Quesadilla
A tortilla folded on cheese on a hot comal — Mexico City may put no cheese in some, but this one does.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 8 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 13 min
- Difficulty
- Very easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price

About
A quesadilla is a folded tortilla cooked on a dry pan until the cheese melts. Corn in the centre of the country; flour in the north. Mushrooms, squash blossom, or nothing but cheese. This is not a grilled cheese with a Mexican sticker, and it is not a burrito.
What you'll need
4 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Melting cheese, Oaxaca, mozzarella, or another melt120 g
- Mushrooms (optional)80 g
- Onion (optional)¼
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Heat a dry pan. Warm a tortilla, add cheese (and mushrooms if using), fold, and cook both sides until the cheese runs and the tortilla spots.
6 min
Step 2
Salsa on the side. Eat hot.
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 314 kcal
- Protein
- 18.1 g
- Carbs
- 31.5 g
- Fat
- 13.9 g
- Saturated fat
- 8.2 g
- Fibre
- 4.5 g
- Sugar
- 2.6 g
- Sodium
- 402 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Milk
- Vegetarian
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 10 November.
Substitutions
Corn tortilla → Flour tortilla
Different region, same snack.
Tips
- A raw tortilla pressed on a comal is the market version if you have masa.
- Flour tortillas are northern and valid.
History & culture
Street stalls, school snacks, the thing you make when there is a tortilla and a bit of cheese. CDMX arguments about cheese-less quesadillas are real and we are not settling them here.
The name says cheese. Regional practice disagrees, which is how living food works.
Traditional
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Quesadilla take?
13 min all in — 5 min prep, 8 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 2 quesadillas. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Very easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian.
6 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Frying pan, Comal or dry skillet.
How much salt do I put in?
This recipe does not list a salt amount. We will not invent one.
What can I use instead?
Corn tortilla → Flour tortilla. Different region, same snack.
Any tips from this recipe?
A raw tortilla pressed on a comal is the market version if you have masa. Flour tortillas are northern and valid.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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