Bacon-jalapeno quesadillas are made with smoky bacon, spicy jalapenos, and gooey Monterey Jack cheese in a tortilla blanket of love.
Do you watch those challenge shows? The ones where contestants are given a bunch of weird ingredients, and they come up with a dish?
I felt like a contestant on one of those Food Network challenge shows when I made these mouth-watering bacon cheese and jalapeno quesadillas.
I like making quick, easy meals with leftover ingredients out of the fridge. This recipe for bacon-jalapeno quesadillas is one of the recipes I have come up with.
What is a quesadilla?
Quesadilla translates to “little cheesy thing.” It originated in Mexico’s northern and central regions in the 16th century. Basically a quesadilla is a tortilla that folds over with cheese, meat, or other ingredients inside that is pan-fried or baked.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make the Quesadillas
- Butter: for greasing the skillet. Contrary to what many say, use a small amount of butter to help the tortilla brown and crisp up.
- Tortillas: 8-inch flour tortillas.
- Cheese: shredded Monterey jack cheese melts creamy. Can use Oaxaca, mozzarella, or cheddar cheese. The cheese acts as the glue that holds everything together.
- Bacon: Cooked bacon needs to be cooked firm and crispy to crumble easily.
- Jalapenos: fresh or pickled jalapenos more or less as desired, finely chopped.
How to Make Bacon-Jalapeno Quesadillas
- Build the Quesadilla: Place a tortilla on a clean work surface. Sprinkle with cheese, half of the crumbled bacon crumbles, and jalapenos, then top with a second tortilla.
- Cook the Quesadillas:
- Lightly coat a medium nonstick skillet with butter over medium-high heat. Using a large spatula, carefully transfer the quesadillas into the skillet; cook until the bottom tortilla turns light brown, and cheese starts to melt, for about 2 minutes.
- Flip and continue cooking until lightly browned and filling is hot; about two additional minutes—transfer quesadilla to a cutting board.
- Repeat this process with remaining butter, tortillas, cheese, bacon, and jalapenos.
- Slice and Serve: Cut the quesadillas into wedges. Serve immediately, with additional toppings as desired.
Tips for Making Bacon-Jalapeno Quesadillas
- We always use corn tortillas for tacos, but with quesadillas, you need the flexibility. So use flour tortillas. It needs to withstand the flip!
- Flour tortillas absorb a lot of oil, so you only want to coat the skillet with butter lightly. It’ll help the tortilla brown and have a delicious crisp texture.
- Making a quesadilla with two tortillas is challenging to flip. You may find the half-moon technique is easier to flip. To make a quesadilla with one tortilla, spread the filling over half of the tortilla, then fold the other half over the filling. Slide a spatula under the open side, then flip the quesadilla over on the fold.
Bacon-jalapeno quesadillas are delicious, and this recipe made me feel like a food challenge superstar. You can feel like a food challenge superstar too. All you need is some bacon, jalapenos, cheese, and tortillas!
Are you making this recipe? We’d love your feedback. Leave us a comment and a star rating below. We value your opinion and appreciate your time.
See ya on the mountain!
Bacon-Jalapeno Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 flour tortillas (8-inch)
- 1 cup Monterey jack cheese shredded
- 4 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 2 tablespoons pickled jalapenos more or less as desired, finely chopped. Can use fresh jalapenos.
Instructions
- Place 1 tortilla on a clean work surface. Sprinkle with 1 ½ cups of cheese. Top with half of the bacon crumbs and about a 1 tablespoon jalapenos; top with a second tortilla.
- Lightly coat a medium nonstick skillet with about 1 tablespoon of the butter, over medium-high heat.
- Using a large spatula, carefully transfer the quesadillas into the skillet; cook until bottom tortilla has lightly browned and cheese has started to melt; about 2 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until lightly browned and filling is hot; about 2 additional minutes.
- Transfer quesadilla to a cutting board.
- Repeat this process with remaining butter tortillas, cheese, bacon, and jalapenos.
- Cut the quesadillas into wedges. Serve immediately, with additional toppings as desired.
Julie says
It frustrates me that these appliances don’t last. My mother-in-law has a freezer that is almost 60 years old and it still works. Now we pay twice as much for crap….o.k. I’m calmer now but hey warm beer should be a criminal offense especially because a cold beer would go great with this amazing quesadillas! I don’t think to make them but will looking at this beauty. Now go buy groceries Debbie tomorrow is Saturday! LOL
The Mountain Kitchen says
Lol! Julie I know. This fridge had better be an easy fix or we’ll just have to buy a new one… I actually bought a beef brisket before work this morning. We are going home to smoke it while the guy is looking at our fridge. A beautiful day should not go to waste! We went to the store last night and will be planning meals all weekend around this brisket…lol! Happy Friday! Hope you have a great weekend Julie!
Colleen says
Good luck with the fridge! We have problems with our freezer door popping open because the seal is inadequate. Bob bought a new one but has yet to install it, which means everytime Brenna breathes too hard in the general direction of the freezer the door swings open!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Yikes!! Thanks for the luck. Hoping it is something simple since everything else is functioning. Oh well, at least we can cry into a smoked beef brisket if we get bad news… Lol!
ELizabeth l Brinster says
MY mouth is on fire just looking at that!!!! Sands the Jalapenos and I’ll be smacking my lips!
Um….remind me to never let you look in my fridge/freezer in kitchen, fridge/freezer in the garage or the big chest freezer in the garage, as I may be one of those “other” folks you are talking about!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Lol! Thanks. I just hope it is something simple. They just don’t make things the way they use to.
Annie says
Debbie – we’re always on the same page, we just had smoked brisket quesadillas! Sorry about the fridge – isn’t that always the darn way with the warranty? Also, this made me laugh “Well, it sure the hell isn’t cold enough” 😀 Have a good weekend friend!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Lol! Thanks Annie. Off to see what the heck is going on… Have a great weekend. See you on FB and IG!!
Debbie - Mountain Mama says
I love quesadillas so my tummy is grumbling looking at this post!! Sorry about your fridge, that stinks. My appliances came with the house, I’m guessing they are 20 years old, and still going strong, thank God!! Good luck with your fridge and have a great weekend, mountain sister!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thanks Mountain Sister! Have a great one!!
Antonia says
Spicy and flavorful..sign me up! These look amazing Debbie! I am sorry about your fridge, that is ridiculous. I hope it can be repaired.
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thanks, Antonia. The refrigerator was too expensive to repair. Didn’t want to gamble, so we got a new one instead. All is well at The Mountain Kitchen again! ?