Green Chili Cheeseburger Quesadillas

Quesadilla Burgers turn ground beef or ground turkey into a cheesy, skillet-style dinner that feels fun but totally doable on a busy night. These easy Quesadilla Burgers have a spicy kick, green chili burger flavor, and that familiar copycat Applebee's vibe everyone loves. You'll see how to make quesadilla burgers step by step, including a simple cheeseburger quesadilla recipe that comes together fast in one pan. Pin this for later so you've got a go-to, no-fuss dinner ready when weeknights get hectic.

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Why is this the best cheeseburger quesadilla recipe

This easy quesadilla burger recipe is absolutely delicious! The combination of a flavor-packed, cooked-to-perfection meat blend with two different cheeses and a soft, toasted tortilla is delightful.

These burgers are very easy and quick to prep. Mix the ingredients, divide the mixture into four patties, and fry the burgers. Assemble the quesadillas, and that's really all there is to it!

The ingredients for this easy quesadilla burger recipe are common and inexpensive. You probably have most of the simple ingredients already in your pantry, and the remaining couple are available in most grocery stores or on Amazon.

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This recipe makes the best cheeseburger quesadilla anytime! It's super easy to make and quick enough for busy weeknights. You'll have a delicious family meal ready & baked to perfection in under 30 minutes!

This recipe is allergy-friendly and great for special diets. Taco burgers, as written, are soy-free, egg-free, and nut-free. With simple modifications, they can be dairy-free (use a vegan cheese) and gluten-free (use gluten-free tortillas). If you buy or make low-carb tortillas, this recipe works with most low-carb, keto, and bariatric diets. As always, please check the labels on all the ingredients to ensure they fit your nutritional needs.

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What you'll need to make green chili quesadilla burgers

Equipment

• 10-inch cast iron skillet - I recommend this for sautéing the onions, but you can use whatever skillet you want.
• Citrus juicer - This recipe uses fresh lime juice in the chili mayo. If you don't have a citrus juicer and don't want to get one, look on YouTube for how to juice a lime with a fork. You'll find instructions.
• Food scale - I use this to portion out my burgers. I'm weird about measuring everything to ensure they're all exactly the same size. You can eyeball it if you want.
• Electric griddle - I love my electric griddle because I can control the temperature. If you don't have an electric griddle, just use a skillet with a flat bottom, such as the one you used for the onions. The smaller the pan, the more batches you will have to make. An electric griddle can do all 4 burgers at one time.
• Meat thermometer - I linked to my meat thermometer which I bought years ago and absolutely love. It has a wireless probe that you stick into the meat, and it can get hot and go through the skillet, slow cooker, oven, or even the Instant Pot. The app alerts you when your food is the temperature you set. I love that thing. The only downside is that you have to charge it more often that you think or it will be dead when you need to use it. But that's a small thing for an amazing tool.
• Small strainer - Use this to drain the salsa. The salsa must be drained before adding it to the burgers. I'd even use the back of a spoon to press more juice out of it after most of it drips out.

Ingredients

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See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.

For the green chili burger patties

• Salted butter - It doesn't really matter whether you use salted or unsalted butter. You don't need to make any modifications to the recipe for one or the other. They are listed separately in the different sections below, but you need a total of 3 tablespoons of butter for all the steps of the recipe. You could also use a spoonful of bacon grease if you're like me and save it.
• Diced onion - You're going to sauté this before adding it to the ground meat. I recommend using a sweet vidalia onion but any onion will be fine.
• 85/15 or 80/20 ground beef - I like to use a combo of ground turkey and ground sirloin. The resulting burger still looks and tastes like a normal burger but it is healthier than an beef burger. You can use all ground beef or all ground turkey if you prefer. I recommend using 80/20 or 85/15 beef for burgers as leaner meat will make dry burgers. (The numbers refer to the percentage of lean meat/fat in the ground beef mixture. Typically, I would buy 90/10 for most purposes, but for burgers, I always buy 85/15, and if I'm using ground turkey, I use 80/20 so they're not dry.)
• Ground turkey or ground chicken - Reducing your red meat consumption is healthy for your body, and you won't notice a small amount of low fat ground poultry in your burgers. If you don't care about all this nonsense, then use all ground beef and enjoy every bite of your burgers.
• Well-drained diced green chili peppers - This is what makes the patties green chili burgers. If you don't like green chilies, you can use about a quarter of a green or red bell pepper, diced fine, and sauté that with the onion in the first step.
• Chili powder  - This makes the burgers spicy. If you don't like spicy food, you might want to scale this back a bit.
• Ground cumin - If you scale back the chili powder, you should also scale this back so that it's not overpowering.
• Montreal steak seasoning - You can find this with the other spices in the baking aisle of the grocery store or on Amazon.

For the chili mayonnaise

• Mayonnaise - I've never tried it, but Miracle Whip will probably work in this recipe. Cut back on the lime juice because Miracle Whip is already tangy.
• Minced chipotles in adobo sauce - You want to use both the pepper and a little of the sauce. Minced means diced really fine, like smaller than ¼-inch pieces. Do the best you can with your sharpest knife. Chipotle peppers are roasted jalapenos, so they are spicy. If you want to cut down the spice, use less and taste it. You can always add more peppers to increase the flavor and spice, but you can't un-add them, so don't add too much at once.
• Freshly squeezed lime juice - Never ever use the stuff from a bottle because it doesn't even taste like lime juice. Buy a lime, which will cost less than $1. If you don't have a citrus juicer (linked above), look on YouTube for how to juice a lime with a fork. It doesn't work as well as a press/juicer, but it will get more juice than squeezing the lime with just your hand.

For the quesadilla burgers

• More butter - This is to crisp the tortillas. I don't recommend using bacon grease here because it will flavor your tortillas. Although, if you want bacon-flavored tortillas, I suppose you could use it. You do you, friend.
• Taco-sized tortillas - Aim for a little bigger than a hamburger bun.
• Shredded sharp cheddar cheese - I combine shredded cheddar and shredded pepper jack for almost everything. I just love the blend of the two flavors. If you only want to use one or the other (or something else, like colby jack or really whatever cheese your have), just use 2 cups total.
• Shredded pepper jack cheese - This is a little spicy which goes really well with the green chili burger patties.
• Your favorite salsa - This must be drained well, or it will make your quesadillas watery, and you don't want a watery quesadilla. I would put this in a small strainer, let the juice drain, and then use the back of a spoon to press out more juice. You don't want it making your quesadillas soggy or dripping out when you bite into your burger.

How to make easy quesadilla burgers

For the green chili burger patties

1. Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until veggies are starting to brown, about 7-10 minutes. Don't forget to stir or they will burn. Allow to cool for a few minutes before adding to the ground beef mixture.
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2. Mix ground beef and turkey together with the green chilies, chili powder, cumin, and steak seasoning using your hands. Wear disposable gloves if you feel the need or just dig in with washed fingers. Blend well.
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3. Add the onions and mix well, using your hands if the onions are cool enough or a wooden spoon if not. Make sure the veggies are distributed well throughout the ground beef.Pin
   
4. Form 4 patties from the meat mixture, approximately 5 ounces each on the scale. Cook immediately on the grill, stove top, or air fryer. (See instructions for each method linked here.) Make sure the burgers rest for 5-10 minutes before adding to the quesadillas, so the juices are reabsorbed into the meat and don't drip all over your tortillas.
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For the chili mayonnaise

1. Whisk mayo, chipotle peppers with sauce, and lime juice until well blended. Set aside.Pin
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For the quesadilla burgers

1. Heat the electric griddle to 300ºF. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter on the griddle.
2. Mix the cheddar and pepper jack together in a medium bowl using your hands or a spoon.
3. Place 4 tortillas on the griddle and immediately top with half of the cheese and a cooked burger patty. Top each burger patty with a heaping spoonful of the flavored mayo and then ¼ cup of salsa.
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4. When the cheese has melted, carefully remove the burgers from the griddle and keep warm.
5. Melt the remaining butter on the griddle. Add the 4 remaining tortillas and top with the remaining cheese. Cook until the tortillas are crispy and the cheese is melted.
6. Immediately flip the tortillas, cheese side down, and place on top of the burgers. Serve hot and fresh from the griddle.
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Subsitutions & Variations

Use whatever meat you want. In my experience, I have found that any meat leaner than 85/15 makes dry burgers. That's why I suggest using 80/20 beef with turkey. If you use all turkey, your burgers will be dry as cork, and they will taste good, but they won't have the best texture. If you aren't concerned about cutting down your red meat intake, then use all beef. You will love the burgers. If you are concerned about cholesterol and all that, use half ground beef and half turkey, and you'll still be happy with your burgers, and they will not be dry.

I like to top these with some fresh guacamole or sliced avocado, if I have it. The avocado pairs really nicely with the spicy flavors of the burger, pepper jack cheese, and mayo.

If you like raw tomatoes, using pico de gallo would allow you to not go through the hassle of draining salsa, because it generally doesn't have liquid in it.

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If you have time, a couple of slices of bacon would make these quesadilla burgers even better.

You can use cheese slices instead of shredded cheese.

If you're afraid of the spice of the chipotle peppers, you can make a garlic mayo instead and use that. Use this garlic aioli recipe and use lime juice in place of lemon.

Beyond those things, these are burgers and quesadillas, so use whatever toppings you usually like on burgers or quesadillas. I have seen quesadilla burgers with sliced tomato and onion, shredded lettuce, pickled jalapenos or red onions, or dill pickles.

Storing leftovers

I'm going to be honest with you and tell you that these burgers don't store well.

If you do have leftovers, pull the burger out of the quesadilla and store the burgers and tortillas in separate airtight containers or zippered plastic bags. Reheat the burgers in the microwave or in a skillet. Reheat the tortillas in a skillet or on the griddle. Re-assemble when both are heated through.

You can't freeze these once they're assembled, but you can freeze the green chili burger patties. Simply place them between double layers of parchment paper and place the stack in an airtight freezer container or a freezer bag, remove as much air as possible, and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
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There is no need to thaw burgers before reheating. Simply throw them on the grill, griddle, skillet, or in the air fryer and cook them from frozen. They will take an extra minute or two, and you may want to turn the heat down 15-25ºF so that they don't burn on the outside before heating through on the inside. Use a meat thermometer to ensure they are done to your preference on the inside.

Check out more delicious burger recipes.

• Old School Pizza Burgers Recipe
• Hawaiian Burgers on the Stove
• Air Fryer Burgers Taco-Style
• Air Fryer Ground Turkey Burgers Recipe
• Homemade Black and Blue Cheese Burgers
• The Best Grilled BBQ Hamburgers

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