Quesadilla Burger Recipe

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What do you get when you combine one of the most famous American dishes with one of the most popular Mexican ones? Pure magic. The quesadilla burger is an innovative main course that features a ground beef burger patty, a zingy chipotle mayo, and two tortillas covered in cheese that serve as the buns. There are so many great things about this recipe, but we love that it's a unique take on quesadillas and burgers.

Recipe developer Kate Shungu came up with this recipe, it's every bit as delicious as you would imagine. "This recipe is some serious comfort food! I love the crispy tortillas on the outside, and the chipotle mayo adds a little kick," Shungu raves. She actually came up with this recipe based on a past menu item at a chain restaurant. "Applebee's once sold a version of this dish. It was fun to re-create it at home, and it was really satisfying to see it come so close to the original," she shares. Keep reading to find out how to make this fantastic quesadilla burger.

The first step is to make a list and head to the grocery store. For this recipe, you'll need ground beef, salt, mayonnaise, chipotles in adobo, lime juice, butter, tortillas, Colby jack cheese, pico de gallo, and shredded lettuce.

Once you have all of those items, you can make this yummy quesadilla burger. 

You'll need to use your grill for this recipe, so preheat it to medium heat so it has time to get nice and hot. Don't have a grill? No sweat. "Instead of grilling, you can cook the burgers in a skillet or on an indoor grill pan," Shungu says.

In the meantime, take out a mixing bowl and add your ground beef and salt. Gently mix them, then use your hands to form four burger patties. "You can use ground bison, turkey, or chicken in place of the ground beef," Shungu adds.

Once the grill finishes preheating, take your patties and toss them onto the grates. You'll need to cook them for about 3–4 minutes per side. Continue cooking until you reach your desired doneness; rare burgers will obviously take a little less time than well-done burgers.

As you wait for the burgers to cook, combine the mayonnaise, chipotles in adobo, and lime juice in a small bowl. Stir together to combine and set the sauce to the side.

Place a large skillet or electric griddle on medium heat and add about a tablespoon of butter. Toss in the four tortillas and top them each with cheese. Depending on the size of the skillet or griddle, you may need to do these in batches.

Then, place a burger on top of the cheese-topped tortilla.

On each burger, add a spoonful of the mayonnaise mixture. Use either the back of the spoon or a knife to spread it on top of the patty. Then, divide the pico de gallo and shredded lettuce on each of the burgers.

Once the cheese melts, remove the burger-topped tortillas from the skillet with a spatula.

In the same skillet, melt the remaining butter. Then, add four more tortillas (the top "buns") and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. Cook the tortillas until the cheese melts and the tortilla is crispy on the bottom. Place the cheese-topped tortillas on top of the burgers, cheese-side down, to finish assembling your quesadilla burgers.

Once you finish putting together the burgers, you can finally dig in. These are great on their own, but Shungu also provides a few good serving options to jazz it up: "I like serving these with extra pico de gallo and extra chipotle mayo," she says. We also think they would be great with a side of french fries or sweet corn.

You can keep leftovers if you have them, but be sure to follow Shungu's instructions. "I'd recommend removing the burger and heating it in the microwave, then using the stovetop to heat the tortillas again. Then, put it all back together," she says

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The quesadilla burger is already a cultural mélange, so you can continue to have fun mixing and matching the adorning elements. Your favorite quesadilla fillings and toppings (avocado, pickled onions, charred corn, or jalapeños) are as viable as your go-to burger garnishes (bacon, crispy onions, a fried egg, or even dill pickles). The fresh pico and lettuce add a bit of texture here, but you could heighten the crunch factor by sprinkling on crumbled chicharrones or potato chips.

For sauces, consider other Mexican-inspired choices — salsa verde or roja, a fruity pineapple salsa or mango salsa, or smoky queso dip. You can also either augment or replace the mayo with a tangy chipotle crema. If you want to lean into the Tex-Mex and American sides of this dish, you might reach for mustard or a smoky barbecue sauce. The joy of experimenting with fusion dishes is that you can use the informing traditions as springboards for creativity rather than limiting boundary points.

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