Ditch the bun for Cheeseburger Quesadillas! This quick, fun, and crispy spin on cheeseburgers goes from fridge to table in just 30 minutes.
“This was AMAZING! I had low expectations because it seemed so simple…but then I took my first bite dipped in the special sauce… and WOW!”
My oldest child’s favorite food on the planet is burgers. He’d eat them every single night if he could but…everyone’s getting a little sick of burgers!
Cheeseburger Quesadillas though? Can’t get enough. They’re crispy, cheesy, and seriously irresistable – especially when dunked into homemade special sauce. Plus they couldn’t be easier to make. A true 30 minute dinner!
Watch How to Make Them
Easy Cheeseburger Quesadillas
Browned ground beef is mixed with ketchup and mustard then layered in a tortilla with shredded cheddar cheese, your favorite burger toppings (I love diced onion and pickles), topped with MORE cheese, then crisped in a hot skillet.
Want to add bacon? You should. Sauteed mushrooms? Go for it!
That said, I’m not including any ingredient measurements in the recipe card. No need! One component I am including specifics for is the Special Sauce you’ll want to smother each bite in. Cannot have burgers – in any form – without special sauce.
Best of all, we always have the ingredients to make Cheeseburger Quesadillas on hand so I can brown a pound of ground beef then quickly make these for lunch, dinner, or hearty snack.
So good, so easy — let’s do this!
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Make the ground beef filling.
Start by adding browned ground beef to a bowl with ketchup and mustard. I like using a 2:1 ratio of ketchup to mustard but it’s totally up to you. You’ll want the mixture to be more on the saucy vs dry side.
You can brown the ground beef in a skillet, or use my method for cooking ground beef like a restaurant.
Step 2: Brown the quesadilla.
Heat a large skillet or electric griddle over medium heat then spray with nonstick spray.
Place a tortilla down (I like Mission gluten free tortillas), then add a thin layer of shredded cheddar cheese, followed by the ground beef mixture.
Next add your favorite burger toppings. I typically go with lots of diced white onion and chopped pickles.
Recipe Tip
Add whatever burger toppings you typically like on your burger such as sauteed mushrooms, chopped bacon, etc.
Lastly, add another thin layer of shredded cheddar cheese and top with another tortilla.
Cook until both sides are crisp then slide the quesadilla onto a cooling rack, let it cool for 5 minutes or so, then transfer to a cutting board and slice into wedges.
I like to mix up the Special Sauce (recipe below) while the quesadillas are cooling, though the sauce can be made up to 5 days ahead of time. It just gets better as it sits in the refrigerator.
I hope you love this mouthwatering twist on classic cheeseburgers as much as we do! Enjoy!
More Easy Ground Beef Recipes
- Cheeseburger Bombs
- Ground Beef Stroganoff
- Homemade Crunchy Taco Hamburger Helper
- American Goulash
- Beef and Veggie Enchilada Skillet
- Oven-Baked Burgers
- Mini BBQ Cheddar Meatlaoves
- Skillet Tater Tot Caserole
- Skillet Shepherd’s Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
- ground beef, browned with salt and pepper then drained
- ketchup
- mustard
- large tortillas, Mission gluten free tortillas recommended
- shredded cheddar cheese
For the Toppings:
- chopped onions, chopped pickles, chopped bacon, etc.
For the Special Sauce:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons ketchup
- 2 Tablespoons minced dill pickles
- 1 Tablespoon minced white onion
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
Directions
For the Special Sauce:
- Add ingredients to a bowl then stir to combine. Can be made several days ahead of time.
For the Quesadillas:
- Add cooked ground beef to a mixing bowl then add ketchup and mustard to taste (I usually go with 2 parts ketchup to 1 part mustard.) You'll want the mixture to be on the "saucy" side vs dry.
- Heat a large skillet or electric griddle over medium heat then spray with nonstick spray. Place a tortilla in the bottom of the skillet then sprinkle on a thin layer of cheddar cheese followed by the ground beef mixture. Add your desired toppings then sprinkle on another thin layer of cheese and place a tortilla on top.
- Once the tortilla has browned on the bottom, flip the quesadilla then continue to cook until the second side has browned. Transfer the quesadilla to a cooling rack to cool for 5 minutes then transfer to a cutting board and slice into wedges. Serve with Special Sauce.
Notes
- Estimated nutritional information is for the Special Sauce only.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Kristen,
As a long-time vegan, I still think your blog is wonderful. Your personality comes through in every post, and it seems that you and Ben live life to the fullest. Thanks for the earnest entries that show your charisma. You are classy.
Aww, that’s so sweet of Ben! I swear it’s totally possible to taste “love” in food. There is no other possible explanation for why my mom’s microwave scrambled eggs taste like heaven.
I’m darn proud of my guacamole and perfectly pretty omelets. My boyfriend is King of the Hard Boiled Egg. He has a gift.
So funny about the mansagna!! My husband has a recipe he calls taco pie that I (and now all of our friends) call “mansserole.” It’s one of the most delicious, cheesy, taco-y, amazing things ever but I don’t see how it could have been dreamed up by a woman:)
Thanks for the recipe…I just got a quesadilla maker (won it – not something I’d necessarily ever buy) last week and have yet to use it. I think I’m going to have to make this recipe tomorrow night!
Oh my goodness. This looks absolutely delicious!
God those look good… Think I’ll make those this weekend. :) I’ve gotta say, your blog inspires me to cook more than any other blog!
What a clever idea. I’ll share it with my husband, who does all of our cooking. Thx!
My man’s ‘sagna “recipe” looks quite similar. I don’t even try to top it!
wow! what a great idea! ive been also looking into getting one of those griddles for the stove, which do you have?
Most of my pans (including that skillet) are from Calphalon. They NEVER chip or scratch!
I love how you put ketchup and mustard with the ground meat. So clever!
Stuffed peppers and guacamole (not together!) are in my wheel house.
Thanks for te quick recipe – I have some leftover ground turkey I’ll be trying this with!
Mansagna is the only way I’ll eat lasagna… Any other kind of cheese & forget it!
I make a mean chicken piccata. Capers and beurre blanc sauce… what more could you want?