Ingredients

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 tsp. ground chili powder

1/2 tsp. ground paprika

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

8 medium flour tortillas

1 1/2 c. Monterey Jack, shredded

1 avocado, sliced

2 tbsp. chopped cilantro

Preparation

Step 1In a large pan over medium heat, heat oil. Cook onion until soft, 5 minutes. Add ground beef and spices, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, and season with salt and pepper. Stir occasionally and cook until the meat cooked through and no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Remove pan from heat and drain excess fat. Season mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Clean pan and return over medium heat. Step 2Meanwhile, assembly quesadillas: Divide cheese between 4 tortillas. Top with beef mixture, avocado, and cilantro then top each tortilla with a second tortilla. Step 3Working one at a time, transfer quesadillas to hot pan and cook until golden-brown underneath, about 3 minutes. When ready to flip, cover the pan with a large plate. Invert pan to transfer the quesadilla onto the plate, then slide the quesadilla back onto the pan (golden side up). Cook until golden-brown on other side. Step 4Slice into wedges before serving.

This recipe is simple—seasoned ground beef + melty Monterey jack + avocado—and almost every element can be substituted or skipped. While it doesn’t matter what kind of cheese you use, cheese is essential. Unlike our chicken quesadillas, which calls for loading half a tortilla with filling then folding the other half of tortilla on top, this recipe calls for the plate flip method. Which, by the way, is way easier than it seems! The benefit to such a dramatic technique: You cook bigger quesadillas more quickly.  To cut six equal slices, make a big X in the quesadilla then make a slice through the belly of that X, left to right. That way, no one will feel left out from the cheesy, beefy deliciousness. Whenever we make a quesadilla we know we want three things along side of it. Guac, fresh salsa and sour cream. You can buy all three at the store, but making your own guacamole and salsa will make for a next level dipping experience. Made this recipe? Let us know how it came out in the comments below! Editor’s Note: This recipe was updated on December 23, 2020.