Kimchi Avocado Quesadilla

Got kimchi? Make kimchi quesadillas! 15 minutes, one skillet, so easy! With cabbage kimchi, avocado, cheddar and jack cheese, some parsley, and a squirt of lime

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated February 17, 2021
Elise Bauer
Kimchi Avocado Quesadillas
Elise Bauer

What's your go-to 15-minute make-it-from-what's-in-the-fridge recipe? Mine is a quesadilla. Any kind of quesadilla. You'll always find tortillas and cheese in my fridge. It's my PB&J.

The great thing about quesadillas? They're so easy to dress up! Whether it's with chicken and apples, mushrooms, green chiles, or in this case, kimchi—spicy Korean pickled cabbage.

A friend of mine mentioned recently that she had had a terrific kimchi quesadilla at a local eatery, and I thought, what a great idea, why not? I found a few references online, including Roy Choi's version of Kogi BBQ truck fame.

Kimchi Avocado Quesadillas
Elise Bauer

Wow, what a perfect combo! The spicy pickled cabbage goes great with buttery toasted flour tortillas and melted cheese.

I added avocado slices, because quesadillas are always better with avocados, some chopped parsley to brighten the flavors, and a splash of lime juice for the same reason.

So good!

Kimchi Avocado Quesadilla

Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 15 mins
Servings 2 quesadillas

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup cabbage kimchi, drained and chopped
  • 2 flour tortillas
  • 1 1/2 cup grated Monterey jack and/or cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted, sliced
  • A dash of lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

Method

  1. Sauté the kimchi:

    Melt 1 1/2 Tbsp of butter in a cast iron (or other relatively stick-free) pan on medium high heat. Add the kimchi and spread out in an even layer over the pan. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, flipping half way. Remove from pan.

    kimchi-avocado-quesadillas-method-1
    Elise Bauer
  2. Heat the flour tortilla:

    Add half of the remaining butter to the pan and swirl it around on the bottom. Add one of the flour tortillas and flip it to coat both sides with a little butter.

    kimchi-avocado-quesadillas-method-2
    Elise Bauer

    The let it heat in the pan to the point that you see a few bubbles welling up in the center of the tortilla.

  3. Add cheese and kimchi:

    Add half of the grated cheese and half of the sautéd kimchi.

    kimchi-avocado-quesadillas-method-8
    Elise Bauer
    kimchi-avocado-quesadillas-method-9
    Elise Bauer

    Fold the tortilla over (like an omelette) with a metal spatula. Press down with the spatula. After about 30 seconds or so, flip to the other side. The flour tortilla should be nicely browned.

    When the cheese has clearly melted remove from pan and repeat with the other tortilla and the remaining cheese and kimchi.

  4. Add avocado, lime juice, parsley:

    Open up the quesadilla and lay slices of avocado over the kimchi. Sprinkle with a little lime juice and chopped fresh parsley or cilantro. Fold the quesadilla over again.

    kimchi-avocado-quesadillas-method-6
    Elise Bauer
    kimchi-avocado-quesadillas-method-7
    Elise Bauer
  5. Cut into wedges to serve

Links:

David Lebovitz kimchi recipe

Kimchi recipe, delicious techniques from Marc of NoRecipes.com

Roy Choi's Kimchi Quesadillas on Serious Eats

Kimchi Avocado Quesadillas
Elise Bauer