Carne Asada Quesadillas

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

4.67 from 3 votes

Carne Asada Quesadillas combine grilled flank steak with peppers, onions, the best refried beans, cheese, and tortillas. Serve these with chunky guacamole and cilantro lime rice for a complete Tex-Mex dinner!

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 337kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

For the steak:

3/4 pound flank steak - sliced into strips against the grain
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 Tablespoons olive oil
a squeeze of fresh lime juice

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

For the steak:

In a mixing bowl, combine the marinade ingredients – the olive oil, garlic powder, ground cumin, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of fresh lime. Pour marinade over the steak – in a storage bag or airtight container.
1 Tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 3/4 pound flank steak, a squeeze of fresh lime juice
Place meat in refrigerator for a couple of hours. If you marinate overnight, don’t add the lime until a couple hours before grilling.
Set the meat out an hour or so before grilling. You want the meat to be almost room temp.
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.
Let the meat rest for 10 minutes, and then slice ACROSS THE GRAIN.

For the 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

For the beans:

Saute 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.
1/2 medium yellow onion, 1 medium jalapeno pepper, 2 cloves garlic, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, 30 oz. pinto beans
Add the bean mixture to a food processor. Add the butter and lime juice and pulse until very creamy. Add water to thin the beans to your desired consistency.
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 medium lime

To assemble and cook:

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
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. Repeat with remaining quesadillas.
Slice quesadillas in half and serve with sides of your choice. See blog for ideas!

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