Applebee's Quesadilla Burger Recipe

This quesadilla burger combines two of the most delicious foods into one recipe. It's part burger, part quesadilla, and a whole lot of delicious. If you've ever had the Applebee's quesadilla burger, then you are going to love this copycat recipe!

The Best Quesadilla Burger

If you've never heard of this combo, the quesadilla burger is one of Applebee's most popular menu items, and for good reason. Cheeseburgers and quesadillas are delicious on their own, but they're even better when they're paired together.

The best part is that this copycat Applebee's quesadilla burger recipe is surprisingly easy to make! In fact, just three simple steps are all you need to follow to make them. Seriously, how easy does that sound?

Plus, these copycat quesadilla burgers are just as good - if not better - than the ones from Applebee's. 

By the way, to take this restaurant-quality meal to another level, you can make these air fryer tortilla chips and Chipotle guac to go with it. Honestly, they're the perfect pair to this quesadilla burger. 

Ingredients Needed

• Lean ground beef- I used an 85/15 split.
• Salt
• Mexican taco seasoning
• Mayonnaise, chile sauce, lime juice- for the incredible sauce.
• Butter- unsalted butter for cooking.
• Small tortillas- flour tortillas work better than corn tortillas.
• Cheddar cheese- I used shredded white cheddar cheese.
• Pico de Gallo and shredded lettuce- my go-to toppings.

How To Make Applebee's Quesadilla Burger

Step 1: Make The Burgers

First, preheat a grill to medium heat. Alternatively, you can make your burgers on a grill pan on the stove set to medium-high heat.

While that's heating up, in a large bowl, combine the ground beef, salt, and taco seasoning. Give everything a mix until it combines. Then, form the ground beef mixture into two burger patties.

Next, grill each burger patty for about 3-4 minutes per side or until the desired doneness is reached. The minimum internal temperature of a hamburger is 160°F.

Step 2: Make The Spicy Mayo

Now you can make the spicy mayo. To do that, add the mayonnaise, chile sauce, and lime juice to a small bowl and give it a good mix until everything combines. Alternatively, you can make a mexi ranch sauce by mixing sour cream, taco seasoning, and salsa together. 

Step 3: Assemble The Burgers

Grab a large skillet or electric griddle and melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Then, place two tortillas on the skillet and top each tortilla with half of the cheese. Now, place a burger patty on each cheese-topped tortilla, and top each of the hamburger patties with a spoonful of the spicy mayonnaise mixture or any condiment that you want. As soon as the cheese melts, carefully remove the burger-topped tortillas from the skillet and set them aside.

Step 4: Prepare The Other Tortilla 

Now you'll want to melt the remaining butter in the skillet and add the other two tortillas to it. Top the tortillas with the remaining cheese and heat them until the cheese melts and the tortilla is crispy on the bottom. Once the cheese melts, take it off the heat, and immediately place the tortilla cheese side down on top of the burgers. 

Now that your quesadilla burgers are assembled, you can cut them in half or eat them whole. Serve warm with any sides you want, and enjoy this restaurant-quality meal!

Topping Ideas

There are endless ways to customize these quesadilla burgers, depending on what you're in the mood for. So feel free to get creative! With that said, here are some suggestions:

• Swap the mayo for chipotle mayo, sour cream, mexi ranch sauce, or ranch dressing.
• Replace cheddar cheese with pepper jack cheese, a taco cheese blend, or a Mexican cheese blend
• Switch the ground beef for ground turkey
• Add some crispy bacon or this million dollar bacon on top
• Make this big mac sauce to give it McDonald's iconic flavor

Storage and Reheating Instructions

So, as you know, this recipe for quesadilla burgers will make two burgers. Honestly, they're so delicious I doubt you'll have any leftovers! But, if you do have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days. 

Now, to reheat your quesadilla burger, simply warm it up in a skillet over medium heat. You'll want to heat the burgers for about 3 minutes on each side, or until the cheese melts and the burger is warm. 

Alternatively, you can pop it in a toaster oven - or the oven - set to 350°F for about 10 minutes.

More Copycat Recipes

• Applebees bourbon street chicken and shrimp
• Smash burger tacos
• Olive Garden chicken alfredo
• Cheesecake Factory four cheese pasta
• Panda Express teriyaki chicken
  
• McDonald's spicy chicken sandwich
• KFC famous bowl