Air Fryer Quesadilla
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My air fryer quesadilla recipe is crispy on the outside and stuffed with melty cheese. It’s ready in minutes and easy to customize.
Whenever my partner or I are craving a quesadilla, time is usually of the essence, which is why I love making them in my air fryer. Not only is it fast and basically hands-off, but the tortilla gets crispy edges, and the cheese turns gooey and melts into the meaty filling. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.
The trick to cooking quesadillas in the air fryer is to make sure the exterior is coated with oil or butter. This not only ensures it crisps up properly (as it would in a skillet), but it also improves browning and adds extra flavor. How’s that for a 5-minute lunch or dinner?
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
Easy to customize. Don’t feel like you need to stick to my specific list of ingredients. Just like regular quesadillas, you can use whichever protein, cheese, or veggies you like.
No mess. The best part of using an air fryer is skipping the greasy mess of doing them on the stovetop. If you use air fryer liners, you don’t even need to clean the basket afterward!
Dinnertime hero. My partner and I always have some form of protein and cheese in the fridge, and a package of tortillas in the pantry. There’s been many times these have been a quick and easy dinner (okay, at least once a week).
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Flour tortillas. I prefer the texture of flour, but you can also use corn tortillas. If you do use corn tortillas, I do suggest adding a toothpick or skewer to the center to prevent them from flying open during air frying.
- Salsa. I prefer a less chunky salsa (hello, Old El Paso), but use whichever salsa you like.
- Cheese. I use a mix of shredded mozzarella and a Mexican cheese blend (cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Asadero) for stretch and flavor. If you can, shred the cheese by hand for the best melt and texture (packaged cheese has anti-caking agents, which can affect this).
- Shredded chicken breast. Optional, but I love using leftover rotisserie chicken for my quesadillas or if I’ve prepped some Instant Pot shredded chicken. Swap out the chicken for some ground beef, taco meat, flank steak, blackened shrimp, or pork.
- Veggies. I used diced red bell peppers and onions. Chop them very finely, as they won’t have too much time to soften (unless you saute them beforehand).
- Butter. To brush on the outside of the quesadilla for maximum crispness.
- Spices. Several readers told me that the flavor inside can be a little bland, especially if you don’t use Mexican shredded cheese. I recommend mixing about half to one teaspoon of taco seasoning with your protein to add extra flavor.
- Extra salsa and sour cream. To serve.
How to air fry quesadillas
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep. Preheat the air fryer to 200C/400F for 5 minutes, and lightly grease the basket with cooking spray.
Step 2- Build. Place the two tortillas side by side on a flat surface. Spread salsa on the left tortilla. Sprinkle a layer of cheese on the right tortilla, followed by chicken and veggies. Place the left tortilla on top of the other one and press down firmly.
Step 3- Air fry. Brush the tops of the tortillas with melted butter, then place the quesadilla in the air fryer basket for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Keep an eye on them. Cooking times may vary by air fryer, so I suggest checking the cheese quesadilla midway through cooking to ensure it doesn’t burn. Some readers have had their quesadillas cooked in around 4 minutes.
- Consider flipping it halfway. When I tested this recipe, I got both sides golden brown without flipping, but depending on your air fryer, you may want to flip it halfway through.
- Stick a toothpick in it. You wouldn’t really need this for flour tortillas but definitely for corn ones. To ensure the top doesn’t come loose in the basket.
Storage instructions
Leftover quesadilla triangles are best kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. You can freeze them, but I find they never thaw and reheat as well. To reheat, though, add it back to a preheated air fryer (at 350°F) or a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Avoid microwaving the quesadilla, as it will become soggy.
More fun foods in the air fryer
- Air fryer frozen chicken wings
- Air fryer coconut shrimp
- Air fryer pizza
- Air fryer bagel bites
- Air fryer pizza rolls
5-Minute Air Fryer Quesadilla
Video
Ingredients
- 2 8-inch flour tortillas
- 2 tablespoons salsa
- 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup Mexican cheese or Cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup chicken breast pre-cooked and chopped * see notes
- 1/4 small bell pepper very finely chopped
- 1/8 small red onion finely chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 200C/400F for 5 minutes.
- Place the two tortillas side by side. On the left side of the tortilla, spread the salsa on it. On the right side, add mozzarella cheese, Mexican cheese, chicken, red bell peppers, and onions. Place the tortilla with the salsa on top of the cheese/chicken one. Press down quite firmly to prevent it from flipping off in the air fryer.
- Brush the tops of the tortilla with melted butter.
- Place the tortilla in the air fryer basket and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
- Remove the quesadilla from the air fryer basket and cut it into 4 portions.
I have a bit of strong air fryer. Do I still follow your recipe about temperature and time?
Yes, but check on it at the 3 1/2 minute mark if its super strong 🙂
Can you suggest recipe like this using other ingedients? Like I dont know maybe with fish/tuna?
Im air fryer you can make literally everything-even quesadilla? Wow. Amazing.
This is actually Mexican dish right? I like quesadilla a lot.
Too bland for Mexican food. Next time. at a minimum, I’ll add taco seasoning and maybe lime juice. Also, sour cream as a garnish.
No worries, Alice. It does help using salsa etc in the filling. But yes, I’ll add a note to add a dash of taco seasoning if the protein isn’t seasoned 🙂
SO tasty! Makes a great snack or dinner.
Where can I buy Mexican cheese? Is there any substitute for it?
Any shredded cheese is fine
Tried quesadilla in Spain and like it. I must try this one!
I don’t have an air fryer. How can I convert recipes to conventional oven?
Pretty much identically, but most likely need to increase the cooking time.
I need a recommendation on the best air fryer please!
Thank you!
My favorite- https://amzn.to/3n7JbYL