Quesadillas Fritas

Crispy fried homemade corn tortillas filled with melty cheese are called Quesadillas Fritas, and in Mexico, they are a popular street food that is so delicious!

Learn how to make fresh, homemade corn tortillas into quesadillas fritas with just 4 simple ingredients.

Why This Quesadillas Fritas Recipe is So Good

• In Spanish, the word "fritas" means fried. These quesadillas could be made in a deep fryer, but it's really not necessary. Skip that mess, and make quesadillas fritas in a deep-sided frying pan, with about an inch of oil.
• Homemade corn tortillas are of course, gluten-free, and they're a lot easier to make than you might think. We'll show you exactly how to press tortillas, even without any fancy equipment.
• Mexican street food, and Mexican food in general, is always so good! Be sure to try my Vegan Birria Tacos and Air Fryer Mexican Street Corn too.

Tips and Tricks for Making Quesadillas Fritas

• Try other fillings! Anything you'd put in a taco or quesadilla will be delicious in this recipe. Mix the cheese with cooked taco meat, sauteed peppers, and onions, or your favorite salsa. I saw this recipe for mushroom Cuban quesadillas that I think would be delicious fried!
• Be sure to use the right type of corn flour. Masa Harina is not the same thing as corn meal, but it should be easy to find in the specialty baking section or Mexican section of your grocery store.
• It's really simple to make tortillas using common tools like a large plate and a rolling pin. If you have a tortilla press, go ahead and use it!
• This recipe makes quesadillas fritas that are about 6 inches across. This way it's easy to fit a few of them in the frying pan at one time. You can adjust the size of these if you want to.
• Quesadillas Fritas are best enjoyed fresh, but you can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. I suggest reheating them in an air fryer or toaster oven to get them nice and crispy again.

More Easy Mexican-Inspired Recipes

• Mexican Macaroni Salad
• Seasoned Black Beans
• Smoky Red Pepper Crema
• Air Fryer Enchiladas
• Mexican Sweet Potatoes

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Quesadillas Fritas

Yield: 12 Quesadillas

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Total Time: 58 minutes

Print

Ingredients

• 2 cups masa harina flour
• 1 ⅓ cups warm water
• ⅓ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups shredded cheese (I used a mixture of mozzarella, Monterey Jack and cheddar)
• Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

1. Mix the masa harina, water and salt in a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon until it comes together into a smooth dough.
2. Then shape the dough into a ball with your hands.
3. Split and shape the dough into 12 equal-sized balls.
4. Place a dough ball between two sheets of baking parchment and squash it down into a flattened circle using a plate, large bowl or saucepan.
5. If the circle is not quite flat enough, finish using a rolling pin. Repeat with the remaining dough balls. Each quesadilla should be approx. 6-7” in diameter. 
6. Sprinkle shredded cheese over one half of each quesadilla, leaving a gap around the edge of approx. half an
7. Then fold over the dough and squash down the edges using your fingers or a fork to seal them together. 

1. Heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil in a large high sided frying pan on a medium-high setting. Once hot, fry the quesadillas in batches until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes on each side.
2. Serve with your favorite toppings and dips such as fresh chopped cilantro, jalapenos, hot sauce, sour cream and avocado salsa.

Notes

Try other fillings! Anything you'd put in a taco or quesadilla will be delicious in this recipe. Mix the cheese with cooked taco meat, sauteed peppers and onions, or your favorite salsa. I saw this recipe for mushroom cuban quesadillas that I think would be delicious fried!

Be sure to use the right type of corn flour. Masa Harina is not the same thing as corn meal, but it should be easy to find in the specialty baking section or Mexican section of your grocery store.

It's really simple to make tortillas using common tools like a large plate and a rolling pin too. If you have a tortilla press, go ahead and use it!

This recipe makes quesadillas fritas that are about 6 inches across. This way it's easy to fit a few of them in the frying pan at one time. You can adjust the size of these if you want to.

Quesadillas Fritas are best enjoyed fresh, but you can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. I suggest reheating them in an air fryer or toaster oven to get them nice and crispy again.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 quesadilla
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 174Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 153mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 2gSugar: 0gProtein: 6g

Insanely Easy Recipes occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only.