Loaded Sheet Pan Quesadillas

Craving crispy quesadillas for a crowd? Make a giant quesadilla on a sheet pan and let the oven do the work. It’s a 10-tortilla wonder, filled with beans and spicy ground beef and oozing with melted cheese.

By
Nick Evans
Nick Evans
Nick Evans

Nick has been creating recipes for home cooks for almost 15 years. He is the author of Love Your Leftovers and has contributed to Simply Recipes since 2017.

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Published October 14, 2022
Nick Evans
Stack of Loaded Sheet Pan Quesadillas Pieces on a Plate Topped with Salsa and Guacamole

Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

Who doesn’t love a cheesy and crispy quesadilla?! But, if you’ve ever tried to make a bunch of quesadillas on the stove, you’ll hit a roadblock of sorts. It’s hard to manage multiple quesadillas at once in a home kitchen. Enter this sheet pan quesadilla! 

It has 10 tortillas, a pound of seasoned ground beef, a can of beans, loads of veggies, and a pound of cheese. 

Whether you make it for a party or quick meals ready to go for the week (the individual squares reheat really well), this is definitely worth the work and is an impressive finished dish! 

Stack of Loaded Sheet Pan Quesadillas Pieces on a Plate Topped with Salsa and Guacamole. More Quesadilla on the Sheet Pan in the Background.

Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

Why Make a Quesadilla on a Sheet Pan?

Making one quesadilla isn’t a particularly hard task. Put a tortilla in a hot skillet with some cheese and filling and fold it over itself. Get the tortilla crispy and the cheese melted and you’re in quesadilla business.

But, if you ever try to make, say, four quesadillas at once, you’ll hit a problem. It’s tricky to make them all and keep them warm. 

Making a large single quesadilla on a sheet pan solves this problem. It’s a little more work up front, but once you have the quesadilla in the oven, you can sit back and wait for the deliciousness to be done! 

Favorite Fillings for Sheet Pan Quesadillas

In theory you could fill this large quesadilla with anything you might put in a single quesadilla. Here are the options I went with for this version! 

Meats : For ease, I chose lean ground beef. You don’t want too much fat in the filling. Of course, you could also use cooked chopped chicken or even pulled pork for a filling option. If you want to make these vegetarian, leave out the meat and double the beans!

Cheese: I kept it simple and used a Mexican blend for my cheese layers. You could just use cheddar cheese if that’s your preference. Monterey Jack or pepper jack would work great as well. 

Stack of Loaded Sheet Pan Quesadillas Pieces on a Plate Topped with Salsa and Guacamole

Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

Beans: I definitely think you need some beans in this to help bulk up the filling.

Veggies: I always love an onion and pepper in my quesadilla filling. Other options? Corn? Sure! Mushrooms? Sure! 

Choosing Tortillas for Your Giant Quesadilla

I would only use flour tortillas for these quesadillas. They are more pliable than corn tortillas and come in sizes that work for your pan. You can either use the 10-inch size tortillas or the 12-inch size tortillas. You will need at least 10 of the smaller ones and maybe an extra to fill any gaps. 

Making a Smaller Version

Maybe you wish to make a scaled-down quesadilla. No problem! You could make a smaller version in a 9 x 11-inch baking sheet with 2/3 of the filling, or use an 8 x 8-inch baking dish and cut everything in half. 

What to Serve with This Giant Quesadilla

This quesadilla is a meal on its own, but I do recommend serving it with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. Good for dipping! 

Stack of Loaded Sheet Pan Quesadillas Pieces on Sheet Pan with More Quesadilla Pieces

Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

More Sheet Pan Dinners You’ll Flip For

Loaded Sheet Pan Quesadillas

Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 60 mins
Servings 8 servings
Yield 15 quesadilla pieces

Ingredients

For the quesadillas

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 pound lean ground beef

  • 1 yellow onion, cored and chopped

  • 1 red pepper, cored and chopped

  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

  • 1 (5-ounce) can mild green chiles

  • 3 tablespoons taco seasoning, plus more to taste

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1/4 cup water

  • Cooking spray

  • 10 medium (10-inch) flour tortillas

  • 16 ounces grated cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

For serving

Special Equipment

  • 2 (9 x 13-inch) sheet pans

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F.

    Position a rack in the center.

  2. Prepare the filling:

    In a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil and ground beef. Cook, breaking up the ground beef, until it’s browned, 4-5 minutes. Add the onions, peppers, black beans, and green chiles. Continue to cook for another 5-6 minutes, until vegetables are softened, but not browned.

    Add the taco seasoning, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup of water. Continue to cook until water evaporates and the seasonings are evenly distributed, another 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasonings with more salt or taco seasoning, if desired.

    Ground Beef, Red Bell Peppers, and Onions in a Pot on a Stove for Loaded Sheet Pan Quesadillas Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans
    Cooked Filling for Loaded Sheet Pan Quesadillas in a Pot

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans
  3. Assemble the quesadilla: 

    Spray a quarter sheet pan (9 x 13-inch) with nonstick spray. Place 2 flour tortillas in the center so they slightly overlap, and then place 6 tortillas around the edge, all overlapping and hanging over the edge of the pan. 

    Add about 1/3 of the cheese to the bottom of the tortillas. Then spread out your cooked quesadilla filling all the way to the edges of the pan. Top with the remainder of the cheese.

    Place 2 more tortillas in the middle and fold tortillas over the edges to cover the filling. It’s okay if there are some small holes in the top. If you want to perfectly cover them, you can cut apart a new tortilla and use it to patch the holes in the top of the quesadilla. 

    Lightly spray the top of the quesadilla with cooking spray. Place a second, slightly smaller, sheet pan or baking dish on top of the quesadilla with foil in between the quesadilla and sheet pan.

    Sheet Pan Lined with Tortillas for Sheet Pan Quesadillas Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans
    Layer of Cheese Added to Tortillas in a Sheet Pan for Loaded Quesadillas Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans
    Filling Added on Top of Cheese and Tortillas for Quesadillas Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans
    Another Layer of Cheese on Top of the Filling for Loaded Sheet Pan Quesadillas Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans
    Tortillas Folded onto and Covering the Filling

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans
  4. Bake the quesadilla: 

    Bake for 20 minutes at 350˚ F. Then remove the top sheet pan and foil. Increase the temperature to 400˚F and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the tortillas are very crispy.

    Loaded Sheet Pan Quesadillas (Baked)

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans
  5. Slice and serve:

    When the quesadilla comes out of the oven, let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. I like to use a sharp knife to cut through the top tortilla and then use a bench scraper or pizza cutter to cut all the way through the quesadilla pieces. I try to cut the quesadilla into about a 3 x 5-inch rectangle to yield 15 large quesadilla pieces. 

    Serve the quesadillas while warm with toppings. 

    Unless you are throwing a party or extremely hungry, you’ll probably have a few leftovers here. That’s good! The quesadillas keep fine in the fridge for 4-5 days and reheat best in a 350˚F oven for 8-10 minutes until they are crispy and warmed through. 

    Did you love the recipe? Leave us stars below!

    Loaded Sheet Pan Quesadillas Cut into Pieces Using a Knife and Bench Scraper

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans
    Loaded Sheet Pan Quesadillas with Bowls of Toppings (Salsa, Sour Cream, and Guacamole)

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
577 Calories
33g Fat
34g Carbs
35g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 577
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 33g 42%
Saturated Fat 15g 74%
Cholesterol 107mg 36%
Sodium 1098mg 48%
Total Carbohydrate 34g 12%
Dietary Fiber 4g 15%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 35g
Vitamin C 31mg 157%
Calcium 448mg 34%
Iron 4mg 23%
Potassium 535mg 11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.