using a strong-flavored cheese, you may want to blend in a little cream cheese, mozzarella, or another milder cheese to temper the flavor.

Quesadilla Fillings and Variations

Quesadillas are the perfect offering for a group of people with different tastes. And you can even put out a bunch of filling choices and let everyone pick their own combos. The kids can opt for the simplest of quesadillas while more adventurous eaters can go to town and create their own black bean, scallion, chopped fresh cilantro, asparagus, hearts of palm, and feta cheese work of art.

The list of options is but a start. You’ll want between 1/4 and 1/2 cup total of the filling ingredients per quesadilla, plus the cheese. Use one or any combination of the following:

• Chopped olives
• Chopped cooked broccoli or asparagus
• Thinly sliced zucchini or yellow squash
• Rinsed and drained canned beans, such as black beans or kidney beans, lightly mashed if desired
• Chopped tomatoes
• Chopped artichoke hearts
• Cooked chopped or sliced onions
• Sliced sautéed or roasted bell peppers
• Thinly sliced scallions
• Shredded cooked chicken or beef
• Crumbled bacon
• Thinly slivered ham
• Coarsely-chopped cooked shrimp

How to Make Quesadillas in a Pan on the Stove

One of the best ways to make quesadillas is on the stove. You just need a large pan or skillet and the ingredients. In just a few minutes, you’ll have hot, delicious half-moon skillet quesadillas ready to serve.

1. Add cheese to tortillas: Heat the pan with a teaspoon of oil or butter, if desired, over medium-high heat. Place a tortilla in the pan. Layer some shredded cheese over half the tortilla.

2. Add fillings and more cheese: The filling can be any mixture of possible add-ins (see above!). Below, I used sautéed veggies. Next, add a bit more cheese on top of your filling. This helps both sides of the tortilla stick to the inside.

3. Fold: Fold the baked half of the tortilla over the filling. You can make 2 quesadillas at once, fitting 2 half moons into the pan to essentially form a full circle, with the flat sides touching each other.

4. Cook both sides: Cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the quesadillas and continue cooking for another few minutes until golden brown on the new bottom (e.g., the other side).

5. Cut and serve: Cut into wedges and serve with your choice of toppings.

Try these quesadilla recipes on the stove:

• Cheesy Mushroom Quesadillas
• Pulled Pork Quesadillas

How to Bake Quesadillas

Baking quesadillas in the oven is quick and easy. This is great if you love your quesadillas really stuffed with ingredients. It’s also nice when you want to make hands-off quesadillas so you can work on another part of the meal.

1. Prep the oven and pan: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil, and spray with nonstick spray.
2. Build the quesadillas: Brush a tortilla with olive oil and place it oil-side down on a cutting board. Distribute some cheese over half of the tortilla. Layer on some filling, then top with a bit more cheese. Flip the bare half of the tortilla over the filling and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas and the rest of the filling.

3. Bake: Bake the quesadillas for 5 minutes, then carefully flip them with a large spatula and bake for another 8 to 10 minutes, until the top is browned and crispy. Remove the quesadillas from the oven, let them sit on a cutting board for 2 minutes, then cut each half-moon quesadilla into 3 wedges.

Try this recipe for Baked Chicken Quesadillas.

How to Make Quesadillas in the Broiler

For a crispier tortilla, try cooking quesadillas under the oven’s broiler. This method is best if you want to use two full tortillas rather than folding one in half.

1. Preheat: Preheat the broiler.
2. Toast one side of the tortilla: Brush one side of all of the tortillas very lightly with vegetable oil. Place half the tortillas under the broiler, oil side up, right on the rack, and keep checking it until they turn golden brown on top, about 2 to 3 minutes. A dark brown bubble here or there is fine. Remove the tortillas and place them uncooked side up on a baking sheet.
3. Add cheese and optional toppings: Evenly sprinkle the cheese over the tortillas. If desired, add whatever filling you like, adding a bit more cheese on top.
4. Add a tortilla and broil: Place the remaining uncooked tortillas on top of the filling, with the oiled sides up. Broil the quesadillas until the cheese is melted and the top tortillas are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Let the quesadillas sit for a minute before you slice them into 6 wedges each.

Try Barbecued Chicken Quesadillas under the broiler.

How to Make Quesadillas on the Grill

Grilling quesadillas is a lot of fun during warmer months. These are a perfect appetizer to tide everyone over while you grill the main and side dishes. Like the broiler method, make these quesadillas with two stacked whole tortillas.

1. Preheat: Preheat the grill to medium.
2. Prep tortillas: Brush one side of all of the tortillas very lightly with vegetable oil. Place half of the tortillas on the grill, right on the grill grate, and watch them carefully until they turn golden brown on the underside, about 1 to 2 minutes. A dark brown bubble here or there is fine. Remove the tortillas and set them aside. Place the rest of the uncooked tortillas on a flat surface, oiled side down. Evenly sprinkle half of the cheese over the tortillas.
3. Add cheese and optional filling: You can either add the rest of the cheese if you are making plain cheese quesadillas or divide the filling amongst the tortillas and then top them with the rest of the cheese, distributing everything evenly.
4. Grill the tortillas: Place the cooked tortilla on top of the quesadilla, browned side up. Carefully transfer the quesadillas back to the grill using a large, wide spatula, and grill the quesadillas until the cheese is melted and the bottom tortilla is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a cutting board and let the quesadillas sit for a minute before you slice each into 6 wedges.

Try Rotisserie Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas on the grill.

FAQs

What to Serve With Quesadillas

Roasted Tomato Salsa with Olives

Spicy Salsa Verde

Salsa Ranchera

Favorite Quesadilla Recipes

• Steak and Cheese Quesadillas
• Chicken and Mushroom Quesadillas
• Overstuffed Chicken and Vegetable Quesadillas
• Cheesy Ground Beef Quesadillas
• Breakfast Quesadillas