Cheeseburger Quesadillas

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Enjoy three restaurant copycat recipes in one 30-minute meal! Savor the flavors of a fast food cheeseburger in my easy Cheeseburger Quesadillas, then pair with a crisp wedge salad drizzled with special sauce.

A cheeseburger quesadilla stacked on a plate with a wedge salad in the background.


 

If you ask me what my favorite food is, I will reply “Cheeseburgers” immediately and without hesitation. So when my VIP reader Dave sent me a suggestion to whip up this mash-up meal, I couldn’t wait to dive in.

Recipe ingredients

Labeled ingredients for Cheeseburger Quesadillas.

Ingredient notes

  • Ground beef: I prefer 80/20 ground beef rather than a leaner variety for more flavor. To keep your quesadillas from being too greasy, drain the cooked ground beef crumbles on a plate lined with paper towels or in a colander.
  • Pickle chips: These are optional, so feel free to omit if you’re not a pickle fan. My family loves them for the complete cheeseburger experience (Claussen Kosher Dill Pickle Chips are my favorite, and I always serve more on the side).
  • Iceberg lettuce: Another mild leafy green such as romaine, Bibb, Boston, leaf, or little gem would also work well.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, ketchup, pickle juice, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, , and salt and pepper to taste (I like ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper). Set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef until browned and cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well. 
A skillet with cooked hamburger.
  1. Wipe out skillet, coat with nonstick spray, and heat over medium heat. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, add to skillet. Top half the quesadilla with ½ cup cheese, ¼ of the cooked beef. Top with pickle slices, if using,
An open-faced cheeseburger quesadilla in a skillet.
  1. Sprinkle top half with ½ cup cheese. Fold in half and cook until cheese is melted and the tortilla is golden brown on one side, about 2 minutes.  Flip quesadilla and continue cooking until all the cheese is melted and the second side is golden brown. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining tortillas, cheese, beef, and pickles.
A cheesburger quesadilla in a skillet.
  1. Cut each quesadilla in half, and stack 2 halves on each of the 4 plates. Add one wedge of Iceberg to each plate and top with shallots and tomatoes. Drizzle the quesadillas and salad with sauce. Serve more sauce on the side if desired.
A wedge salad being drizzled with salad dressing.

Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: This recipe makes 4 (1/4-pound) burger-stuffed, single-tortilla quesadillas and 4 wedge salads.
  • Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Make ahead: The special sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead.
  • Double up on Special Sauce: I always make a double batch to use as a condiment for other salads and sandwiches throughout the week. Try it on a reuben, a Maid-Rite sandwich, or this easy garden salad.
A cheeseburger quesadilla stacked on a plate next to a wedge salad.

Best Bacon Cheeseburger

The Best Bacon Cheeseburger has a thin and crispy smashburger-style patty, plenty of bacon, gooey cheese, and all your favorite toppings. Add grilled onions cooked in bacon fat if that’s your jam! This one’s a “must-make” for burger lovers everywhere.

30 minutes
View Recipe

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A cheeseburger quesadilla stacked on a plate with a wedge salad in the background.

Cheeseburger Quesadillas

Enjoy three restaurant copycat recipes in one 30-minute meal! Savor the flavors of a fast food cheeseburger in my easy Cheeseburger Quesadillas, then pair with a crisp wedge salad drizzled with special sauce.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Calories 936
4.94 from 45 votes

Ingredients 

For the special sauce:

For the quesadillas:

For the wedge salads:

  • 1 head Iceberg lettuce cored and cut into 4 wedges (see note 3)
  • 8 cherry tomatoes quartered
  • 1 shallot finely chopped

Instructions 

  • To make the special sauce, in a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, ketchup, pickle juice, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste (I like ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper). Set aside.
  • To make the quesadillas, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef until browned and cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well. 
  • Wipe out skillet, coat with nonstick spray, and heat over medium heat. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, add to skillet. Top half the quesadilla with ½ cup cheese, ¼ of the cooked beef. Top with pickle slices, if using,
  • Sprinkle top half with ½ cup cheese. Fold in half and cook until cheese is melted and the tortilla is golden brown on one side, about 2 minutes. 
  • Flip quesadilla and continue cooking until all the cheese is melted and the second side is golden brown. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining tortillas, cheese, beef, and pickles. Cut each quesadilla in half, and stack 2 halves on each of the 4 plates.
  • To make the wedge salads, add one wedge of Iceberg to each plate and top with shallots and tomatoes. Drizzle the quesadillas and salad with sauce. Serve more sauce on the side if desired.

Recipe Video

Notes

  1. Ground beef: I prefer 80/20 ground beef rather than a leaner variety for more flavor. To keep your quesadillas from being too greasy, drain the cooked ground beef crumbles on a plate lined with paper towels or in a colander.
  2. Pickle chips: These are optional, so feel free to omit if you’re not a pickle fan. My family loves them for the complete cheeseburger experience (Claussen Kosher Dill Pickle Chips are my favorite, and I always serve more on the side).
  3. Iceberg lettuce: Another mild leafy green such as romaine, Bibb, Boston, leaf, or little gem would also work well.
  4. Yield: This recipe makes 4 (1/4-pound) burger-stuffed, single-tortilla quesadillas and 4 wedge salads.
  5. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  6. Make ahead: The special sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead.
  7. Double up on Special Sauce: I always make a double batch to use as a condiment for other salads and sandwiches throughout the week. Try it on a reuben, a Maid-Rite sandwich, or this easy garden salad.

Nutrition

Serving: 1quesadilla+saladCalories: 936kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 50gFat: 75gSaturated Fat: 35gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gMonounsaturated Fat: 24gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 207mgSodium: 1638mgPotassium: 826mgFiber: 3gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 2171IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 893mgIron: 4mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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