Cheese and Beef! Anytime you can combine those two ingredients, you’ve got a good time. Throw in a few extra spices and a grill and you are all set. This recipe for Grilled Beef Quesadilla with Guajillo Chili Sauce is a great appetizer for tailgating because they are easy to grab and well….it has cheese and beef. Perfect for a tailgate! The quesadillas are also very satisfying, but won’t fill you up if you only grab one or two. Not an easy task though!
Beef Quesadilla
What type of beef do you use in beef quesadillas?
For this beef quesadilla recipe, I used beef chuck fillet. Again, with chuck its all about the fat and flavor. Beef Chuck is also a tender cut of beef so the quesadilla won’t turn out to be “teeth food”. It will be nice and easy to chew.
You will want to coat the beef chuck steak with a spice rub. I coat the beef with a rub that is one part onion powder, one part chili powder, one part salt, one part paprika, and just a little bit of cinnamon. I let the beef sit for an hour before I throw the fillets on the grill. If you are taking these to a tailgate you can do this step at home before you leave.
What is a Guajillo pepper?
While the rub is doing its thing, start putting together the guajillo chili sauce. Guajillo is very popular in Mexican cuisine. The pepper is not very hot, but it does have a fruity and smokey flavor. Perfect for inside of a quesadilla that you want a little heat but not something overwhelming. This recipe only needs a little so take two peppers and steep them in a few cups of water. After the chilies simmer for 15 minutes and are soft, combine the peppers, a cup of the water which was used to cook the peppers, 3 ounces of red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, and a tablespoon of cumin seeds in a blender. Blend until smooth. Don’t worry if the chili sauce is not perfectly smooth because it will eventually get folded into the quesadilla.
Now that the sauce is prepared and the beef has been marinating in the seasoning blend it’s time to fire up the grill.
Once all the prep work is done, I throw the beef chuck fillets on the kettle grill over direct heat at 400 degrees F. I like to bring them up to a medium rare temp of 130 degrees F. Remember, they’ll rise in temperature once they are in the quesadilla, so you don’t want to overcook them initially on the grill. Once up to temperature. I take them off the grill and let them sit while I start assembling the quesadilla.
Beef Chuck Steak on the Grill
Once the beef has had time to rest, I begin putting together the quesadilla. I slice the beef into thin pieces and lay them on one side of the flour tortilla. I then sprinkle sliced leaks over the beef. Next comes a combination of shredded cheddar and Monterey jack cheese. You want the quesadilla to be nice and gooey, but you want the beef to stand out. It’s all about the beef, chili sauce, and cheese coming together. Ehh, who am I kidding? Load it up with cheese if you like!
Beef Quesadilla filling with cheese and pepper sauce
After you’ve assembled the quesadilla it’s time to put them on the grill. This part of the recipe really needs your attention. If you leave the quesadilla on the direct heat of the grill for too long, they will most likely burn. I like to get a little char on the tortilla for flavor, but you don’t want the quesadillas to be a burnt mess. Rotate the tortilla around the grill every minute or so and then flip the tortilla and repeat on the other side.
Once off the grill let it cool for a few minutes. Then slice in either half or quarters. Whether you are in your backyard or at a tailgate party you will really enjoy these Grilled Beef Quesadilla with Guajillo Chili Sauce!
Grilled Beef Quesadilla with Guajillo Chili Sauce
If you like this
Grilled Flanken Cut Beef Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 4 4 ounce beef chuck fillets
- 1 leak
- 16 ounces shredded cheddar and monterey jack cheese
- Beef Rub
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinammon
- Chili Sauce
- 2 dried guajillo chilis
- 3 ounces red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup water used for cooking chilies
Instructions
Combine the beef spice rub with beef chuck and let sit covered for one hour.
Simmer the dried chilies in boiling water for 15 minutes until soft. Then combine the chilies, red wine vinegar, cumin, one cup of the water used to soften the guajillo chilies and sugar in a blender. Blend until smooth.
Slice the beef into thin strips and then place on 1/2 the tortilla. Add the chopped leeks, shredded cheese, and chili sauce and fold the soft tortilla in half.
Place the tortilla on the grill and rotate around the direct heat for 2 minutes. Flip the tortilla and repeat.
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