These ground beef quesadillas are easy to make and great for a quick weeknight dinner or a hearty meal whenever you want to have it during the day. You can also serve them as appetizers if you cut them in 3-4 pieces.

If you like these quesadillas, you’ll likely also love these beef burritos, this chicken burrito bowl, and these chili cheese dogs.

close up side view of seal of ground beef quesadilla showing the fillings with sour cream and guacamole, served on a white plate against a dark background

Ingredients

This is what you need for 4 beef quesadillas.

Flour tortillas – 4 large flour tortillas (about 10 inches in diameter)
Cheese – 3 cups grated cheddar, about 8 oz (225 grams). Get a block and grate it yourself at home so it melts well.
Ground Beef – 1 lb (450 grams) lean ground beef. You can also use a higher-fat ground beef like 15% (85/15) or 20% (80/20). Just don’t add any oil to it when cooking it, and depending on how much fat is released, you may need to drain the excess fat.
Chili Powder – 1 tsp chili powder, mild
Cumin – 1/4 tsp ground cumin
Paprika – 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Garlic Powder – 1/4 tsp garlic powder
Oregano – 1/2 tsp dried oregano
Tomato Paste – 2 tbsp of tomato paste
Salt – 1/2 tsp kosher salt for the ground beef, plus more to taste
Pepper – 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Water – 3/4 cup water
Oil – 1 tbsp neutral oil (sunflower oil, vegetable oil, or light olive oil). You don’t need oil if using an 80/20 or 85/15 ground beef (only if using 90/10 or 95/5).
Guacamole
Sour Cream

Note: For homemade guacamole, you need 2 large avocados, 1 tbsp of lime juice, 1 tbsp minced fresh cilantro, half a jalapeño (diced), half a tomato (diced), 1 tbsp of diced white or red onion, and a pinch of salt. Cut the avocados in half, take the pit out, and scoop out the flesh using a spoon. Mash it with a pinch of salt and the lime juice. Add the remaining ingredients and fold everything in gently. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your taste.

Step 1. Cook the ground beef. Place a frying pan over medium-high heat, and add the oil to it. Once the oil is shimmering and hot, add the ground beef and sauté, breaking it down with a spatula. Once the beef is no longer pink, and the water it released has evaporated, add salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, chili powder, and tomato paste, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring. Turn the heat down to medium and add 3/4 cup of water. Cook until the liquid has mostly disappeared (about 7 more minutes), stirring occasionally.

close up of ground beef cooking in a pan

Step 2. Cook the quesadilla. Put a large pan (at least 10 inches in diameter) over medium heat. If the pan is non-stick, you don’t need oil. If using another type of pan, brush the pan with oil so the tortilla doesn’t stick. Then, add the tortilla and sprinkle one-fourth of the grated cheese all over the surface of the tortilla. Add the cooked beef to half of the tortilla. Taste it and add more salt if needed.

tortilla in a pan with one half covered by grated cheese and the other half cooked ground beef

Step 3. Fold. Once the cheese is half-melted, flip the half without the beef over the half with the beef. Cook on both sides until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is golden-brown to your liking.

Step 4. Serve. Serve immediately with guacamole and sour cream. You can serve the guacamole and sour cream on the side.

overhead view of four ground beef quesadillas served overlapping on a white rectangular platter on a dark wooden surface

overhead view of four ground beef quesadillas served overlapping on a white rectangular platter with a side of sour cream and avocado

If you want, you can open the quesadilla and add the guacamole and sour cream to the inside of the quesadilla before closing it again.

If you make these quesadillas and love them, let me know in a review below!

Recipe Card