A perfect marriage between the Philly cheesesteak and the quesadilla!

Flank steak quesadilla with green peppers and melted cheese on white plate.

This Philly cheesesteak quesadilla recipe is an interpretation of the classic sandwich made from beefsteak and melted cheese, first made popular in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. To be a proper Philly cheesesteak, ribeye meat needs to be sliced or shaved into thin strips. It also should use Cheez Whiz, provolone, or American cheese. Any other steak, too many toppings, the wrong cheese, or the wrong bread, and your sandwich is just a steak and cheese sandwich!

A quesadilla is very different in origin than a Philly cheesesteak. That said, there are enough similarities that combining the two makes perfect sense! Just maybe don’t tell a Philly cheesesteak purist that it’s a Philly cheesesteak; they might scoff a little. The difference between a regular steak quesadilla and this version is the type of meat and cheese. Usually, a quesadilla will use Monterey Jack, cheddar, or a similar freshly grated cheese. This version uses the Philly’s provolone slices!

The taste is perfect. Onions are an accepted Philly cheesesteak topping, and the green bell peppers bring that quesadilla flair to your flavors. It’s a quick, 20-minute recipe, so you can make something delicious for lunch or dinner without spending a lot of time cooking! The ingredients are straightforward and easy to get, so this is just a very convenient and delicious meal overall.

Fresh raw beef steaks, green bell peppers, onion, tortillas, spices, oil, salt, and cheese for making beef fajitas.

Getting Perfectly Thin Slices

The key to Philly cheesesteaks is thinly sliced meat, so of course, this carries over to a Philly cheesesteak quesadilla. The best way to get those super-thin slices is to freeze your steak and cut it while it’s still frozen. This allows you to get the right thickness without the steak getting wiggly and messing up your cuts. Freezing your steak shouldn’t take much more than 40 minutes, or even 30 if your steak is on the thinner side.

Thin beef and pepper fajitas on flour tortillas with sautéed peppers and onions.

FAQs & Tips

How to Make Ahead and Store

You can store your leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze them for up to 3 months. Before putting them in your refrigerator, make sure that they’ve completely cooled down to room temperature. If you don’t, they’ll get sweaty with condensation, and the quesadilla will become soggy, which makes for much less enjoyable leftovers.

Choosing Your Beef

When you’re trying to decide what cut of beef to use, there are a few options! If you want to go the traditional Philly cheesesteak route, you need to do a ribeye. But that’s not the only option. You can also use sirloin cut into thin strips just as easily! The quesadillas can also be good with skirt steak, but I personally prefer sirloin since it is a bit more cost-effective compared to the ribeye (even if the ribeye is a touch more flavorful). Skirt steak doesn’t quite cut with the same texture, though it is still a very delicious option.

Can You Make it Gluten-Free?

It’s super easy to turn this meal into a gluten-free meal! Plenty of grocery stores have a variety of quesadilla tortillas available for different dietary needs and personal tastes. For instance, you can use corn tortillas, which are naturally gluten-free and distinguished as being the original tortillas! Other starches can be used to make tortillas, and I’ve seen some gluten-free ones made with rice flour, tapioca flour, millet flour, potato starch, corn starch, and added spinach. I actually really like that one; it’s my go-to tortilla because it’s got a nice chewiness that mimics flour tortillas nicely. There are also cauliflower-based tortillas, almond flour tortillas, and so many varieties out there that everyone can find at least one they’ll like and meets their requirements!

Golden grilled steak and jalapeño quesadilla with melted cheese, sliced open to reveal fillings.

Serving Suggestions

My recommendation is to go for Mexican flavors when deciding on what to serve alongside your Philly cheesesteak. Homemade Salsa is always a winner! And pico de gallo is also a good option. Loaded Nachos are a delicious side, as is the classic Mexican Elote.

Savory steak and pepper quesadilla on white plate with melted cheese and grilled tortilla.

Philly Cheesesteak Quesadilla

Amalena Caldwell

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings servings

Calories 538 kcal

Ingredients

1 pound thinly sliced beef steak
1 large onion thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper thinly sliced
8 slices of provolone cheese
4 large flour tortillas
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the thinly sliced onions and bell peppers to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until they are soft and slightly caramelized, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
In the same skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of oil and the sliced beef steak. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the steak is browned and cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Return the onions and peppers to the skillet with the steak, mix well and heat through.
Lay a tortilla flat and arrange two slices of provolone cheese on one half. Top with a quarter of the steak and vegetable mixture. Fold the tortilla over to cover the filling.
Heat a clean skillet over medium heat. Place the filled tortilla in the skillet. Cook until the tortilla is golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes per side.
Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
Cut each quesadilla into wedges and serve hot.