How to Make Quesadillas With Corn Tortillas

By: Julia Mueller

Updated On: August 23, 2018

Cheese quesadillas made with corn tortillas.

Julia Mueller

With just tortillas and cheese, you can make a basic quesadilla for a meal or appetizer in just a few minutes. Both flour and corn tortillas work marvelously, and you can add all sorts of ingredients to make the dish hearty and flavorful. From chicken and steak to vegetarian quesadillas, this fun recipe is easy to change up and always a family favorite.

Basic Cheese Quesadillas

Prepare the Skillet

Add about 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter or olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Use a small skillet if making quesadillas with corn tortillas, and use a larger skillet for standard flour tortillas. Rotate the skillet so the melted butter or oil coats the entire surface.

Julia Mueller

Add a Tortilla and Cheese

Put one tortilla flat on the bottom of the skillet and top with your favorite type of shredded cheese. Store-bought grated cheese blends work great. If you're making quesadillas with corn tortillas, use 1/4 to 1/3 cup grated cheese. If using large flour tortillas, use about 1/2 cup of grated cheese.

Tortilla and grated cheese in a skillet.

Julia Mueller

Add a Second Tortilla

After allowing the cheese to melt slightly, place a second tortilla on top to cover the first. Continue cooking until the cheese is almost all melted and the bottom tortilla is crispy, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Cheese melting between two tortilla layers in a skillet.

Julia Mueller

Flip the Quesadilla

Once the cheese is almost completely melted on the inside of the quesadilla, carefully flip it using a spatula. Allow the quesadilla to cook another 1 to 2 minutes, until the cheese has melted completely and the second tortilla has crisped up.

Spatula beneath a quesadilla cooking on a skillet.

Julia Mueller

Cut and Serve

Transfer the quesadilla to a cutting board and chop in half or quarters.

Julia Mueller

Serve the quesadillas with homemade or store-bought salsa, hot sauce or a dip of choice.

Julia Mueller

Vegetarian Black Bean and Avocado Quesadilla

Stacked wedges of a black bean and avocado quesadilla.

Julia Mueller

Begin With the Cheese

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, and add a large flour tortilla. Sprinkle half of the grated cheese over half of the tortilla.

Half of a flour tortilla covered with cheese in a skillet.

Julia Mueller

Add the Beans and Avocado

Evenly distribute the black beans, avocado slices and remaining cheese over the first layer of cheese. Fold the tortilla in half, and allow it to cook about 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the bottom layer of cheese has melted.

Half of a flour tortilla covered with black beans, avocado and cheese.

Julia Mueller

Flip the Quesadilla

Use a spatula to carefully flip the quesadilla. Cook another 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until all of the cheese has melted and the tortilla has crisped up.

Julia Mueller

Cut Into Wedges

Transfer the quesadilla to a cutting board, and use a sharp knife to cut it into pieces. Serve the quesadilla with your favorite salsa, guacamole or dip.