Burgers come in all shapes and sizes, and you are never going to hear us disparaging any of them. There are steamed burgers, smashburgers, and regional styles (like Mississippi’s famous slugburgers) — but some of the best versions happen when you take two different cuisines and mash them together. Case in point: Kate Shungu’s legendary quesadilla burger recipe, which starts by swapping your traditional burger bun for a tortilla — and just like that, you have a Mexican-inspired masterpiece on your hands.
Why does it work so well? Essentially, you’re trading in all the best qualities of a quesadilla — the ultra-melty cheese, the crispy and chewy tortilla — for all the occasionally problematic qualities of a hamburger (the soggy or too-bready bun, the fillings that stage a jailbreak halfway through eating). This mash-up also swaps in zippy pico de gallo for the usual thick tomato slices, and leans on a quick homemade chipotle mayo and lime juice to tie everything together with tang, heat, and general deliciousness. Trust us: Once you taste the combo of a savory, juicy burger patty with the slightly toasted tortilla, you might never look at a regular burger the same way again.
Tweak your quesadilla burger to your heart’s content
Just like with your standard burgers and quesadillas, the fillings for your mash-up creation are wide open to customization. Let’s begin with protein: Kate Shungu mentions you can make the patty with beef, turkey, ground bison, or chicken, but feel free to swap in a spicy black bean burger, or even crispy fried tilapia if you want to bring a little bit of a Baja-style fish taco flair to your meal.
Interested in upping the creamy factor? Go ahead and add a smear of your favorite basic guacamole — and if you want to double down on the veg, a handful of sauteed peppers and onions would bring some delightful fajita-inspired flavor to the party.
You can switch up the cheese if Colby Jack isn’t your thing — think queso fresco, or even a full-on gooey three-cheese situation. And if chipotle mayo isn’t your jam but you still want some kick, you could always toss in a few pickled jalapeños or drizzle on some salsa verde. Look, there are no rules here: You could even sprinkle on a handful of crushed tortilla chips for extra crunch because if you’re already putting a burger in a quesadilla, why not go all in?
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