Shrimp Quesadilla

Who wants shrimp quesadillas? You gotta love flour tortillas toasted with Monterey Jack cheese and pan-seared shrimp. Top with onions, cilantro, avocados

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 May 29, 2024
Elise Bauer
Shrimp Quesadillas
Elise Bauer

Quesadillas have to be my favorite go-to food for lunch. They're just so easy to make! Especially when you have tortillas and cheese in the fridge, which we almost always do.

One way to take a quesadilla from snack to a meal is to add some protein, like chicken, beef, or in this case shrimp.

First marinate raw shrimp in a little lime juice and chili pepper. Then sauté the shrimp and add it to your jack-cheese quesadilla along with red onion and cilantro. Serve with some sliced avocado, sour cream, maybe another squeeze of lime juice, and you're set!

Shrimp Quesadillas
Elise Bauer

If you're really in a hurry you can use already cooked shrimp. Just toss it with some salt, chili pepper, and lime juice while you grate the cheese and heat the tortillas.

Recipe and photos updated, first published 2008

Shrimp Quesadilla

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Serving 1 serving

If you are starting with frozen raw shrimp, put them in a bowl of ice water to defrost.

If you are starting with cooked shrimp, just toss them with some salt, pepper, chipotle chile powder and lime juice and let them sit while you heat the tortillas.

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Ingredients

  • 1/4 pound of medium-small raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

  • 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder

  • Pinch salt

  • Pinch ground black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice

  • 2 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (divided, 2 teaspoons and 1/2 teaspoon)

  • 1 tablespoon chopped red onion

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish

  • Salt and pepper

  • 2 medium flour tortillas

  • 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

  • 1/4 avocado, sliced

  • Dollop sour cream or crema fresca

Method

  1. Marinate the shrimp:

    Toss the shrimp in a small bowl with 1/4 teaspoon of chipotle powder or chile powder, a pinch of salt, pinch of pepper, and a tablespoon of lime or lemon juice. Let sit for 10 minutes. Then drain out the juice.

    Shrimp Quesadillas
    Elise Bauer
  2. Cook the shrimp:

    Heat a couple teaspoons of olive oil in a relatively stick-free skillet (a cast iron skillet works well for this) on medium high heat.

    Add the shrimp and cook for half a minute on each side, and remove to a bowl.

    The shrimp shouldn't be completely cooked through; they will continue to cook during the next step.

    Elise Bauer
  3. Heat the tortillas:

    Wipe out the skillet with paper towels. Add a small amount of olive oil (about 1/2 a teaspoon, you could use butter as well) and heat the pan on medium high.

    Place one flour tortilla on the skillet. Flip the tortilla over a few times, 10 seconds between flips. Air pockets should begin to form within the tortilla.

    Elise Bauer

    Remove the tortilla and repeat with the second tortilla. Leave the second tortilla in the pan and reduce the heat to medium.

  4. Build the quesadilla:

    Sprinkle the tortilla with the grated cheese. Distribute the shrimp on top of the cheese. Add chopped onion and cilantro. Place the other tortilla on top.

    Elise Bauer
    Elise Bauer

    Flip the quesadilla over when the bottom tortilla is nicely toasted and the cheese has begun to melt. Remove the quesadilla from the pan when the now bottom tortilla has toasted sufficiently.

    You can also use just one tortilla instead of two, and fold the tortilla over itself like an omelette.

  5. Shrimp Quesadillas
    Elise Bauer
    Cut the quesadilla into triangles:

    Cut like a pie into six pieces (a pizza wheel works well for this). Place on a serving plate. Serve with avocado slices and sour cream. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro. Squeeze a little lime juice over everything.

    Did you love the recipe? Give us some stars and leave a comment below!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
807 Calories
44g Fat
64g Carbs
39g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 807
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 44g 56%
Saturated Fat 15g 77%
Cholesterol 193mg 64%
Sodium 1906mg 83%
Total Carbohydrate 64g 23%
Dietary Fiber 7g 26%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 39g
Vitamin C 11mg 53%
Calcium 538mg 41%
Iron 4mg 25%
Potassium 613mg 13%
*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.