Sheet Pan Quesadillas

You know I love a sheet pan dinner, especially an unlikely sheet pan dinner. Who knew you could make eggs on a sheet pan? Or shrimp fajitas! Or even an entire Thanksgiving dinner! These sheet pan quesadillas follow in the footsteps of those recipes, taking a dish that’s usually cooked on the stovetop and giving it the sheet pan treatment.

Unlike traditional quesadillas that require cooking individual quesadillas one at a time in a skillet, the sheet pan approach allows you to prepare a big batch all at once. They’re still crispy and golden on the outside, and full of ooey-gooey melty cheese on the inside. You can add any fillings you like but for this recipe, I paired all that cheese with seasoned ground beef, black beans, and veggies.

Crispy Sheet Pan Quesadillas

Hands-off cooking. Even though quesadillas cook quickly on the stovetop, it’s a chore to stand there flipping them if you’re making a lot, plus the fillings tend to fall out when you flip them. Sheet pan quesadillas are pretty much hands-off once you pop them in the oven, giving you more time to prep toppings or sides (or a pitcher of strawberry margaritas!).

The best way to make a big batch of quesadillas. This sheet pan method means you can make up to eight quesadillas at once, perfect for feeding a crowd or meal prepping. (Pro tip: Leftover quesadillas make an awesome school lunch.)

Customizable. They’re quesadillas! You can fill them with just about anything and use this same cooking method. Use my pizza quesadillas as inspiration or come up with your own ideas. (For breakfast, try my sheet pan breakfast tostadas with eggs!)

Ingredient Notes

• Lean ground beef: Any ground meat will work here, including ground turkey. If you prefer shredded chicken or want to go vegetarian, that’ll work too. If the ground beef is very lean, use a tablespoon of olive oil in the frying pan to keep it from sticking.
• Red bell pepper and red onion: I try to add veggies to my meals any way I can. Diced bell pepper and onion add flavor and nutrition to the ground beef filling.
• Black beans: Use canned beans that are rinsed with water and drained. Pinto beans would also work here if that’s what you have in your pantry.
• Taco seasoning: Use a packet of taco seasoning or make your own. If you use homemade taco seasoning, you’ll need to add a tablespoon of flour to help thicken the filling.
• Cilantro: Cilantro haters can omit it but I like the fresh flavor cilantro adds.
• Butter: Melted butter is the key to crispy, golden brown quesadillas. While you could use oil or an oil spray instead, I like the flavor that butter adds. We tested both ways and found that using butter results in crispier quesadillas.
• Extra-large flour tortillas: Sheet pan quesadillas are easier to make if you use the extra-large tortillas. Look for the tortillas that you would use to make burritos.
• Shredded cheese: You can use any kind you like in your quesadillas. I usually go for cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a mix. Mexican blend works great, too.
• Toppings: Offer whatever you normally serve with your quesadillas or tacos, like additional chopped cilantro, sour cream, sliced green onions, chopped white onions, salsa, guacamole, hot sauce, etc. Go wild! (We love the smoky flavor of this chipotle salsa!)

How to Make Sheet Pan Quesadillas

Prepare. Preheat your oven to 400ºF and brush a tablespoon of butter onto a large rimmed sheet pan (about 11 x 17 inches). Make sure you coat the entire pan for maximum crispiness. The tortillas will cover the bottom of the pan.

Line the sheet pan with tortillas. Place 6 tortillas along the edges of the pan, letting half of each tortilla hang over the sides. Place another tortilla in the middle of the pan. (Refer to the photos if you’re unsure how to do this.) The bottom of the sheet pan should be entirely covered with tortillas and it’s okay if the tortillas overlap. There shouldn’t be any gaps if you’re using extra-large tortillas but if there are, you can tear pieces from an extra tortilla to fill them in.

Cook the filling. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil, ground beef, and veggies; sauté them until the meat is no longer pink and the onions are softened. Break up the meat as it cooks so you don’t have large chunks.

Next, stir in the beans, taco seasoning, and water. Continue to cook the mixture until the filling thickens slightly and no water remains in the pan. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the cilantro.

Add the filling. Evenly sprinkle half the cheese over the tortillas, then add the meat in an even layer, followed by the remaining cheese. If you like, you can customize the quesadillas by making half with meat and half without.

Finish assembling. Place a tortilla in the middle of the pan, then fold the overhanging halves of the rest of the tortillas over the filling. Brush the tops of the tortillas with the remaining butter.

Bake. Place a second sheet pan (same size), bottom side down, on top of the quesadillas, pressing down gently. Bake the quesadillas for 15 minutes, then remove the top pan and bake for 10 minutes more. (The top pan helps get both sides crispy without you needing to flip the quesadillas!)

Serve. Let the sheet pan quesadillas cool for a few minutes, then cut them into 8 portions. A pizza cutter or a sharp kitchen shears can help with this. Serve with your favorite toppings.

Easy Recipe Variations

• Make vegetarian quesadillas. Swap out the ground beef for your favorite plant-based ground meat, or add either extra veggies, beans, or cheese.
• Switch up the veggies. Green peppers add a tangier flavor while poblano peppers have a subtle kick. Corn adds sweetness while mushrooms are meaty and delicious. This is a great recipe for cleaning out your crisper drawer! I’ve even layered baby spinach leaves in the sheet pan quesadillas.
• Try them with chicken. This salsa chicken would be perfect in sheet pan quesadillas.
• Do something completely different. Add smoked cheddar, caramelized onions, bacon, and BBQ chicken for a new spin on quesadillas. We love tuna quesadillas, too. They taste like extra crispy tuna melts. Simply layer your favorite tuna melt mixture on the tortillas with plenty of cheese.

Serving Ideas

Refrigerate: Store the leftover sheet pan quesadillas in an airtight container or wrapped in foil in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Freeze: You can freeze the cooked quesadillas in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. If you’re stacking them, place a sheet of parchment paper between the layers. I recommend letting them thaw in the refrigerator before reheating; you could heat them from frozen, but you may have issues with cold spots in the filling.

Reheat: Warm up leftovers in a skillet over medium heat, in the air fryer, or in a 400ºF oven. The microwave will also work, but it’s not ideal. The quesadillas might get soggy or tough.

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 pound lean ground beef (or turkey)
• ▢ 1 large red bell pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
• ▢ ½ cup diced red onion (about ¼ of a large onion)
• ▢ 1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
• ▢ 1 packet (1 oz.) taco seasoning (see note)
• ▢ ¼ cup water
• ▢ ¼ cup minced cilantro, optional
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter, melted (see note)
• ▢ 8 extra-large flour tortillas (10-inch, burrito size)
• ▢ 2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a mix)
• ▢ toppings for serving (cilantro, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, hot sauce, etc)

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush 1 tablespoon melted butter on a large sheet pan (11 x 17 inches). Reserve the remaining 1 tablespoon of melted butter.

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, ground beef, bell pepper, and diced onion. Cook, breaking up meat into crumbles, until meat is cooked through and onions are translucent.

  1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 pound lean ground beef, 1 large red bell pepper, diced, ½ cup diced red onion

• Add black beans, taco seasoning, and water. Cook until thickened slightly and no longer watery. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro, if using.

  1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained, 1 packet (1 oz.) taco seasoning, ¼ cup water, ¼ cup minced cilantro, optional

• Arrange 6 tortillas around the edges of the sheet pan so that half of each tortilla overhangs the edges of the pan. Place one tortilla in the center of the pan to fully cover the bottom. If needed, tear a piece of a tortilla to fill in any gaps.

  8 extra-large flour tortillas

• Evenly sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheese over the tortillas. Add the meat mixture in an even layer. Top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.

  2 cups shredded cheese

• Place one tortilla in the center to cover the filling, then fold the overhanging edges of the bottom tortillas over the top to seal everything in. Brush the remaining 1 tablespoon of melted butter over the top of the quesadillas.

• Place another sheet pan on top of the quesadillas and press down gently to flatten. Leave the top pan in place as a weight, and bake the quesadillas for 15 minutes.

• Remove the top sheet pan and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the tortillas are golden brown and crispy.

• Let the quesadilla cool for a few minutes, then slice into 8 squares. Serve with desired toppings.

• Taco seasoning: Packaged taco seasoning has a thickener in it. If you choose to use homemade taco seasoning, add 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour when you add your seasoning and the water.
• Butter: Butter adds flavor but also helps the quesadilla get golden brown. If you prefer, omit the melted butter. Spray the pan lightly with olive oil spray or nonstick spray. You can leave the tops of the quesadillas as is, or spray them with olive oil spray. We tested both methods and preferred using butter.
• Filling alternatives: Make it vegetarian by omitting the ground meat and adding additional sautéed vegetables. You can substitute cooked shredded chicken for the ground meat if you prefer. The quesadillas can be filled with any of your favorite quesadilla ingredients. Refer to the post for suggestions.

Serving: 1square, Calories: 557kcal, Carbohydrates: 57g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 67mg, Sodium: 1371mg, Potassium: 538mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 1287IU, Vitamin C: 30mg, Calcium: 300mg, Iron: 6mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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