Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Prep: Preheat half of the olive oil on medium heat on flat top grill (or large skillet on stove).
- Add sliced onion and minced garlic. Cook 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Add red bell peppers, green bell peppers, and a squeeze of lime juice (optional). Cook 7-10 minutes until slightly browned and tender.
- Season vegetables with half of Spanglish Asadero Mexican BBQ Seasoning. Stir to coat evenly. Move veggies to cooler side of grill (or remove to plate).
- Increase heat to medium-high. Add remaining olive oil.
- Spread thinly sliced steak in a single layer. Cook 3-4 minutes undisturbed until a nice crust forms. Stir and continue cooking 2-3 minutes until no longer pink. Move steak to cooler side.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Lay tortillas flat on grill. Spread entire surface with shredded Monterey Jack cheese.
- Once cheese begins to melt, add sautéed vegetables and cooked steak to one half of each tortilla. Fold the other half over to close.
- Cook 2-3 minutes per side until cheese is fully melted and tortilla is golden brown and crisp.
- Transfer to cutting board. Rest 5 minutes before slicing. Serve hot with your favorite toppings.
Nutrition
Notes
- Season in stages — Split the Spanglish Asadero Mexican BBQ Seasoning between the vegetables and the steak. Each component gets its own seasoning so the flavor runs through the whole quesadilla, not just one layer.
- Pat the steak dry first — Moisture on the surface prevents browning. Pat it dry before the seasoning goes on and you get a proper sear instead of steam.
- Single layer, don't touch it — Spread the steak in one layer and leave it alone until a crust forms on the bottom (3–4 minutes). Moving it early breaks the sear. Once you see that crust, then you stir.
- Hot surface before anything hits it — Get the flat top or skillet to medium-high before the steak goes on. A cold surface means the protein steams instead of sears — you lose the crust and the color the seasoning builds.
- Rest before cutting — Five minutes off the heat before you slice. The cheese finishes setting and the tortilla holds the fold. Cut too early and the filling falls out.
- Meal prep move — These reheat well. Store assembled quesadillas or the components separately for up to 3 days. Reheat in a dry skillet over medium heat to bring the tortilla back to crisp.
- Serve hot, cut into wedges. A side of Mexican rice and black beans turns this into a full spread — the seasoning carries across the whole plate.
- For toppings: fresh cilantro, diced white onion, a squeeze of lime, and a spoonful of sour cream or crema. Don't skip the lime — the acid cuts through the Monterey Jack and sharpens the seasoning.
- If you're feeding a group, set out a topping bar: sliced avocado or guacamole, pickled jalapeños, fresh pico de gallo. The quesadilla holds up under all of it.
- For a lighter plate, skip the rice and serve with a simple tomato-cucumber salad dressed with lime juice and salt. The crunch counters the molten cheese.
- Assembled quesadillas keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, use a dry skillet over medium heat — 2–3 minutes per side brings the tortilla back to crisp and melts the cheese back through. The microwave works in a pinch but the tortilla goes soft.
- The better move for meal prep: store the cooked steak and vegetables separately and assemble the quesadillas fresh when you're ready. Better tortilla texture, cleaner result.
- Don't freeze assembled quesadillas — the tortilla doesn't hold up. The cooked steak filling freezes well on its own for up to one month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before assembling.