Smashburger Quesadillas (Printable version)

Crispy tortillas filled with smashed beef, melted cheddar, and classic burger toppings for the ultimate fusion comfort food.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1.1 lb ground beef, 80/20 blend preferred

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
03 - 1 medium tomato, sliced
04 - 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
05 - 2 dill pickles, sliced

→ Dairy

06 - 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
07 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter

→ Tortillas

08 - 4 large flour tortillas, 10-inch

→ Condiments

09 - 4 tbsp burger sauce

→ Seasonings

10 - 1 tsp salt
11 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
12 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
13 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat until hot.
02 - Divide ground beef into 4 equal portions and shape into loose balls.
03 - Place a beef ball onto one half of each tortilla. Season evenly with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
04 - Using a spatula with a heavy pan or burger press, smash each beef ball thinly and evenly onto the tortilla surface.
05 - Sprinkle a generous amount of shredded cheddar cheese over each smashed beef patty.
06 - Fold each tortilla over to form a half-moon shape, pressing gently to seal.
07 - Add 1/2 tbsp butter to the hot skillet. Place quesadillas in the pan, cooking in batches if necessary. Cook 2-3 minutes per side until beef is cooked through and tortilla is golden and crisp, adding remaining butter as needed.
08 - Remove quesadillas from skillet and let rest for 1 minute before filling.
09 - Gently open each quesadilla and distribute lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and a spoonful of burger sauce evenly among them.
10 - Close quesadillas, slice into wedges, and serve immediately while hot and crispy.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • The smash technique creates those crispy beef edges everyone fights over
  • Its faster than flipping burgers and assembling everything separately
  • The tortilla stays impossibly crispy while hugging all that cheesy beef goodness
02 -
  • The beef must be cold when you start smashing it because room temperature meat will not hold those crispy edges as well
  • Do not overcrowd your pan or the temperature will drop and you will end up with steamed quesadillas instead of crispy ones
03 -
  • Use a cast iron skillet if you have one because the heat retention creates the most stellar crispy edges
  • Warm your tortillas for 20 seconds in the microwave before starting to prevent cracking during folding

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