Take a bite out of a steak quesadilla with creamy jalapeno sauce, melty cheese, and crispy tortilla. No need to leave your house for a Taco Bell steak quesadilla any more. Next time skip the fast food and make your own homemade taco bell quesadilla sauce with simple ingredients.

2 taco bell steak quesadillas cut in half and stacked

I have a confession…I LOVE Taco Bell, always have and always will. Hands down the steak quesadilla is my favorite thing on the Taco Bell menu but the closest Taco Bell is 2 HOURS away from me. So I took things into my own hands and made my own copycat taco bell quesadilla sauce recipe. Good news, it’s delicious! The creamy jalapeno sauce is full of savory flavor and makes the best steak quesadilla recipe. It’s one of my favorite copycat recipes.

Recommended tools:

Cutting board and knife – the steak will need to be sliced into to thin strips and the jalapenos will need to be diced

Small bowl – check out my favorite mixing bowl set that you can use for the quesadilla sauce and for all your other cooking needs

Large skillet – the skillet needs to be large enough for the tortillas

Find all of my favorite kitchen tools here!

Taco Bell Steak Quesadilla Recipe Ingredients:

ingredients for taco bell steak quesadilla sauce in glass bowls, along with monterey jack cheese, cooked steak, and 4 flour tortillas

Tortillas – my favorite tortillas to use are flour tortillas but corn tortillas will work also. For a low carb steak quesadilla use low carb tortillas.

Cooked steak – for a quick lunch or dinner use any leftover steak. Or if you’re at the grocery stores looking for meat, grab some tender and delicious sirloin steak.

Cheese – shredded monterey jack cheese is a great choice to achieve perfectly melted cheese inside your quesadilla. Cheddar cheese or whatever different cheeses you prefer can work too. Tip: shred your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheese has anti-clumping ingredients that can inhibit the cheese from melting (this also includes cheese slices).

Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce (aka Creamy Jalapeno Sauce)

Sour cream – the sour cream is the base for the creamy sauce

Pickled jalapenos & the jalapeno juice – the key ingredient for the spicy sauce. Feel free to increase or decrease this amount depending on your preference.

Paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and chili powder – the perfect amount of spices to create the best sauce for your taste buds.

See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

How to make a Taco Bell Steak Quesadilla:

1. Make the sauce

taco bell steak quesadilla creamy sauce in a glass bowl with a spoon in it

Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Tip: for best results make this sauce ahead of time and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour to let all the flavors meld.

2. Assemble the quesadilla

a flour tortilla with creamy jalapeno sauce spread over half

a flour tortilla with creamy jalapeno sauce and cooked steak spread over half

Place the tortilla down and spread 2 tablespoons of quesadilla sauce on one side. Tip: for an extra creamy steak quesadilla spread an additional 2 tablespoons over the other side.

Spread sliced cooked steak over one side of the tortilla on top of the sauce. Then sprinkle cheese over the steak.

3. Cook the quesadilla

a steak quesadilla folded in half cooking an a cast iron skillet

a golden brown cooked steak quesadilla folded in half cooking an a cast iron skillet

Prepare your large skillet by heating it to medium heat. Use vegetable oil or olive oil in the pan to create the perfect crisp to the tortilla.

Place the assembled quesadilla in the hot pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the bottom tortilla side is golden brown and the cheese has started to melt. Flip the quesadilla and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until all the cheese is melted.

4. Enjoy!

a cooked taco bell steak quesadilla with creamy jalapeno sauce, monterey jack cheese, and cooked steak

Slice into half or quarters and enjoy!

Try these other delicious dinner ideas:

5-Ingredient Chicken Casserole – freeze meal option

Homemade Sloppy Joes – freezer meal option

Easy Chicken Pot Pie – freezer meal option

Easy Cast Iron Pork Chops

Spicy Chinese Chicken

Grilled Chicken Alfredo

Sweet and Sour Meatballs – freezer meal option

2 quarters of taco bell steak quesadilla on a white plate

Ingredient substitutions & variations:

Creamy jalapeno sauce – you guessed it! This creamy quesadilla jalapeno sauce is perfect for dipping in also. Or mix the jalapeno sauce with more sour cream for an extra creamy sauce to cool down the spice in the quesadilla.

Lime juice – sprinkle some freshly squeezed lime juice over the quesadilla for an extra burst of flavor

Pico de gallo – add a little pico to the side of your steak quesadilla to dip in

Fresh cilantro or bell peppers – want to add a little more flavor to your quesadilla? Be creative and add bell peppers or cilantro into your quesadilla.

Cilantro-lime rice – create a complete meal that the whole family will love by serving flavorful cilantro-lime rice with the steak quesadillas.

Taco bell chicken quesadilla recipe – switch up the meat and use cooked chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken for a taco bell chicken quesadilla.

Burrito – add the creamy jalapeno sauce, steak, cilantro-lime rice, and pico de gallo all together for a delicious large burrito

a taco bell steak quesadilla cut in a half with creamy jalapeno sauce, monterey jack cheese, and cooked steak on a white plate

FAQs:

How to flip a quesadilla:

When using a large skillet to make a quesadilla, use a large spatula to flip the quesadilla. Wait to flip the quesadilla until the bottom side of the tortilla is golden brown and the cheese has started to melt. Place the spatula under the middle of the quesadilla and flip over to the other side.

How to fold a quesadilla:

Fold a tortilla in half to make a taco bell quesadilla. To make a large quesadilla use 2 tortillas and don’t fold the quesadilla.

How to reheat quesadilla:

Place a large skillet on medium-low heat and spray with a small amount of cooking spray. Add the quesadilla to the pan and reheat each side for 1-2 minutes. If the tortilla is browning too fast, flip the quesadilla and turn down the heat.

Enjoy a delicious dessert after dinner:

High Altitude Oatmeal Cookies

High Altitude Strawberry Pie

High Altitude Pecan Pie

Strawberry Fluff Recipe with Jell-O and Cool Whip

Rich and Fudgy Chocolate Espresso Brownies

Delicious Fudgy Chocolate Cookies with 3 Ingredients

Flaky Pie Crust – 4 Ingredients

Best High Altitude Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies