Carne Asada Quesadilla (San Diego Style)

One of the things I miss the most about San Diego is the Mexican food. California burritos and carne asada quesadillas are two of my favorites! Try making this authentic carne asada quesadilla recipe with these incredible sourdough discard tortillas!

So, what's so special about a San Diego-style carne asada quesadilla? Imagine a thin and crispy tortilla loaded with juicy carne asada and gooey melted cheese. So simple, yet so good!

My son, Scott, and I have teamed up to bring you this authentic, taco shop-style carne asada quesadilla recipe that you can make any time you are craving good Mexican food!

Scott has worked hard on perfecting his San Diego taco shop-style carne asada quesadilla recipe. When I'm missing San Diego-style Mexican food (it's not hard to do in Montana) his carne asada quesadillas are the closest thing to being there. So if you're a San Diego transplant and looking for an authentic recipe, this one is it!

You may be wondering what you need to make one yourself. Believe it or not, you only a few ingredients. Tortillas, flank steak, cheese, lard, and seasoning, that's it!

Scott is pretty specific about the type of cheese and tortillas to use. After trying many cheese varieties, he swears by Tillamook medium cheddar cheese. However, you have to buy the block and shred it yourself (he insists) because it melts much better than pre-shredded cheese. Scott uses a rotary cheese grater to make a quick job of it. And for the tortillas, you'll want to use a Mexican brand if at all possible.

For the seasoning, Scott recommends salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and Serrano powder. Serrano powder you say? Yes, he makes his own by freeze-drying and grinding Serranos into a powder. However, you can substitute chili powder.

Finally, you'll need lard (see my How to render pork fat post) to cook both the meat and the quesadilla. Just this once, skip the olive oil and see what a difference lard makes. It will take your carne asada quesadilla to the next level, guaranteed!

Jump to:

• 🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
• 🥩 How to Make a Carne Asada Quesadilla
• 🥕 Serving Suggestions
• 🤷🏻‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
• 👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tips
• 🫔 More Mexican Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions

• Tortilla: A good quality Mexican flour tortilla, the more authentic the better! We buy the extra large, perfect for making tilapia fish burritos and carne asada burritos. For those with smaller appetites, medium tortillas can be substituted. We don't recommend whole wheat or low-carb tortillas unless you're not going for authentic!
• Meat: The cut of beef you use matters, too! For carne asada quesadillas, you have two options: flank steak or skirt steak. We buy ours in bulk and freeze it in smaller portions so we can whip up carne asada quesadillas anytime we want them!
• Cheese: Tillamook medium cheddar cheese is the cheese Scott recommends. If you need to, you can substitute Monterey Jack cheese.
• Seasoning: You have the option of seasoning the meat with my carne asada seasoning, which has salt, black pepper, cayenne, chili powder, chipotle pepper, cumin, and more. Or, sprinkle with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili pepper.
• Lard: If you don't have lard, this beef tallow recipe is an acceptable substitution.
• Optional: Another option is to use my carne asada marinade to marinate the meat first. This delicious marinade is prepared with a mixture of olive oil, orange juice, soy sauce, lime juice, fresh cilantro, onion, garlic, and a few other ingredients.

🥩 How to Make a Carne Asada Quesadilla

Step 1: Shred cheese, then dice the flank steak into small pieces. Sprinkle meat with salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and Serrano powder, or use my carne asada seasoning mix.

Pro Tip: If you use my carne asada seasoning, you may need to add a little extra salt. Taste the cooked meat and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Step 2: Heat a medium-sized cast-iron skillet. Add seasoned diced meat and 2 teaspoons of lard. Cook on medium-high heat, chopping, scraping, and stirring the meat with a metal spatula until the liquid evaporates. Continue to cook until the meat has crispy brown edges. This should take 5-7 minutes.

Step 3: When the meat is almost ready, add a teaspoon of lard to a large cast-iron skillet (the size of your tortilla). Set the flame to low-medium and once the lard has melted, add your tortilla. Lift the top half up so that it's not touching the pan, then sprinkle the bottom portion with ½ of the cheese. Distribute the meat over it, then the remaining cheese. Fold the top half of the tortilla over it.

Step 4: Cover the pan and cook over low-medium heat until the top and bottom layers of cheese have completely melted to seal the quesadilla. This should take around 3-5 minutes. Carefully flip the quesadilla over and cook until golden brown on the other side. Slice the quesadilla into strips or triangles using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife.

🥕 Serving Suggestions

Carne asada quesadillas are pretty filling on their own, but you can definitely serve them with some creamy guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo, salsa ranchera, hot sauce, pickled serrano peppers, and this easy Taco Bell quesadilla sauce.

If you do want to serve a side dish or two on the side to have a Mexican feast, I recommend this Instant Pot Mexican rice, elote in a cup (Mexican street corn), or this black beans and corn salsa recipe. And don't forget everyone's favorite, spicy Mexican pickled carrots!

🤷🏻‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

🫔 More Mexican Recipes

If you enjoy this carne asada quesadilla recipe, be sure to try these other yummy Mexican dishes too!

📖 Recipe