Leftover Brisket Quesadillas (quick, cheesy, and flavorful!)
This delicious, Leftover Brisket Quesadilla recipe is the best (and tastiest!) way to use leftover brisket. Crispy flour tortillas are filled with melty cheese and tender beef brisket; serve with a dollop of guacamole and pico de Gallo for the perfect quick weeknight meal and a delicious way to use brisket! In my case, I used leftover brisket from my Slow-Braised Spicy Brisket Tacos for these cheesy, crispy, and flavorful quesadillas.
Ingredients
- Shredded brisket (for leftover BBQ/smoked brisket, see below for the perfect cheese pairing)
- Freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Freshly shredded Mexican Oaxaca cheese or fresh shredded Mozzarella cheese
- Flour tortillas
- Butter
- Vegetable oil
- Guacamole or fresh avocado
- Pico de Gallo or fresh salsa
- Sour cream
- Pickled red onions
- Pickled jalapeño peppers
- Bottled hot sauce
Step-by-step instructions
Time needed: 15 minutes
How to make brisket quesadillas.
- Use a nonstick skillet or cast-iron skillet
Preheat skillet on medium heat
- Add butter and oil
Once the skillet is hot, melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter and add 1/2 tablespoon of oil.
- How to make the quesadillas
Place the tortilla on a flat surface, add the shredded cheese and brisket to half of the tortilla. Fold the top of the tortilla over and place it in the hot skillet.
Allow the tortilla to crisp until golden brown.
Carefully turn the tortilla and crisp until the cheese is completely melted. - Repeat until all the quesadillas are made.
Remove the quesadilla from the hot skillet and repeat to make more quesadillas. Keep warm until they are all done.
- Serve
Cut into quarters and serve warm.
Cooking tips and variations
- Don’t overfill the tortilla with cheese and brisket. It should be crisp and sturdy enough to pick up without falling apart.
- Use large flour tortillas that have a medium thickness.
- Wheat and corn tortillas can be used, but note that corn tortillas add a heartier corn flavor to the quesadillas.
- Substitute Monterey jack cheese, Colby Jack, or pepper jack cheese for sharp cheddar.
- If you can’t find Oaxaca cheese, use freshly shredded Mozzarella cheese. For the best melt, always go with freshly grated cheese. Pre-shredded varieties often contain anti-caking agents that keep them from melting smoothly. It’s worth the extra few minutes to shred it yourself.
- For a special BBQ brisket or smoked brisket quesadilla, use smoked Gouda cheese. The flavor of this cheese perfectly complements BBQ or smoked brisket. (Add a drizzle of my Roasted Jalapeño dressing and a little BBQ sauce for the ultimate wow factor, and your taste buds will thank you!)
- Any leftover tri-tip, steak, carne asada, shredded chicken or shrimp works with this recipe.
- Do you have leftover carnitas? Another delicious option for a quesadilla!
- Use sautéed green chiles, corn, bell peppers, and onions instead of meat for a vegetarian option.
Serving suggestions
Serve these mouthwatering Brisket quesadillas with all of your favorites: guacamole, sour cream, (or crema) salsa and garnish with some fresh cilantro. Brisket quesadillas make the best appetizer! Easy to serve and easy to enjoy with a Tangerine Margarita or a glass of my delicious Tropical mocktail.
FAQ’s
This is one of the quickest snacks or quick meals. It takes about 15 minutes all in.
Save any leftover quesadillas in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, place the quesadilla on a nonstick pan and heat thoroughly and serve hot.
I love leftover brisket in quesadillas, but I also opt for using any leftovers in bowls. Use steamed rice, black beans, corn, avocado, pickled red onions, shredded cheese and top with brisket and salsa. Yum!
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All content and photographs ©Claudia’s Table and claudiastable.com
Leftover Brisket Quesadillas
May 8, 2025
Equipment
- 1 Non stick pan or cast iron skillet
- box shredder
- spatula
Ingredients
Leftover brisket quesadillas
- 2-3 cups Shredded brisket
- 2 cups Freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 cups Freshly shredded Mexican Oaxaca cheese or fresh shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 4 Flour tortillas large
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
For serving
- 1 cup Guacamole or fresh avocado
- 1 cup Pico de Gallo or fresh salsa
- 1/2 cup Sour cream
- 1/2 cup Pickled red onions
- Pickled jalapeño peppers
- Bottled hot sauce
Instructions
How to make brisket quesadillas
- Use a nonstick skillet or cast-iron skillet
- Preheat skillet on medium heat
- Once the skillet is hot, melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter and add 1/2 tablespoon of oil.
- Place the tortilla on a flat surface, add the shredded cheese and brisket to half of the tortilla. Fold the top of the tortilla over and place it in the hot skillet.
- Allow the tortilla to crisp until golden brown.
- Using a spatula, carefully turn the tortilla and crisp until the cheese is completely melted.
- Remove the quesadilla from the hot skillet and repeat to make more quesadillas. Keep warm until they are all done.
- Slice into wedges and serve warm.
How to serve
- Serve quesadillas with guacamole, sour cream, salsa, pico de gallo, pickled red onions, cilantro, and jalapeños.
Notes
Cooking tips and variations
-
- Don’t overfill the tortilla with cheese and brisket. It should be crisp and sturdy enough to pick up without falling apart.
-
- Use large flour tortillas that have a medium thickness.
-
- Wheat and corn tortillas can be used, but note that corn tortillas add a heartier corn flavor to the quesadillas.
-
- Substitute Monterey jack cheese, Colby Jack, or pepper jack cheese for sharp cheddar.
-
- If you can’t find Oaxaca cheese, use freshly shredded Mozzarella cheese. For the best melt, always go with freshly grated cheese. Pre-shredded varieties often contain anti-caking agents that keep them from melting smoothly. It’s worth the extra few minutes to shred it yourself.
-
- For a special BBQ brisket or smoked brisket quesadilla, use smoked Gouda cheese. The flavor of this cheese perfectly complements BBQ or smoked brisket. (Add a drizzle of my Roasted Jalapeño dressing and a little BBQ sauce for the ultimate wow factor, and your taste buds will thank you!)
-
- Do you have leftover carnitas? Another delicious option for a quesadilla!
-
- Use sautéed green chiles, corn, bell peppers, and onions instead of meat for a vegetarian option.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated online and should be used as a guide.
All content and photographs ©Claudia’s Table and claudiastable.com
These quesadillas are so good and a great way to use your leftover brisket! Highly recommend!