Chipotle Steak Quesadilla

This copycat Steak Quesadilla recipe is easy to make and tastes as good as the real Chipotle Quesadilla! Loaded with tender and flavorful steak, fajita style veggies, and served with a creamy honey chipotle vinaigrette.

Quesadillas are a family favorite in my house! In addition to these steak fajita quesadillas, we love making ground beef quesadillas, BBQ chicken quesadillas, and even breakfast auesadillas with bacon, eggs, and cheese.

Why We Love This Steak Quesadilla Recipe

A viral TikTok sensation, this fajita quesadilla is all that and more. The “hack” was to order a steak quesadilla from Chipotle, add fajita veggies and extra cheese, then sides of sour cream and vinaigrette for dipping.

I tried it – and it was delicious. But I knew that I could make it at home for cheaper and probably even tastier. And I was right.

This fajita quesadilla is:

• A Perfect Chipotle Copycat – You can make the viral Chipotle Quesadilla at home, while saving money and time.
• Flavorful – This recipe is packed with flavor from the spicy steak marinade to the honey vinaigrette!
• Tender Steak – Slicing the steak thin, marinating, and cooking it quickly gives tender results.

Chipotle Quesadilla Ingredients

Don’t let this list of ingredients fool you, this recipe is really easy to make and takes less than 30 minutes.

• New York Strip Steak – You’ll want to slice it very thin so it stays tender.
• Spices – Cumin, dried oregano, smoked paprika (optional), salt and pepper
• Garlic – Fresh garlic is used in both the marinade and dipping sauce.
• Chipotle Peppers in Adobo – This is sold as a can in the ethnic foods aisle. Some of the adobo sauce from the can is used in the marinade and the peppers are used in the vinaigrette.
• Vegetable or Canola Oil – For the marinade, vinaigrette, and for frying the quesadillas.
• Veggies – Red onion and green bell peppers – both sliced thin.
• Red Wine Vinegar – A key component in the vinaigrette!
• Honey – This adds the right amount of sweetness to the vinaigrette and helps balance the chipotle flavors.
• Lime Juice – Fresh is best for the marinade but you can also use the kind in a bottle.
• Soft Flour Tortillas – I like soft taco sized tortillas as they are easier to flip than larger ones.
• Shredded Cheese – You can swap in another shredded cheese that melts well, such as Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack.
• Sour Cream – for serving.

How To Make a Chipotle Steak Quesadilla

See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions

Step 1: Marinate the Steak. Combine the marinade ingredients in a zip top plastic bag or bowl and mix or shake to combine, add the steak slices, and chill in the fridge.

Step 2: Cook the Steak. Heat up a large, heavy pan over medium-high heat with a drizzle of oil. Working in batches, cook the steak undisturbed for a minute, then flip and cook for another minute or two until almost cooked. Cooking in batches helps avoid overcrowding, making it tough to brown the steak.

Step 3: Cook the Fajita Veggies. Add the onion and peppers to the same pan that you cooked the steak and cook until the veggies are tender.

Step 4: Fry the Quesadillas. Either wipe out the same pan and let cool slightly or use a new one. Brush the tortillas with oil or melted butter and add to the pan oil side down. Layer cheese, steak, veggies, and more cheese to one side of the tortilla. Cook for a couple minutes until golden brown then carefully fold and flip to cook the other side. Repeat with the rest of the quesadillas.

Serve – Slice up the quesadillas and serve with the vinaigrette and sour cream.

Dipping Sauce

The Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette I included in the recipe card is completely optional. It’s a copycat of the vinaigrette that it served at Chipotle.

I like to mix it with sour cream for a tangy dip that helps mellow out the steak’s heat. It’s such an amazing and unexpected flavor combo!

Recipe FAQs

Storage

Store leftover steak and veggies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can use leftovers to make more quesadillas or use in burrito bowls or for fajitas.

More Mexican-Inspired Recipes

• Slow Cooker Chicken Ranch Tacos
• Easy Slow Cooker Carnitas Recipe
• Homemade Mexican Pizza
• Taco Bowl Recipe
• Cheese Enchiladas

Recipe

Copycat Chipotle Steak Quesadillas

5 from 2 votes

Kristin Maxwell

This Steak Quesadilla is easy to make and tastes like a real Chipotle Quesadilla, with gooey cheese, tender steak, and fajita veggies.

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings (2 pieces)

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the steak marinade

• 1 ½ pounds New York strip steak sliced very thin *see notes for substitutions
• 2 tablespoon adobo sauce from can of chipotle peppers
• 2 tablespoon neutral oil such as canola
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika optional
• 1 garlic clove minced
• Juice of 1 lime

Chipotle honey vinaigrette

• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup neutral oil
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 garlic clove rough chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pinch black pepper

Quesadilla assembly

• Neutral cooking oil
• 1 red onion sliced thin
• 1 green bell pepper sliced thin
• 4 soft taco size flour tortillas
• 2 cups shredded pepper jack or monterey jack cheese
• Sour cream for serving

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Instructions

 

• Marinate the steak: Combine all steak marinade ingredients in a small bowl, or resealable plastic bag, close the bag and rub it between your hands to mix the ingredients. Add the steak, refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Make the vinaigrette: Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Remove to an airtight container and set aside in the refrigerator while the steak marinates.
• Heat a large, heavy skillet (cast iron works best) over medium high heat, once hot, add a drizzle of oil to bottom of the pan and add about ⅓ of the steak, be sure not to crowd the pan or the steak will not brown. Leave undisturbed for 1 minute, then flip and cook another 1-2 minutes until almost cooked through, remove to a clean plate. Continue in batches until all steak is cooked.
• Reduce heat to medium and add the onion and green pepper, and a small drizzle of oil if needed. Cook until veggies are tender, about 5-8 minutes, add a splash of water if they begin to stick at the end of cooking. Let the pan cool, then clean it out, or proceed with the recipe with another large pan.
• Brush one side of each tortilla with oil. Heat a large skillet over medium low heat. Add two tortilla to the pan oil side down. Add a handful of cheese, steak, and veggies to each tortilla, push the top of the tortilla down onto the filling. Cook for about 2-4 minutes, or until tortilla is golden brown. Carefully flip and brown the other side for 2-4 minutes uncovered. If it browns too quickly before the cheese melts, turn the heat down to low. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
• Slice the quesadillas in half. Serve immediately with a bowl of the vinaigrette and a dollop of sour cream in the bowl of vinaigrette.

Notes

Be sure to slice the steak VERY thin, and against the grain. If you’re having trouble slicing it, put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes to firm up. 

Nutrition

Calories: 1096kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 52gFat: 82gSaturated Fat: 25gPolyunsaturated Fat: 12gMonounsaturated Fat: 40gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 186mgSodium: 3360mgPotassium: 768mgFiber: 3gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 703IUVitamin C: 27mgCalcium: 543mgIron: 5mg

Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.

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