How to Make a Quesadilla on the Stove{This is TOO Easy}

While I mostly enjoy eating quesadillas in Mexican restaurants, I highly recommend that you learn how to make a quesadilla on the stove at home so you can have it anytime you want.

I tried making Quesadilla on the stove and the results were AMAZING in my first attempt, so I had to share my experience in this post.

A good quesadilla does not have to use ingredients that are exotic or hard to find. In fact, I like making cheese quesadillas or chicken quesadillas from leftover ingredients the night before.

It is also not about the skill you have as I’ve said, quesadillas are really easy to make. You just need to know how to make them in specific temperatures and timing to get it right.

Ofcourse you can make Quesadilla on a grill/griddle combo too.

You also do not need a $1000 grill to make quesadillas on you can easily make it on the stovetop.

You can also change the recipe easily in terms of the quesadilla filling or make quesadillas with two tortillas.

If you make quesadillas with two tortillas, you will be able to put more fillings in it and enjoy that crispy tortilla along with the delicious and savory fillings inside, so let us see how to make one.

Cooking Quesadillas On Stovetops

I usually make quesadillas on a griddle.

This is because the griddle can distribute heat more evenly and the tortilla wraps cook perfectly with the beautiful and iconic brown spots.

Cooking quesadillas on stovetops is not really that different if you use a cast iron pan or a normal flat pan.

It is a very easy process and you only need a good frying pan or better yet, use a cast-iron skillet for a more even result on the wraps.

So even without a griddle, you will still be able to make the best chicken, cheese, or any type of quesadilla that you want on stovetops.

There are a lot of fillings that you can use for your quesadilla.

I usually use leftover food or some fillings that are already cooked so that I would only have to worry about the tortilla wraps and spend less time preparing the fillings when I need to cook.

Remember to preheat your griddle or stovetop before you cook so that you get that crispy finish on the tortilla wraps and get a warm, delicious taste on the fillings when the quesadillas are cooked.

I will give you more on the tips and proper procedure with the recipe below on how to prepare and cook the quesadillas on stovetops at home.

What Do You Need For Quesadillas?

This question answers two more specific questions that are asked frequently.

Let us first go with what the most common fillings are and see the spices or herbs to use on quesadillas later on.

The most common filling that is usually used in quesadillas is chicken, pulled pork, bacon, fried or griddled vegetables, onions, cilantro, and tomatoes for the more classic version of quesadillas.

These ingredients can also be combined together to make quesadillas that are more unique in flavor.

Of course, you cannot make quesadillas without cheese in them to combine the flavors.

Cheese is a great ingredient that is actually responsible for adding texture to the quesadilla while also binding the flavors of the fillings and the spices that are within the quesadilla.

Speaking of the spices and seasonings that you can use on quesadillas, the ideal seasoning is a Mexican blend.

Without it, the quesadilla would not taste the same, but that is not a bad thing.

You can make quesadillas without the classic Mexican blend and make the flavors more familiar.

If you want to make the blend yourself, then you can get creative.

I also recommend mixing the herbs and spices in the cheese before putting them in the quesadillas to get a more even flavor distribution.

Use ground cumin, paprika, chili powder, and cilantro.

Quesadilla Filling Ideas

Quesadilla is so versatile that you have a ton of filling ideas and options. I gurantee, you can put anything inside a Quesadilla and it would be delicious.

But, if you are looking for some Quesadilla filling ooptions, then below are hte ones that I love and generally go for!

However, do get creative and maybe make your own fun Quesadilla filling combo and let me know about them in the comments!

For now feel free to make quesadilla with these filling ideas and-

– Bacon, egg, cheese
-Beans and corn
-Ground beef, beans, and veggies
-Potatoes, onions, corns, beans
-Chicken, mushroom, capsicum, corn, onion
-BBQ shredded chicken, mushroom, onion
-Mushroom, onion, capsicum
-Zucchini, garlic, tomatoes
-Turkey, onions and olives
-Scrambled eggs, tomatoes, cheese
-Pizza suce, mozzarella, tomato, olives, corn, mushroom
-Cheese quesadilla
-Broccoli, cheese onion quesadilla

How to make a Quesadilla Crispy?

If you want to make your Quesadilla EXTREMELY crispy while ocoking on the stove then make sure that you follow these tips-

1. Oil the pan- Yes, using a bit of oil or grease on the pan will help in making the Quesadilla crispy as hot oil gives a nice frying effect without drying out the tortillas.

Do not overdo it else you would end up with an oily Quesadilla. Just make sure to use one tbsp of oil for evrey quesadilla batch you cook.

2. Cook on Medium Flame- This is KEY! You need to cook Quesadillas on medium flame, till it gets golden in colour.

If you cook it on a high flame, then the tortilla will cook before the cheese melts and hence you do not get the right texture that one expects on a tortilla.

What Is The Best Cheese To Use?

Again, a quesadilla will hardly be a quesadilla without the best cheese that you can use when you make quesadillas on stovetops.

It is easy to find the type of cheese to use in quesadillas.

You do not need a cheese that is too wet as it might damage or turn the tortilla wraps soggy.

That can be prevented by using two tortilla wraps but it might still turn soggy in the end.

Any cheese that melts easily is a good type of cheese to use on your quesadilla.

You need to have that good melty cheese in order for it to blend the flavors from the other ingredients.

Mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, and Monterey Jack cheese will all work for your quesadillas, better yet, blend all of these cheeses together to get a unique and delicious flavor.

If you want to stick with the authenticity of quesadilla recipes, then you should use a Mexican cheese like queso fresco or manchego, an aged Mexican cheese that has a strong flavor.

What Temperature To Cook Quesadillas On Stovetops?

The ideal temperature for making quesadillas should always be medium flame on the stove.

This way it is not too high so the tortilla burns before the cheese melts and neither too low so the tortilla goes uncooked.

What I mean by that is you have to make the flour tortilla wraps crispy but not burnt, that is around medium heat.

Medium heat is 300 degrees Fahrenheit which is good enough to get the golden brown color on tortillas and also hot enough to slowly melt the cheese inside the tortillas.

If you are using two tortilla wraps, then you can experiment with higher temperatures but this is risky as it can burn only the outer wrapper and leave the interior cold and raw so keep an eye on it.

It is easy to burn the flour or even corn tortillas so make sure that you always keep an eye on the quesadillas while they are cooking so they do not get burnt or cook unevenly.

How long should Quesadilla cook on stove?

It takes me about 10 minutes to cook Quesadilla as I cook it on a medium flame and 5 minutes on each side.

This is the time for the first tortilla that I cook, the batches that I cook later take shorter time because the pan is already hot enough.

So, how long it takes, depends on how many quesadillas you cook at once, the size of the pan and thickness of tortillas used.

Just make sure both sides of the Quesadilla is golden brown in colour and you will get great results.

What kind of seasoning of you put on Quesadilla?

You can use different seasoning combinations to season the Quesadilla filling. Usually the common seasonings that you just CANNOT skip has to be salt and Cayenne pepper.

The additional ones I like to use are cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, coriander powder and sometimes even dried oregano.

You do not have to put all of these seasonings in all the filling ideas I listed above. Use the ones that you think might go well with the fiiling ideas.

For example- I would use cumin powder, coriander powder, parika, salt an cayenne pepper on the chicken+beans+corn+onion combo.

what to dip quesadillas in?

You can dip Quesadillas in sour cream, salsa Guacamole as these three are the common dips that go well with Quesadillas.

I personally love sour cream with Quesadillas but you can go ahead and even curate your own personalised dip that go well with Quesadillas.

I recently tried this Taco Bell Copycat Quesadilla Sauce and it was perfect so you can try it as well if you love Taco Bell!

There is this simple Guacamole recipe that you can use to make these easy Quesadilla dips at home-

What Kind Of Tortillas Should I Use?

Whether you cook two tortillas for one quesadilla or just the classic folded tortillas, you need to find the right kind of tortillas that will cook along with the cheese and fillings inside the quesadilla.

You can easily find the right tortillas in the supermarket as they sell them everywhere.

The kind of tortilla recommended by most (including me), is the large and thin wheat flour tortillas.

Since these types of tortillas are large, there is enough space for you to put a lot of fillings inside with enough space for the cheese to melt while also being thin enough to cook the interior of the quesadilla.

This means that you can even make baked quesadillas with this kind of tortillas.

Wheat flour tortillas are more flexible than corn tortillas, which is important when flipping the quesadillas.

Chicken Quesadillas Recipe

Now that you know all the basics and tricks on how to make the best quesadillas at home, let us proceed with this step-by-step guide on how to make the best quesadillas on the stove.

Ingredients

-2 large wheat flour tortillas

-Cooking oil

-1 cup of shredded chicken (preferably leftover or cooked chicken)

-Sliced mushrooms

-1 tablespoon of chopped red onions

-1 cup of shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese

Procedure 

Step 1: Preheat The Stove

Once you have all your ingredients ready, preheat the stove to medium heat or 300 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Get a pan over the stove or use a cast-iron skillet for better results.

Grease or pour a tablespoon of cooking oil on the skillet and then cook the red onions and mushrooms.

If the chicken is still raw, make sure to put it first so it cooks evenly.

Step 2: Cook The Quesadillas

Once the fillings are cooked, remove them from the skillet and set them aside on a sheet pan or a plate.

Brush the skillet again with oil and then cook one of the large tortillas.

Allow it to cook until the bottom turns brown and then remove it from the skillet without flipping it.

Put the other tortilla and then place the shredded cheese on top with just enough space on the edges.

The spaces on the edges of the tortilla will be the space for the cheese to melt into.

Put the fillings in the middle of the tortilla and then place the cooked tortilla on top with the cooked side up.

Press the quesadillas together with a spatula and wait for them to cook.

Once the cheese is starting to ooze out of the tortilla and the bottom tortilla is golden brown, remove it from the skillet.

Serve while hot to enjoy the delicious melting cheese and the savory fillings inside.

You can also use some salt and pepper to taste or better yet, make the best sauce or side dish like guacamole!