Carne Asada Quesadillas

Side shot of two quesadillas stacked on a plate with rice.

4.67 from 3 votes

These Carne Asada Quesadillas are the ultimate Tex-Mex dinner — loaded with tender grilled flank steak, sautéed peppers and onions, creamy refried beans, and melty cheese all tucked inside a perfectly golden, crispy tortilla. Serve them alongside chunky guacamole and cilantro lime rice for a meal that tastes like your favorite restaurant right in your own kitchen!

Course Appetizer, Main Dish

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword carne asada quesadillas, chunky guacamole, cilantro lime rice

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 20

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 355kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

For the steak:

3/4 pound flank steak - sliced into strips against the grain
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon EACH ground cumin, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and black pepper

For the onions and peppers:

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion - sliced thin
1 medium bell pepper (any color) - sliced thin
2 medium jalapeno peppers - sliced thin (seeds removed)

For the refried beans:

30 oz. pinto beans - rinsed and drained
1/2 medium yellow onion - chopped
1 medium jalapeno pepper - diced
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium lime - freshly squeezed

To assemble and cook:

4-6 oz. shredded Mexican cheese
8 taco sized tortillas - I use carb balance

Instructions

Make carne asada marinade. In a mixing bowl, combine the marinade ingredients – chopped cilantro (optional), olive oil soy sauce, citrus juices, and seasonings (ground cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper). Pour marinade over the steak – in a storage bag or airtight container.
1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice, 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice, 3/4 pound flank steak, 1/2 teaspoon EACH ground cumin, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and black pepper
Refrigerate. Place meat in refrigerator for a couple of hours. If you marinate overnight, don’t add the citrus until a couple hours before grilling.
Set meat out. Set the meat out an hour or so before grilling. You want to get the chill off the meat before grilling
Grill. Light a grill to 400 degrees and place steak on grates. Cook until the meat reaches 140 degrees (via a digital thermometer). You decide if you want your meat to be more done or rare.
Rest meat and slice. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes, and then slice ACROSS THE GRAIN.
NOTE: If you use leftover carne asada for quesadillas, I slice it thin and then warm up in a skillet.
Sauté peppers and onions. Thinly slice the peppers and onions. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Add peppers and onions, a little bit of salt and pepper, and cook until softened. This should take approximately 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat.
1 Tablespoon olive oil, 1 medium bell pepper (any color), 2 medium jalapeno peppers, 1/2 medium yellow onion
Make refried beans. Sauté the onion and jalapeños in a cast iron over medium high heat. When softened, add garlic, salt, pepper, and ground cumin. Cook for another minute and then add beans. Simmer until hot.
Add the bean mixture to a food processor. Add the butter and lime juice and pulse until very creamy. If needed, add more lime or water to thin.
1/2 medium yellow onion, 1 medium jalapeno pepper, 2 cloves garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, 30 oz. pinto beans, 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 medium lime
Assemble quesadillas. Take a flour tortilla, spread about a few tablespoons of the bean mixture on top, smoothing out on half of the tortilla. Then add some peppers and onions, strips of steak, and then cheese. Fold the tortilla over to form an envelope. Repeat this for the remaining quesadillas.
8 taco sized tortillas, 4-6 oz. shredded Mexican cheese
Cook. Heat up a cast iron skillet to medium heat and add a little bit of oil. Add one or two quesadillas at a time (depending on how big your skillet is) and grill on both sides until nice and browned.
Serve. Slice quesadillas in half and serve with sides of your choice.

Notes

Expert Tips

If making these with leftover flank steak, slice it thin and heat up quickly in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
You may not use all of the ingredients for eight medium-sized quesadillas, so either make more or eat the remainder in burrito bowls instead.
I recommend prepping the beans a day in advance for easier prep.
Instead of using carb balance tortillas, you can use any type you prefer. We like using a whole wheat tortilla too.

Nutrition