Steak Quesadillas
Steak quesadillas stuffed with marinated tri tip, sautéd onions and peppers, and "quesadilla cheese". Serve with salsa and lime wedges, topped with fresh cilantro!
Ingredients
- 1 lb tri tip steaks or similar, such as skirt or flap steak
- 4 8" diameter flour tortillas uncooked tortillas strongly suggested, see notes
- 1 ½ cup white onion diced (~1 medium onion per batch)
- 1 cup diced poblano peppers about 1 large poblano, see notes
- 10 oz shredded "quesadilla cheese" see notes
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- 1 lime sliced into wedges, for serving
- vegetable oil for cooking peppers & onions
- spray oil
For Marinade:
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Prepare the marinade:
- Combine all ingredients of the marinade. Trim excess fat from the steaks if desired and place in a zip bag with the marinade. Marinate in the fridge for at least 6 hours before cooking (preferably overnight).
Cook the steak:
- When ready to cook, remove the steak from the bag and discard the rest of the marinade (shake off excess but do not pat the steaks dry). Grill steak to desired doneness, or cook in a cast iron pan with a swirl of oil. I cook in mine in a cast iron pan over high heat, turning every few minutes, until an internal temp of 135°F, about 8-10 minutes. (Note, the marinade may cause some additional charring on the outside, but this contributes to the flavor and isn't noticeable after slicing)
- Let the steak rest for a few minutes, then slice into small pieces as pictured. Toss the steak in the juices after cutting.
Make the Quesadillas:
- As the steak cooks, warm a little bit of oil in a pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the diced peppers and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted and just beginning to char, about 5 minutes. Season with a little bit of salt and black pepper if desired as they cook. Remove from heat.
- Divide the prepared steak, onions & peppers, and cheese into four portions, one for each quesadilla. Prepare each quesadilla by layering half of the tortilla with about half the cheese, onions & peppers, then the steak, then the rest of the cheese. Fold the tortilla over. (Onion and pepper mixture may be a little bit more than you want to use)
- Cook the quesadillas in a pan that has been sprayed with oil over medium-low heat. Once the first side is golden, flip and cook on the other side until both sides are golden, and the cheese is fully melted, about 2 minutes per side. Alternatively, press in a sandwich press until golden.
- Cut the finished quesadilla into 2 to 4 pieces. Top with cilantro and serve with lime wedges and your favorite salsa or hot sauce (I use avocado salsa).
To prepare the steak in bulk for freezer:
- Trim steaks and prepare appropriate quantity of marinade. Package steaks, in marinade, in a freezer safe zip bag or vacuum bag. Package size should be the quantity you will want to defrost at a time (I do 1 lb).
- Place marinated steak packs in the freezer directly after preparing.
To prepare from frozen:
- Defrost steak at least 6 hours before you plan to cook it, giving the steak time to marinate. I suggest moving from the freezer to fridge the night before.
- Follow the rest of the recipe as written, preparing the rest of the ingredients fresh.
Notes
Uncooked tortillas are one of my favorite new products. They come in the refrigerated section at the grocery store, and can be prepared in just a few minutes. They make super high quality fresh tortillas that take these burritos to the next level!
I used cheese labeled as "quesadilla cheese" which is a Mexican creamy white cheese. I also like to prepare this recipe with Oaxaca cheese, or low-moisture mozzarella.
Poblano peppers and milder than jalapeños. If desired, you can omit the peppers or sub jalapeños, bell peppers, or whatever you prefer.
This is the same marinated tri tip as my Tri Tip Street Tacos. My grocery store will occasionally have tri tip steaks on sale for $4-$7 a pound. When they do, I typically by about 4 lbs and make 4 freezer packs for later. After the steak has marinated, the rest of this meal comes together in about 30 minutes!
Nutrition
Serving: 1 quesadillaCalories: 600kcalProtein: 42g
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