Crisp tortillas and melting cheese collide with spicy elote corn dip on this hearty, flavorful Corn Quesadilla. And the most effective half? From begin to end, these come collectively in simply 10 minutes.

This corn quesadilla recipe was closely impressed by our beloved elote dip, a dish made with roasted corn in a creamy sauce of spicy mayonnaise, lime, and cotija cheese. Whether or not we eat it with a spoon or dip into it with tortilla chips, it’s been a long-time favourite snack in our home. Given our love of elote and quesadillas, it was solely a matter of time till I attempted combining the 2.
Corn Quesadilla


My boys and I are long-time followers of all issues quesadilla. The truth is, quesadillas had been one of many first meals I taught my boys the way to prepare dinner. They’re easy, simple to make, and supply an effective way to make use of up leftovers.
Unsurprisingly, my boys beloved this recipe from the primary chew. At this level, I do know that I have to multiply this recipe each time I make it. Who knew that including crispy, golden tortillas and gooey melted cheese to our beloved elote dip would make it even higher? I suppose it was a secure wager. These corn quesadillas are an effective way to make use of up any leftover dip (when and if we’re fortunate sufficient to have leftovers).


Elements and Substitutions
Tortillas – I favor flour tortillas for the flavour, personally. And, you’ll discover that they maintain collectively higher than corn tortillas whenever you crisp them.
Cheese – For the quesadilla, Monterey jack or pepper jack are my go-to cheeses, as a result of they soften properly. For the corn filling, I like to make use of cotija. It’s the crumbly, conventional alternative for elote.
Corn – Contemporary, frozen, or canned corn works. I favor to make use of contemporary corn, when it’s in season.
Mayo – Only a teaspoon of mayonnaise provides the elote filling a creamy base that’s wealthy and barely tangy.
Onion – I favor pink onion, for its milder taste when served uncooked. You may swap in white or yellow onion although with out concern.
Lime Juice – Don’t skip the lime juice. It helps reduce via the richness with contemporary acidity, which makes the elote filling really feel much less heavy.
Chili Powder – For a touch of spice, I embody some chili powder. However, in case you are spice delicate, you’ll be able to omit this ingredient.
Cilantro – Cilantro is a basic ingredient in elote and my boys and I really like the refreshing taste right here. Be at liberty to skip it, or sub parsley, if cilantro doesn’t thrill you.
Kosher Salt – Only a pinch, and also you’re going to regulate it to style. Actually, style the filling, and alter it right here.
Butter – Except in any other case specified, I all the time use salted butter.
Notes on Tools
- Rotary grater. I sometimes don’t suggest issues I haven’t owned for lengthy whereas, however this rotary grater has been a dream to work with over the previous 12 months. It chews via all of our cheeses with ease.
- Chef’s knife
- Slicing board
- Spatula or turner
- Large nonstick skillet. I’ve been via about one million skillets (properly, possibly not fairly that many). For the previous a number of years that is the precise pan I’ve used for getting a quesadilla crisp with out something sticking.


How one can Make a Corn Quesadilla
Mixing the Elote: To start out, you’ll mix the corn, onion, mayonnaise, chili powder, cotija, cilantro, salt, and contemporary lime juice in a small bowl. Give it a stir to combine it up after which style the combination. You’re solely including a pinch of salt and it would want extra, so alter it as wanted after which let it relaxation for a minute.
Buttering the Tortilla: At this stage, I’ll flippantly butter one aspect of a tortilla and put aside till wanted. Then, we’re going to grate the cheese, in case you aren’t utilizing a pre-shredded selection.


Toasting the Tortilla: I place the buttered tortilla within the sizzling pan, butter-side down.
Constructing the Quesadilla: Layer half of the cheese over one half of the tortilla. Then, high the cheese with the elote filling, and sprinkle the remaining cheese on high.


Folding the Tortilla: As soon as all of the filling substances have been added, you’ll need to fold the tortilla over on itself and let prepare dinner for 2-3 minutes, till the cheese has begun to soften and the underside tortilla has browned.


Flipping and Ending: I fastidiously flip the quesadilla over within the pan, and let the second aspect prepare dinner, till crispy. The cheese must be totally melted by the point either side end cooking.
Serving: As soon as all of the cheese has melted and the tortilla is crisp across the edges, I switch the quesadilla to a slicing board and slice it into wedges.


Professional Tip
You’ll discover that “medium warmth” means one thing totally different on each single range. Gasoline ranges are inclined to run hotter and reply shortly to adjustments, whereas electrical stovetops take longer to warmth and funky. For this reason I stress the significance of temperature management. You need it sizzling, so that you simply get a crispy brown exterior. However, an excessive amount of warmth will char the skin of the tortilla earlier than the cheese has an opportunity to soften.
Warming the Pan – Whenever you’re preheating a skillet, give it longer than you assume. It may possibly take a full minute or two to heat the metallic totally. If the meals doesn’t sizzle whenever you add it to the pan, you then didn’t wait lengthy sufficient.
Go Simple on the Filling – To be sure that your quesadilla cooks evenly, don’t overfill the tortilla. I do know, I do know. It’s tempting to essentially pile it up in there. However, you’ll have higher outcomes with a number of, smaller quesadillas.
Let It Relaxation – Wait only a minute or so for the quesadillas to chill earlier than digging in. You’ll nonetheless get your cheese pull. However, giving it slightly time helps the substances keep within the quesadilla when slicing and consuming it.
Serving Solutions
I wish to serve my quesadillas with some Pico de Gallo or heat Queso Dip and an enormous ol’ pile of tortilla chips. And if it’s supper time, we’ll make it a full meal with a skillet of Chipotle Lime Rice and possibly a salad alongside the quesadillas.


Make Forward & Storage
Make Forward: I don’t suggest making this quesadilla upfront. The crunchiness of the tortilla will probably be misplaced, and lots of the substances will begin to run when reheated.
How one can Retailer: Leftover quesadillas might be saved in an hermetic container or Ziploc within the fridge for 1-3 days.
How one can Reheat: I normally reheat quesadillas in a nonstick skillet on medium warmth, so as to add a few of the misplaced crispiness again to the tortillas.
Extra Avenue Corn Impressed Recipes
Ceaselessly Requested Questions
Hear, you may make a boring quesadilla with none butter. The tortilla will toast slightly and the cheese will nonetheless soften. However, you’ll not get these wonderful golden, crispy edges with out butter. And it received’t style pretty much as good, both. So, please don’t skip the butter.
Normally it is a results of overfilling the quesadilla, or attempting to flip it earlier than the cheese has melted. Mastering warmth administration will repair the latter, and limiting the entire thickness to about 3/4 of an inch will assist with the previous.
If the tortilla is starting to brown however the cheese hasn’t melted but, that’s a matter of warmth administration. Scale back the warmth to medium-low and canopy the skillet with a lid for a couple of minute. You’ll need to preserve an in depth eye on the quesadilla, to maintain it from steaming somewhat than crisping because the cheese melts.
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Mix the corn, onion, mayonnaise, chili powder, cotija, cilantro, salt, and lime juice in a small bowl and stir to mix. Style the combination and alter the salt, as desired. Put aside. Calmly butter one aspect of the tortilla and put aside.
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Set a non-stick pan on the range over medium-low warmth. Place the buttered tortilla within the empty skillet, butter aspect down. Layer half of the cheese over one half of the tortilla, high the cheese with the corn combination, after which sprinkle the remaining cheese over the corn. Fold the tortilla over on itself.
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Permit the quesadilla to prepare dinner for 2-3 minutes. When the cheese has begun to soften and the underside tortilla is browning barely, flip the folded quesadilla over alongside the folded edge to prepare dinner the opposite aspect.
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Proceed to prepare dinner till all of the cheese is melted and the tortilla is crisp across the edges. Utilizing a spatula, switch the quesadilla again to a slicing board and reduce into wedges whereas it’s sizzling, and serve heat.
Energy: 373 kcal | Carbohydrates: 23 g | Protein: 15 g | Fats: 25 g | Saturated Fats: 13 g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 3 g | Monounsaturated Fats: 6 g | Trans Fats: 0.2 g | Ldl cholesterol: 61 mg | Sodium: 787 mg | Potassium: 156 mg | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 4 g | Vitamin A: 589 IU | Vitamin C: 2 mg | Calcium: 415 mg | Iron: 2 mg
Diet info is mechanically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.
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