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Steak Quesaritos

steak quesarito

This Steak Quesarito recipe is long overdue. Well, the first time I used ground beef so they were just your standard Quesarito, but y’all asked for the recipe and I promised to get it you way back then! Here it is. If anyone is still waiting for it, thank you.

The first time my kid asked me to make her a Quesarito I had to google them to see what they were. I felt silly when I realized they’re exactly what they sound like: a burrito with a quesadilla wrapped around the filling instead of just plain flour tortilla.

Steak Quesarito Ingredients

Feel free to jump to the full recipe, but here are useful notes about the ingredients you will need to make this Steak Quesarito recipe:

  • Steak: The cut of steak you use is your choice! The marinade is pretty acidic, so it’s perfect for tougher cuts like flank or skirt. It’s also super flavorful, so it works its way into thicker cuts like filet and ribeye well. I used a combination of filets and ribeyes the last time I made this because I happened to have a surplus of those in my freezer.
  • Cooked Rice: Plain white rice is the bed the rest of our burrito toppings will be nestled on. If you have the time and inclination, cilantro-lime rice goes great in these.
  • Extra Sharp White Cheddar, Medium Cheddar: I like to use these cheeses – grated – for the quesadilla filling. The combination pairs nicely with the other flavors in this dish and doesn’t get lost in the same bite as the queso.
  • Chile Queso: Taco Bell puts their nacho cheese inside; we’re using my spicy queso recipe. If you want it to be smooth, toss the chiles and jalapenos in a blender before adding them to the pot.
  • Flour Tortillas: You can’t have quesadillas without tortillas! We’re using the largest ones in the grocery store. They’ll usually say ‘large burrito.’
  • Orange juice, lime juice, soy sauce: These add a bright citrusy flavor and help to tenderize the meat as well.
  • Onion powder, cracked black pepper, granulated garlic: for ~flavor~
  • Oil, butter: Only needed for searing the steak and frying the quesadilla.
  • Sour cream, cilantro, hot sauce: If you follow the recipe as written, you’ll put this inside of the Steak Quesaritos. Feel free to serve them alongside.

How to Make Steak Quesaritos

Full instructions are included in the recipe below, but here is a basic overview of what you’ll need to do, along with some important tidbits to help you make the most of this Steak Quesaritos recipe:

  • Marinate the steak. Season the steak lightly all over with kosher salt. Place the steak, sliced onions, and serrano peppers in a large dish or bag. Whisk together all of the marinade ingredients and pour it all over the steak. Move everything around to make sure the steak is fully coated. Place in the fridge for up to 6 hours – no longer or it’ll get mushy. Remove from the fridge
  • Cook the steak and prepare the rice and queso. If you’ve already cooked your rice and queso, you’ll want to have it all reheated by the time the quesadillas are ready. I usually cook everything fresh. I start with the rice, then the queso, then the steak, and finally the quesadillas.
  • Make the quesadillas. Add some oil and/or butter to a large nonstick skillet and lay one tortilla flat. Press it down to make sure the whole surface gets greased. Cover with a light layer of cheese, then press the other tortilla on top. You don’t want to use as much cheese as you would normally, as we’re rolling these. Let cook for a few minutes, then flip. I like to use a plate to make it easy. Continue cooking on the opposite side. You don’t want either to be too crisp, because we have to roll them into Steak Quesaritos! Not floppy tho. There’s a balance.
  • Assemble the quesaritos. Spoon a row of rice, then a row of steak just left of center in the tortilla (putting it dead center will make it harder to roll). Don’t use too much rice and steak, or the quesarito might burst. I say around 1/4 cup of each or so, followed by queso and any other desired toppings.
  • Roll the quesaritos. If you crisped the tortillas too much when you were frying the quesadillas then they’re probably going to crack and tear while you roll them, so hopefully, you didn’t do that. Roll them up like you would a burrito! Begin to roll – without moving the quesadilla from its position – while bringing up the outside edges. Be firm, but gentle. Tuck the ends inside and under as you bring the edge of the tortilla over on top of the filling. Roll until it’s sealed. Place it seam side down and wrap it in foil or wax paper to ensure it doesn’t pop open if not plating right away. Use a serrated knife to slice it in half, and enjoy!

Switch it Up: 

There are endless variations that you can make with this Steak Quesaritos recipe, so please feel free to customize yours to taste!  Off the top of my head, how about:

  • Use your own marinade. Or don’t use a marinade at all! Just season it simply with salt and pepper. I’m of the opinion that a good steak speaks for itself.
  • Change up the filling. The standard Quesarito option uses ground beef. I recommend trying Crispy Tacos taco filling in my ebook ‘Got an Hour?‘ or make your own! Chicken Tinga would be awesome, too.
  • Smothered and Covered. OK, it isn’t Waffle House, so just smothered. Ladle the queso on top of the assembled Quesarito instead of putting it inside. You’ll need to eat it with a knife and fork but it’s worth it.
  • Plant-based. Swap out the cheeses for dairy-free alternatives and use my Easy Refried Beans recipe for the central protein. This is what my vegetarian child enjoyed while the rest of us ate the recipe as written.

Here’s the obligatory pin for your Pinterest board:

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steak quesarito

Steak Quesaritos


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  • Author: María
  • Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x

Description

We are not at all above Taco Bell in this house.


Ingredients

Units Scale

Steak Marinade:

  • 1/4 C orange juice, fresh-squeezed
  • 1/4 C lime juice, fresh-squeezed
  • 2 scallions, chopped
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1/4 C cilantro, minced
  • 1 tsp granulated garlic
  • 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

Quesaritos:

  • 1 lb lean steak
  • 8 flour tortillas
  • 2 C medium cheddar, grated
  • 1 C extra sharp white cheddar, grated
  • 1 C pepper jack cheese, grated
  • 2 C Chile Queso
  • 3 C cooked white rice
  • 1/3 C sour cream
  • 2 tbsp cilantro, minced
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt, to taste
  • vegetable oil, as needed


Instructions

  1. Whisk together all of the steak marinade ingredients except the onions and Serrano peppers, and pour into a glass baking dish. Add the sliced onions and Serrano peppers. Add the streak, turning over to coat in the sauce. The onions and peppers should start to stick to the meat. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. Bring the steak out to rest at room temperature 1/2 an hour before ready to cook.
  2. Preheat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. If you prepared your queso and rice earlier, now is a good time to start the reheating to process. I recommend reheating the queso slowly over medium-low heat in a saucepan.
  3. Pat the steak dry lightly and drizzle a bit of oil over the grill pan’s surface. Add the steak to the grill pan – do not crowd! – and let sear undisturbed for 2 minutes. Preheat your broiler while it cooks. If there’s too much steak to cook at once in the grill pan, place a wire rack over a large baking sheet.
  4. Flip the steak and allow it to sear on the other side for another minute. Transfer the grill pan (or the baking sheet) to the oven. Broil the steak for 4-5 minutes, then flip and broil for another 5-7 minutes or so, then remove to rest.
  5. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle in just enough oil to coat the bottom. Add 1/2 tsp of butter, then one tortilla, pressing it down to make sure the surface gets coated with oil and butter.
  6. Sprinkle on a coating of cheese from edge to edge. Don’t use as much as you would for a regular quesadilla, as we’ll be folding this one, but it should still be a decent amount.
  7. Place a second tortilla on top of the cheese and press it down. Baste it with vegetable oil. Check and make sure the cooking side of the tortilla is browned. If it is, flip and cook until the other side matches. Remove to a plate to rest while you prepare the remaining quesadillas.
  8. To assemble the quesaritos, lay one quesadilla on a large work surface. Spoon a row of rice, then a row of steak beside it. You’ll be using about 1/3 of a cup of each, or less. Spoon the desired amount of queso over the top of everything. Add the desired toppings, then lift the side of the quesadilla closest to you and roll into a burrito shape, tucking in the ends as you go. Refer to the post above the recipe for helpful tips. 
  9. Dassit. Enjoy!

Notes

Read the post above the recipe for tips and suggestions!

  • Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
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