Crispy, buttery steak quesadillas!! Filled with melty Oaxaca cheese, sautéed onion and jalapeño, and a dollop of creamy chimichurri tucked right inside, then dunked into even more of it!

Quesadillas get rich really fast with all that cheese and butter, so I always want something bright on the side. This chimichurri sour cream is fresh and herby with a little kick from the red pepper flakes, and it’s SO good with the steak and cheese!

I used New York strip because that’s what I had on hand, but skirt, flank or sirloin all work great. Same with the cheese: Oaxaca melts the best, but low-moisture mozzarella works too. Use what you have!

And if you’re in the mood for more handheld dinners, my Doner Kebab Sandwich is always a good idea!

Okay okay !!! let’s get into it ᝰ.ᐟ

Few Tips ᝰ.ᐟ

• Take your steak out of the fridge 30 minutes before you sear it, so it gets a nice sear and cooks evenly.
• Let the steak rest for 10 minutes before slicing! If you cut into it right away, all the juices end up on the cutting board.
• Slice against the grain for the most tender bites.
• Cook the quesadillas on low-medium heat. On high heat the tortilla browns before the cheese has a chance to melt, and we want it completely gooey in the middle.
• Make the chimichurri sour cream first so it can sit in the fridge while you cook. It gets even better as it sits.
• Don’t skip the squeeze of lime at the end!!

Here’s a video to guide you along the process ✮⋆˙

Steak Quesadillas Process ✮⋆˙

Steak Quesadillas

Crispy, buttery steak quesadillas with melty Oaxaca cheese, sautéed onion and jalapeño, and creamy chimichurri for dunking.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Inactive time (letting the steak come to room temperature + resting time after the sear) 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Servings 4

Equipment

• 10-inch stainless steel pan
• cutting board and sharp knife
• small bowl

Ingredients

  

Steak

• 1 1/2 pounds New York strip steak (skirt, flank, or sirloin also work)
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Onion powder
• 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper optional
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil for searing
• 1 small yellow onion
• 1 jalapeño

Quesadillas

• 4 8-inch flour tortillas or 8 tortillas if you’d like to use two per quesadilla instead of folding them over
• 12 ounces Oaxaca cheese, shredded
• 4 tablespoons Salted butter

Creamy Chimichurri

• 120 grams Sour cream 1/2 cup
• 10 grams Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped about 1/2 cup
• 4 to 5 grams Cilantro, finely chopped 2 tablespoons
• 1/4 cup Olive oil
• 2 tablespoons White vinegar
• 3 cloves Garlic, grated
• 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon Dried cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• A squeeze of lime, to taste

Instructions

 

• Whisk all the creamy chimichurri ingredients together in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Cover and refrigerate while you prep everything else, the longer it sits the better it tastes
• Pat the steak dry and season generously all over with your spice mix. Let it sit at room temp for 30 minutes, this helps it cook more evenly
• Heat up a 10-inch stainless steel pan for 4-5 minutes on medium heat. Then add in your avocado oil
• Sear the steak 3–4 minutes per side for medium-rare, or 5 minutes each side for closer to medium well. You want a deep crust on the outside. Transfer to a cutting board and rest at least 10 minutes before slicing against the grain
• You can either keep the steak cut into strips, or cut them down further into small cubes
• In the same pan with the leftover steak drippings, sauté the onion and jalapeño for 3–4 minutes until softened, then remove from the pan
• In the pan we are going to build each quesadilla: melt down 1 tablespoon of butter, then add a tortilla, a layer of shredded cheese, sliced steak, the onion-jalapeño mixture, a generous dollop of the creamy chimichurri and a squeeze of lime, the lightest bit more cheese on top, then fold in half (or another tortilla on top if you prefer)
• This should all be done on low-medium heat, until the tortilla is deeply golden and the cheese is fully melted
• Let the quesadilla sit for a minute or two before cutting, otherwise the cheese will run right out. Slice into wedges and serve with a generous amount of the chimichurri sour cream for dunking, with a little extra squeeze of lime on top

Video

Notes

• Steak: I used New York strip because that’s what I had on hand, but skirt or flank are equally great picks. Truly any cut you love works here
• Oaxaca cheese: my preferred melt for quesadillas, but low-moisture mozzarella will also get the job done. Avoid pre-shredded if you can, the anti-caking agents really do mess with the melt
• Tortillas: I’m using the medium 8-inch flour tortillas. High quality tortillas, or handmade is always worth it !!
• Parsley: please use flat-leaf parsley for the chimichurri. Curly parsley is too tough and doesn’t have the same fresh flavor in my opinion 

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