Quesadillas Fritas are a classic Mexican street food, made with a homemade masa tortilla stuffed with melty cheese, and fried until crispy and amazing.
Why This Quesadillas Fritas Recipe is So Good
- These quesadillas are made from scratch! It's really not difficult to make fresh tortilla dough using a few ingredients, and it makes all the difference here. These corn tortillas are also, of course, gluten-free.
- Fritas means "fried" in Spanish, but you don't need to pull out your deep fryer to make them. Just an inch or so of oil in a frying pan is plenty.
- Mexican street food is always delicious! Try my Air Fryer Mexican Corn on the Cobb and Vegan Birria Tacos too.
Tips and Tricks for Making Crispy Quesadillas Fritas
- Masa harina corn flour is not the same as corn meal. It's actually dehydrated corn dough and it's the perfect thing for making homemade fresh tortillas for quesadillas fritas. Look for it near the specialty flours at your grocery store.
- Add other fillings! Try mixing the cheese with cooked taco fillings, sauteed peppers and onions, or your favorite Mexican ingredients. Anything you'd put in a taco is fair game here! I saw this recipe for squash blossom quesadillas that I think would be delicious fried.
- We're using common household items to press the tortillas (a rolling pin and a plate), but if you have a tortilla press, feel free to use it for this recipe.
- Keep the tortillas on the small side, so that they're easier to fit in your frying pan. Following this recipe, your quesadillas fritas should be half-circles of about 6 inches across.
- Try to eat these when they're fresh, but if you have leftover fried quesadillas, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. They are best reheated in an air fryer or toaster oven so they get crispy again.
What to Serve with Quesadillas Fritas
Serve these crispy fried stuffed tortillas with plenty of tasty toppings, and let everyone choose what they like!
Sour cream, fresh or bottled salsa, guacamole, or avocado salad are all great choices. Add some heat with pickled jalapenos, or try dipping these into homemade smoky red pepper crema sauce. Yum!
More Tasty and Easy Recipes
- Air Fryer Fried Green Tomatoes
- Lemon Garlic Aioli
- Strawberry Almond Milk
- Vegan Stew
- Slow Cooker Jackfruit Tacos
- Air Fryer Enchiladas
- Million Dollar Deviled Eggs
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Quesadillas Fritas
Quesadillas Fritas are a classic Mexican street food, made with a homemade masa tortilla stuffed with melty cheese, and fried until crispy and amazing.
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- Frying Pan
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 to fry
Instructions
- Mix the masa harina, water and salt in a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon until it comes together into a smooth dough.
- Then shape the dough into a ball with your hands.
- Split and shape the dough into 12 equal sized smooth balls.
- 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.
- 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.
- Sprinkle shredded cheese over one half of each quesadilla, leaving a gap around the edge of approx. half an inch.
- Then fold over the dough and squash down the edges using your fingers or a fork to seal them together.
- 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.
- Serve with your favorite toppings and dips such as fresh chopped cilantro, jalapenos, hot sauce, sour cream and avocado salsa.
Notes
- Masa harina corn flour is not the same as corn meal. It's actually dehydrated corn dough and it's the perfect thing for making homemade fresh tortillas for quesadillas fritas. Look for it near the specialty flours at your grocery store.
- Add other fillings! Try mixing the cheese with cooked taco meat, sauteed peppers and onions, or your favorite Mexican ingredients. Anything you'd put in a taco is fair game here!
- We're using common household items to press the tortillas (a rolling pin and a plate), but if you have a tortilla press, feel free to use it for this recipe.
- Keep the tortillas on the small side, so that they're easier to fit in your frying pan. Following this recipe, your quesadillas fritas should be half-circles of about 6 inches across.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. I suggest reheating them in an air fryer to get them crispy again.
Nutrition
Serving: 1quesadillaCalories: 111kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 5gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 153mgPotassium: 61mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 135IUCalcium: 97mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
