Mini Steak Quesadillas with Mushrooms

Mini Steak Quesadillas are filled with succulent beef, mushrooms, and melted cheese in a soft tortilla toasted until crisp. This crowd-pleasing appetizer comes together in less than 30 minutes!

Forget Taco Bell - these delicious steak quesadillas are quick and easy to make at home, fit perfectly in your hand and are a must-have item on your party menu.

The mini steak quesadillas recipe is excellent if you're planning a Mexican-themed party for Cinco de Mayo and don't have too much time to cook. They are also great for a hearty lunch or quick and easy dinner.

We are huge fans of Mexican cuisine and love serving quesadillas with gluten-free Mexican Chicken Soup to round up the meal and delicious strawberry cheesecake chimichangas to satisfy our sweet tooth.

A quesadilla is a Mexican dish made by filling soft tortillas with cheese, meats, beans, spices, and vegetables and toasting it in a skillet, griddle, grill, or oven.

Think of them as a tortilla sandwich, called sincronizada in Spanish, or a crispy baked taco!

📃 Why it Works

• You can cook those mini steak quesadillas a day ahead and reheat them in your oven the next day. It makes a great make-ahead recipe, and it's perfect for your meal prep.
• Using small tortillas makes these little hand-pies perfect for grabbing. Who doesn't like finger food, amirite?
• Steak quesadillas are also an easy choice for a quick meal and, best of all, kid-approved!
• You can easily sneak in more veggies, like onions, roasted peppers, spinach, or broccoli. Dip them in salsa or chipotle sauce for extra fun and a more complex flavor.

🥩The Best Steak for Quesadillas

Top sirloin, flank, or skirt beef-cuts are affordable choices and make the best steak quesadillas.

If the price tag is not an issue, go for a ribeye or black Angus. The meat is more tender than regular beef because it has more marbling; thus, its superior quality makes it more expensive.

For a more budget-friendly option, use shaved beef or even thick-sliced deli roast beef.

🛒 Ingredients and Notes

• Tortillas: You'll need 10 4-inch soft flour tortillas. We will fold each in half for a total of 10 mini quesadillas. If you're serving a large crowd and have other food available, cut them in half to double the amount and create bite-size quesadillas.
• Mushrooms: I used whole baby bellas (aka cremini or baby portobello) mushrooms and then sliced them and cooked them with garlic. You could also chop them if you prefer and use substitutes like shiitake, cremini, porcini, oyster, morel, and button mushrooms.
• Cheese: I used Mexican blend cheese, but other great options include Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and Cacique Oaxaca, or a combination of those. Shredded cheese melts better than sliced.
• Meat: A good quality beef - I used top sirloin, but flank or skirt steak work too (see the paragraph above for more suggestions). We are simply seasoning the beef with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

🔪 Instructions

Step 1 - Prep the Steak

Slice the meat against the grain into thin strips. You could also cut it into small cubes; season with salt and pepper.

Heat a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat, coat with cooking spray (you can also use olive oil or butter), and sear the beef strips, doing your best not to overcrowd them.

Cook for a couple of minutes on each side; transfer to a bowl.

Step 2 - Cook the Mushrooms

Add butter to the skillet. Add the sliced mushrooms and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until mushrooms brown and liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally.

Step 3 - Assemble and Toast Quesadillas

Add cooked mushrooms to the beef and toss to combine. Wipe the skillet clean with paper towels (alternatively, you can use a griddle or a grill). Reduce heat to medium.

Sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of cheese evenly over half of each tortilla. Divide the mixture evenly among tortillas (also to cover just one side) and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Fold tortillas in half over the filling.

Carefully coat both sides of quesadillas with cooking spray. Cook quesadillas 1-2 minutes on each side or until browned and cheese melts (use a spatula to hold the quesadilla in place, and flip it over).

👉 Variations

• If you like steak fajita quesadillas, add sautéed onions. 
• Another flavor option is to season the meat with taco seasoning. 
• Love spicy food? Sauté some sliced poblanos or jalapenos along with the steak for the kick, add red pepper flakes, or use hot salsa for dipping!
• For the ultimate restaurant experience at home, serve with a side of shredded lettuce and your favorite sauces: salsa, guacamole, quesadilla sauce, Pico de Gallo, ranchero sauce, or sour cream.

• For easy slicing of the steak, place it in the freezer for 15 minutes or use a very sharp knife.
• Slice the sirloin against the grain (lines running through the beef).
• For a faster and more convenient way to make it at home, chop the steak before cooking. 
• You could also prepare your carne asada on a grill and then slice it and cook quesadillas on a griddle.
• Swap flour tortillas with whole wheat. I don't recommend corn tortillas but go for it if you like them better.  
• Feel free to use any leftover beef you have in the fridge or freezer. Leftovers from steak fajitas, carne asada, or chimichurri steak would be perfect!
• For bite-sized quesadillas, slice them in half or replace small 4-inch tortillas with 8-inch (taco size) and cut each into four wedges.
• And if you're bringing them to a large party, double the batch. They're addictive and usually disappear quickly.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

• Homemade Chipotle Burrito Bowl
• Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Chili con Carne
• Veracruz Spaghetti

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Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in April 2018 and updated in March of 2021 with new photos and recipe tips.