Cheeseburger quesadillas with smoky burger sauce are what I like to call lazy cheeseburgers. They're just as delicious, but with all the melty comfort of a quesadilla (without needing to toast any buns or fry up the patties just right). We're definitely a couple of burger nerds but sometimes especially if we're cooking for several people, this quick quesadilla is the only way to go. Add some crispy bacon to make it a bacon-cheeseburger quesadilla and be sure to MealPrep it to have extra on hand for easy weeknight meals.
I created this recipe for one of my kid's cooking classes in China where pork is plentiful and good beef not as much -- and they were a hit because both quesadillas and cheeseburgers are universally loved. It's an easy starter recipe for kids to help out with or make all by themselves and I've included step-by-step recipe photos to make it even easier.
What's the Secret to Making the Best Cheeseburger Quesadillas?
Well-seasoned fatty ground pork, Worcestershire sauce, onion, and garlic powder are the keys to a great cheeseburger quesadilla -- this plus the addition of a quick smoky homemade burger sauce. Although you can definitely use ground beef as I have in this post because it's what we happened to have on hand. An 80/20 or 85/15 beef is best, but 90/10 will work if you add a little extra virgin olive oil to the meat as it cooks). Just know that you'll get better texture and better flavor if you use fatty pork (like what you'd use to make homemade sausage, potstickers, or dumplings with). Use what you have on hand because it all works.
Why add Worcestershire sauce? Worcestershire tends to make pork and beef dishes taste "beefier" and it makes these quesadillas taste more like an actual cheeseburger and less like browned ground beef quesadillas. Once you've got the meat seasoned, it's just a matter of deciding what your favorite burger toppings are and getting them piled in before semi-slowly cooking them until golden brown and crispy.
Easy Cheeseburger Quesadillas Ingredients
With just a handful of ingredients, you can have a better-than-average inexpensive burger night in. Make it vegetarian by substituting Beyond "meat' (which has a delicious almost charbroiled flavor) or other plant-based meat alternatives. For the smoky burger sauce, feel free to play around with the amounts of each condiment and also the spices depending on your preferences.
Cheeseburger Quesadilla Ingredients
- 4 (10-inch) flour tortillas
- 1 pound fatty ground pork, or ground beef, or Beyond "meat" (500g)
- 1 tablespoon onion powder (7g)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder (.75g)
- ½ teaspoon Lawry's Seasoning Salt, or more to taste (or use regular salt) (2.5g)
- 1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (20g)
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 2 medium onions, (1 sliced for sautéeing and 1 finely diced raw)
- 3 ½ cups grated cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, or provolone)
- 1 large tomato (or a handful of sweet grape tomatoes), diced or sliced
- shredded lettuce or purple cabbage, to taste
- dill pickles, sliced or finely chopped, to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter (for the pan)
Smoky Burger Sauce
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard (15g)
- ¼ cup real mayonnaise (or homemade) (60g)
- ½ cup ketchup (115g)
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon onion powder, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
How to Make Cheeseburger Quesadillas at Home
We love making homemade quesadillas because they're easy and make a quick dinner any night of the week.
- Cook the meat. Heat a skillet over medium-high, add the ground meat (or meat alternative), onion powder, garlic powder, Lawry's Seasoned Salt (or regular salt), and black pepper, and cook until the meat is just browned. Add the Worcestershire sauce and stir everything to combine, taste, adjust seasonings, and cook a little longer until some of the meat crisps up slightly.
- Caramelize the onion. In a small or medium skillet, add about 2 teaspoons (9g) of olive oil to the pan, turn the heat up to medium-high, and add the sliced onions. Add salt to taste and cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until they have a nice golden brown and charred color. Set aside.
- Make the smoky burger sauce. Add all of the burger sauce ingredients to a small bowl, combine, and adjust the seasonings if needed. Set aside.
- Assemble the quesadillas. Lay out one flour tortilla and sprinkle cheese over half of it, add some meat, caramelized onions, raw diced onions, pickles, and tomatoes, drizzle it with the smoky burger sauce, and add a little lettuce. Add more cheese and close the tortilla, pressing down on it to flatten it into a half-moon shape. Repeat with remaining quesadillas. *Alternatively, you may assemble the quesadillas by covering the entire bottom with toppings and then placing another tortilla on top, but when you cut the quesadillas, there won't be a closed edge to keep all of the ingredients inside.
- Cook the quesadillas Preheat a skillet to medium heat, add just enough butter to coat the bottom of the skillet and place quesadillas in the pan. Cook over steady heat (not too high or too low) until it's golden brown and crispy, flip the quesadilla over using a spatula, and cook until golden brown and the cheese has melted. Remove quesadillas to a cutting board and slice into 3 wedges and serve, Enjoy!
How to Make the Best Cheeseburger Quesadillas step-by-step recipe photos
Or, build the quesadillas without folding them in half before cooking...
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Let's get started!
Print📖 Recipe
Easy Cheeseburger Quesadillas (+ Bacon Cheeseburger option)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Cheeseburger quesadillas with smoky burger sauce are basically lazy cheeseburgers that can be made without any fuss. They're just as delicious, but with all the melty comfort of a quesadilla (and without toasting any buns and frying up the patties just right). This is an especially great recipe if we're cooking for several people. Add some crispy bacon to make it a bacon-cheeseburger quesadilla, or use Beyond Beef to make it vegetarian -- just be sure to MealPrep it to have extra on hand for easy weeknight meals.
Ingredients
Cheeseburger Quesadilla Ingredients
- 4 (10-inch) flour tortillas
- 1 pound fatty ground pork, or ground beef, or Beyond "meat" (500g)
- 1 tablespoon onion powder (7g)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder (.75g)
- ½ teaspoon Lawry's Seasoning Salt, or more to taste (or use regular salt) (2.5g)
- 1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (20g)
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 2 medium onions, (1 sliced for sautéeing and 1 finely diced raw)
- 3 ½ cups grated cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, or provolone)
- 1 large tomato (or a handful of sweet grape tomatoes), diced or sliced
- shredded lettuce or purple cabbage, to taste
- dill pickles, sliced or finely chopped, to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter (for the pan)
Smoky Burger Sauce
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard (15g)
- ¼ cup real mayonnaise (or homemade) (60g)
- ½ cup ketchup (115g)
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon onion powder, or to taste
- ¼ tsp garlic powder, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Cook the meat. Heat a skillet over medium-high, add the ground meat (or meat alternative), onion powder, garlic powder, Lawry's Seasoned Salt (or regular salt), and black pepper, and cook until the meat is just browned. Add the Worcestershire sauce and stir everything to combine, taste, adjust seasonings, and cook a little longer until some of the meat crisps up slightly.
- Caramelize the onion. In a small or medium skillet, add about 2 teaspoons (9g) of olive oil to the pan, turn the heat up to medium-high, and add the sliced onions. Add salt to taste and cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until they have a nice golden brown and charred color. Set aside.
- Make the smoky burger sauce. Add all of the burger sauce ingredients to a small bowl, combine, and adjust the seasonings if needed. Set aside.
- Assemble the quesadillas. Lay out one flour tortilla and sprinkle cheese over half of it, add some meat, caramelized onions, raw diced onions, pickles, and tomatoes, drizzle it with the smoky burger sauce, and add a little lettuce. Add more cheese and close the tortilla, pressing down on it to flatten it into a half-moon shape. Repeat with remaining quesadillas. *Alternatively, you may assemble the quesadillas by covering the entire bottom with toppings and then placing another tortilla on top, but when you cut the quesadillas, there won't be a closed edge to keep all of the ingredients inside.
- Cook the quesadillas Preheat a skillet to medium heat, add just enough butter to coat the bottom of the skillet and place quesadillas in the pan. Cook over steady heat (not too high or too low) until it's golden brown and crispy, flip the quesadilla over using a spatula, and cook until golden brown and the cheese has melted. Remove quesadillas to a cutting board and slice into 3 wedges and serve, Enjoy!
Notes
- If you use lean beef the quesadillas will still taste great, but won't have the same plump "bite" or flavor as using fatty pork, or a fattier beef.
- Use sliced cheese if that's what you have on hand. It's nearly impossible to find shredded cheddar cheese where we live in Italy, so I just use the slices instead and it actually stays inside the quesadilla a little easier.
- To give your sautéed caramelized onions that signature "restaurant" sizzle and flavor, add a splash of soy sauce to the skillet towards the last few seconds of cooking and give them a stir.
- If you're making a Vegan Beyond "meat" Cheeseburger quesadillas, use alternatives for the butter, cheese, mayonnaise, and Worcestershire sauce in the recipe.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Sandwiches + Panini + Wraps
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 Quesadilla Wedges
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