Carnitas Quesadilla – Barefeet within the Kitchen

With a buttery, crispy flour tortilla, this Carnitas Quesadilla is loaded with melty Pepper Jack cheese and unimaginable pork carnitas. I end mine with a sprinkle of contemporary cilantro, and it’s the perfect lunch I’ve had all week. If you happen to’re making carnitas, add this one to your dinner plan. You may thank me later.

Pals, this recipe for carnitas quesadillas is precisely what occurs at my home within the days after I make a batch of my slow cooker pork carnitas or pork carnitas in the oven. Leftover carnitas are completely divine for including to salads, rice bowls, and extra.

However, that is the quesadilla that makes me actively pleased about leftovers.

Crisp buttery edges. A gooey tangle of cheese and shredded pork within the center. A little bit cilantro, as a result of it wants that contemporary inexperienced pop. That’s the entire thing. And, because the meat freezes like a dream, when you begin making carnitas, you’ll all the time have it readily available.

Carnitas Quesadilla

There are solely a handful of meals I might genuinely eat each single week, and carnitas are darn close to the highest of that listing. A batch often goes fairly quick round right here, however at any time when there’s a cup or two lingering in my fridge and I’m feeling like treating myself, relaxation assured that I’m going to make use of it on this carnitas quesadilla recipe.

And, whereas I like tacky quesadillas, I don’t really like my quesadillas overloaded with cheese. I do know, I do know. Sizzling take. However, it simply makes me really feel so torpid. So, I err on the facet of utilizing simply sufficient cheese to carry every thing in place. However, if YOU need to add extra? I’m on board. Comply with your coronary heart.

Elements and Substitutions

Tortilla – Until you’re employed up an urge for food like my husband (and, I’m not judging), you most likely already know that it’s one tortilla per quesadilla. I take advantage of flour as a result of I favor the style and texture.

Butter – I am going simple on the butter. However, don’t skip it. You simply want an excellent super-thin coating to assist the tortilla crisp within the pan. Butter is magical right here.

Cheese – My go-to decisions are shredded Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack. I’ve one other sizzling tackle freshly shredded versus bagged varieties. However, you’ll must go to the information part for that.

Carnitas – A handful of cooked pork carnitas, roughly chopped. You possibly can swap for one more cooked, shredded pork like this slow cooker Mexican pulled pork, in a pinch.

Cilantro – Recent cilantro lifts the entire thing. If you’re one of many cilantro-tastes-like-soap individuals (that was me till a couple of years in the past), some sliced inexperienced onion can get the job performed, too.

Easy methods to Make a Carnitas Quesadilla

Preheating: I set a big non-stick skillet over medium-high warmth and provides it a minute or two to return as much as temperature earlier than anything goes in. You need it to sizzle if you put the butter tortilla within the pan.

Buttering the Tortilla: Flippantly butter one facet of the tortilla with a couple of teaspoon of butter, unfold edge to edge. Then, simply slap it down (rigorously) into the recent pan.

Constructing the Layers: I sprinkle about half of the cheese over one facet of the tortilla. Then, I unfold out the chopped carnitas over the cheese and end with the remainder of the cheese. That cheese-meat-cheese sandwich is what seals every thing collectively when it melts.

Including Cilantro: I prefer to scatter the cilantro throughout the highest layer of cheese proper earlier than folding it over.

Folding It Over: Utilizing a large spatula, you’ll have to carry up the uncovered facet of the tortilla and fold it over the loaded half. Gently press down to assist it set.

Cooking: Let the folded quesadilla cook dinner for two to three minutes on the primary facet. I’m checking and on the lookout for the cheese to start out melting and the underside tortilla to show golden.

Flipping the Quesadilla: As soon as that backside is browning and the cheese has began to soften, you’ll flip the entire folded quesadilla over and let it cook dinner on the opposite facet till the cheese is totally melted and the either side are crisp.

Serving: Switch the quesadilla to a slicing board. Then, I simply reduce it into wedges whereas it’s nonetheless sizzling, and serve immediately. Simply rinse and repeat, in case you’re making a couple of.

Serving Options

A carnitas quesadilla like that is loads for me for a fast lunch. However, after I need to flip this recipe into a correct dinner, I’ll add a bowl of chips and a few simple Mexican salsa for dipping. Or perhaps a pan of Spanish rice on the facet.

And, there’s nothing higher (in my view) than a heat batch of elote dip to raise the meal. It makes the entire unfold really feel like a little bit fiesta.

Make Forward & Storage

Make Forward: The carnitas themselves preserve superbly within the fridge for a number of days or within the freezer for a couple of months, so having them prepped upfront makes recipes like this a breeze. However, cook dinner your quesadillas to order.

Easy methods to Retailer: If in case you have a leftover quesadilla, simply retailer it in an hermetic container within the fridge. It retains for as much as 3 days.

Easy methods to Reheat: A dry skillet over medium warmth will carry again a number of the crispness whereas reheating the cheese. And the air fryer is superior for reheating leftover quesadillas. However, skip the microwave until you need it delicate.

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Incessantly Requested Questions