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Steak Fajita Quesadillas

Steak fajita quesadillas with caramelized peppers, charred steak strips, and melted Oaxaca or mozzarella tucked in golden-brown flour tortillas. Slice them in half to show the oozing cheese and fajita filling, ready for sour cream and salsa on the side.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Steak fajita filling
  • 1.5 lb flank steak
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 bell peppers (red and yellow)
  • 1 onion
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 black pepper to taste
Quesadillas
  • 8 flour tortillas
  • 3 cup shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese
  • 0.25 sour cream toppings
  • 0.25 salsa toppings
  • 0.25 cilantro toppings
  • 0.25 lime wedges toppings

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season and char the steak
  1. Season the sliced flank steak with salt, black pepper, chili powder, and cumin until evenly coated. Let it sit while you heat the skillet.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Cook the steak in batches until charred, about 3 minutes per side, then remove and set aside.
Cook the peppers and assemble the filling
  1. In the same skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over high heat. Sauté the bell peppers and onion until softened and charred, about 8 minutes.
  2. Add the lime juice to the peppers and onion in the skillet, stirring to coat. Cook for 30 seconds to meld flavors, then turn off the heat.
Make and cook the quesadillas
  1. Warm the flour tortillas in the skillet or over a dry heat until pliable, about 20 to 30 seconds per side. Keep them covered so they don’t dry out.
  2. Fill each tortilla with shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese, steak, and the pepper mixture. Fold in half.
  3. Cook the folded quesadillas in the skillet over medium-high heat until golden and the cheese melts, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate as they finish.
Serve
  1. Serve the quesadillas immediately with sour cream, salsa, cilantro, and lime wedges on the side. Slice the quesadillas in half so the melted cheese and filling are visible.

Notes

Pro tip: Use very thinly sliced flank steak so it chars fast and doesn’t dry out during batch cooking. Store cooked quesadillas in the refrigerator up to 3 days and reheat in a skillet to re-crisp the tortillas. Freeze assembled quesadillas for best texture up to 2 months; thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. For a lighter option, swap some of the cheese for part-skim mozzarella while keeping the full 3 cups total for melt.