Quesadilla Burgers (Applebee’s Copycat)
A quesadilla burger features a juicy burger and spicy chipotle mayo served between warm flour tortillas and melted cheese. When you can’t decide between a burger and a quesadilla, this unique Applebee’s inspired recipe will satisfy both your cravings!
Applebee’s is a family favorite for nights out. I personally love their quesadilla burgers. Have you had them?
If not, you are missing out. They are so delicious! I’d eat them every day if I could.
However, it wouldn’t be budget friendly to take my family to Applebee’s all the time so I came up with my own version of this delicious burger recipe at home the way I make Panera’s mac and cheese all the time.
What is a quesadilla burger?
A quesadilla burger is a burger patty with toppings sandwiched between two flour tortillas.
Applebee’s made the quesadilla burger famous.
Their version has Mexi-ranch sauce, bacon, pico and lettuce in a jack and cheddar quesadilla.
My version is slightly different.
I omit the bacon and instead of a Mexi-ranch sauce, I am using a bold chipotle mayonnaise.
Of course, when you make this at home, you can use whatever toppings you’d like.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need a set of ingredients for the burger patties themselves, a set for the chipotle mayo, and a set to assemble the quesadillas.
For the burgers you’ll need:
- Ground beef– Leaner ground beef will result in less shrinkage and less greasy patties so I recommend using at least 85/15.
- White onion– Diced
- Garlic– Minced
- Cilantro– Fresh chopped cilantro
- Spices– Cumin, salt and pepper
For the chipotle mayo you’ll need:
- Mayonnaise– Real, full fat mayo and not mayonnaise style dressing
- Spices– Chipotle powder, smoked paprika
- Half and half– Just to thin the mayo out a little
And finally for assembling the burgers you’ll need:
- Tortillas-Small flour tortillas
- Shredded cheese– Mexican blend preferably but cheddar would also work
- Pico de gallo– You can buy this in the produce depart or make your own. If you buy it premade, drain it.
- Iceberg lettuces leaves– Roughly chopped
How to Make
Let’s break this down into 3 main steps: making the burgers, making the chipotle mayo, and assembling the quesadilla burgers.
To Make the Burgers
Add all of the burger ingredients to a large mixing bowl and knead the the ingredients together with your clean hands until everything is combined.
Heat a little oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Using your hands, form the seasoned ground beef mixture into two large, thick, wide patties.
Cook the burgers in the skillet once the oil’s hot.
Flip them and cook as desired until the outside’s are crisp and the inside is your preferred temperature.
Once the burgers are done to your liking, remove them from the skillet and keep them warm on an oven safe dish in a warm oven.
To Make the Chipotle Mayo
In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the mayo until smooth.
Set the chipotle mayo aside
To Assemble the Quesadilla Burgers
Once you’ve made the burgers and the mayo, you’re ready to assemble the burgers.
To do it, drain the burger grease out of the skillet and add two flour tortillas to the pan over medium low heat.
Cook the tortillas just until they start getting crisp and turn golden brown.
Using tongs, remove the tortillas from the skillet.
Set them on a paper towel lined plates to drain any excess grease.
Repeat this process for the remaining two tortillas.
Then add one tortilla each to two plates.
Top each tortilla with half of the cheese and top the cheese with a burger.
Then, top each burger with half of the pico and lettuce.
Next, add your desired amount of the chipotle mayonnaise to each burger.
Finish the burger by closing it with the remaining tortilla on top.
Serve and enjoy!
When is my burger done?
You want to cook your burgers to at least medium which is a pink center that is warm on the inside.
Medium takes about 6 to 7 minutes total cook time and is between 140 and 145 F.
Medium well has some pink in the center but is more done than a medium burger.
To cook it medium well, it will take 7-8 minutes to reach 150-155.
Storing Leftovers
Don’t store assembled quesadilla burgers.
The tortillas will get soggy in the fridge.
However, you can store the burger, chipotle mayo, pico, and chopped lettuce separately in individual containers in the fridge.
The burgers will stay good for about 3 to 4 days.
Reheat the burgers on the stove before serving with freshly heated tortillas.
Tips and Tricks
- When you are making the burgers, keep in mind that you want the burger to fit nicely on the tortilla so you may want it wider than your normal burger would be. The burgers will shrink as you cook them so keep that in mind when making the patties.
- The chipotle mayonnaise is a little on the thin side thanks to the half and half. I like to drizzle it on top of the patties rather than spoon it on.
- You can use any combination of toppings you like for these.
Other Burger Recipes
These copy cat Applebee’s quesadilla burgers are a fun twist on a classic cheeseburger.
Make some for your next burger night and see why we love them so much!
Looking for other burger recipes?
Try these:
- Cheeseburger Sloppy Joes
- Guinness Burgers
- Cafeteria Style Pizza Burgers
- Smoked Burgers
- Mongolian Barbecue Burgers
If you’ve tried this QUESADILLA BURGER, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Quesadilla Burger (Applebee's Copycat)
Ingredients
For The Burgers
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 cup white onion finely diced
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- salt & pepper to taste
For The Chipotle Mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 tsp chipotle powder
- 1/8 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp half and half
For Assembling The Burgers
- 4 small flour tortillas
- 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheeses
- 1/2 cup pico de gallo drained
- iceberg lettuce leaves roughly chopped
Instructions
To Make The Burgers
- In a large mixing bowl, add all of the burger ingredients. Using your hands, knead all of the ingredients together until the mixture's smooth & everything's evenly combined.1 lb ground beef, 1/2 cup white onion, 2 tbsp minced garlic, 2 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, salt & pepper
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a little bit of oil in it.
- Using your hands, for the seasoned ground beef mixture into two large patties. Try to get them wide and thick- they're going on tortillas as buns and beef shrinks as it cooks.
- Cook the burgers in the skillet once the oil's hot. Flip them and cook as desired until the outsides are crisp and the inside is your preferred temperature.
- Remove the cooked burgers from the skillet, transfer them to a plate, and set aside. You can pop the plate into the oven on the keep warm setting if needed to ensure they stay warm.
To Make The Chipotle Mayo
- In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients until smooth. Set the mixture aside.1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 tsp chipotle powder, 1/8 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp half and half
To Assemble The Burgers
- Drain the burger grease out of the skillet.
- Add two flour tortillas to the pan over medium low heat, and cook just until the tortillas have begun to crisp and turned golden brown.4 small flour tortillas
- Using tongs, remove the tortillas from the skillet and transfer them to a paper towel lined plates to drain any excess grease.
- Repeat for the remaining two tortillas.
- Add one tortilla each to two plates. Top each tortilla with half of the cheese. Add a burger.1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheeses
- Divide the pico de gallo and lettuce out between the two burgers, topping them both evenly.1/2 cup pico de gallo, iceberg lettuce leaves
- Next, add your desired amount of the chipotle mayonnaise to each burger. It is liquidy so I like to spoon it over top.
- Top each burger with one of the remaining tortillas, serve & enjoy!
Notes
- When you are making the burgers, keep in mind that you want the burger to fit nicely on the tortilla so you may want it wider than your normal burger would be. The burgers will shrink as you cook them so keep that in mind when making the patties.
- The chipotle mayonnaise is a little on the thin side thanks to the half and half. I like to drizzle it on top of the patties rather than spoon it on.
- You can use any combination of toppings you like for these.
Nutrition
recipe adapted from Will Cook For Smiles
after a long while i came across this site and what fascinate recipe i’ve found thanks for it. gonna try this weekend :)
I have not had the original but i am so down with your change ups!! This sounds incredible and give me Chipotle Mayo any time or all the time and I’m happy!!
Mollie