Brisket Quesadilla

This brisket quesadilla is the ultimate way to use up brisket leftovers. Melted cheddar, red onions and smoky BBQ sauce are stuffed in a brisket filled tortilla with crispy edges and a gooey delicious center.

Quesadillas aren’t something that normally pop up on my radar for quick and easy meals. I sorta just forget about them.

How it’s possible to forget about something involving just a handful of simple ingredients including melted gooey cheese and in this case, mouthwatering shredded BBQ brisket is beyond me.

When you make almost 4 pounds of Instant Pot brisket however, you tend to have a bit of leftovers.

And then things like these brisket quesadillas and brisket chili do pop onto your radar out of necessity.

These quesadillas have just 5 simple ingredients to them but they’re BIG on flavor.

Whether you decide to serve them for an easy dinner or a game day appetizer, I promise they’ll be devoured in minutes and you’ll be asked for more.

HOW TO MAKE BRISKET QUESADILLAS

The ingredients you’ll need for these simple quesadillas are:

• shredded/pulled leftover brisket (see how I make it in my Instant Pot brisket story)
• tortillas
• shredded cheddar cheese
• red onion
• BBQ sauce

Get a skillet large enough to fit the tortilla you’re using and place it over medium heat. Once it’s hot, place the tortilla on the skillet and sprinkle the cheese all over the entire surface of the tortilla.

Spread the shredded brisket on top of the cheese on half of the tortilla, lay some sliced onion (I like to slice it very thin) on top of the brisket and then spoon the BBQ sauce on top.

Once the cheese has melted slightly, pick up the cheese only side of the tortilla and flip it over to the side with the toppings.

Press down lightly with a spatula to secure the tortilla into the ingredients. It should do this easily since there’s semi-melted cheese on it.

Cook until the bottom is golden brown and crispy. Then, gently flip the tortilla and cook on the other side for a couple of minutes until it’s browned on the bottom.

The cheese should be melted, gooey and spilling out the sides. YUM.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH THE QUESADILLAS

We like to garnish the brisket quesadillas similar to how you would top nachos:

• sliced green onions
• avocado
• cilantro
• extra BBQ sauce
• sour cream/Greek yogurt

WHAT KIND OF TORTILLAS TO USE

Quesadillas are best made with flour tortillas because they’re much more malleable than corn tortillas.

You can use a 10″-12″ traditional flour tortilla made with wheat flour.

Or, to keep the brisket quesadilla gluten-free, use your favorite gluten-free tortilla.

I like cassava tortillas from Siete when cooking gluten-free for things like this.

WHAT KIND OF CHEESE TO USE

Personally, I think sharp cheddar cheese tastes best with the BBQ brisket but any shredded Mexican blend cheese will also work. Pepper jack or Colby would also be good for some additional spice.

I’m just partial to a sharp orange cheddar when it comes to a quesadilla like this. I swear the yellow/orange tastes better than the white even though I’ve been told there’s no difference.

Anyone agree with me on that?

TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST BRISKET QUESADILLA

• If the brisket you’re using wasn’t already tossed in BBQ sauce before shredding, do that! Add a couple tablespoons to the cup of shredded brisket before putting it in the quesadilla for an extra saucy result.
• Love a really gooey quesadilla with a good cheese pull? Double the cheese in the recipe.
• For some extra flavor and tang – use pickled red onions. Pickled pineapple would also be amazing in these quesadillas. In fact, spicy garlic pickles or even just simple homemade pickles would add a great tangy contrast to the sweet BBQ sauce.

A stack of these brisket quesadillas and your favorite sports game is a match made in heaven.

And if quesadillas aren’t your thing (I don’t know how that’s even possible though), try brisket nachos, brisket hash or, loaded bbq brisket baked potatoes instead!

They’re all equally delicious ways to use up leftover shredded brisket.

MORE QUESADILLA RECIPES:

Summer Harvest Cheddar Quesadilla
Peach Burrata Bacon Quesadilla
Smashed White Bean and Kale Quesadillas with Creamy BBQ Dip