Quesadilla Burgers

One quesadilla burger is cut in half, on a wooden board with fries on the side.

Quesadilla Burgers are the kind of fun, cheesy dinner that turns an ordinary weeknight into an event everyone actually looks forward to. This cheeseburger quesadilla recipe uses ground beef and ground turkey, brings in spicy green chili burgers flavor, and feels like a copycat Applebee’s favorite made right at home. You’ll learn how to make quesadilla burgers step by step, with easy Quesadilla Burgers that don’t require extra pans or prep.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings burgers

Calories 877 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

For the green chili burger patties

1 tablespoon salted butter
½ medium onion diced
¾ pound ground beef (We 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 all beef burgers.)
½ pound ground turkey or ground chicken
½ cup diced green chili peppers drained well
2 tablespoons chili powder (This makes the burgers very spicy. If you don't like spicy food you might want to scale this back a bit.)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon Montreal steak seasoning

For the chili mayonnaise

½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chipotles in adobo sauce minced
2 teaspoons lime juice freshly squeezed

For the quesadilla burgers

2 tablespoons butter divided
8 small tortillas taco sized
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1 cup salsa use your favorite, drained

Instructions

For the green chili burger patties

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.
Mix ground meat together with the green chilies, chili powder, cumin, and steak seasoning using your hands. Blend well.
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.
Form 4 patties from the meat mixture, approximately 5 ounces each. Cook immediately on the grill, stove top, or air fryer. (See instructions for each method linked in the notes below.) Make sure the burgers rest for 5-10 minutes before adding to the quesadillas.

For the chili mayonnaise

Whisk mayo, chipotle peppers with sauce, and lime juice until well blended. Set aside.

For the quesadilla burgers

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

Notes

For instructions on cooking burgers:

Nutrition

Keyword beef, burgers, ground beef

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