These Flank Steak Quesadillas with Gorgonzola are a major upgrade to quesadillas and incredibly easy to make for a simple weeknight dinner.
(This recipe for Flank Steak Gorgonzola Quesadillas was originally posted in January 2013, but has been updated with new photos and content in 2019).
Call me crazy, but I’ve never been much of a steak person. For whatever reason, it has never really excited me and I’d much rather have fish and all those delicious sides when I go to a steakhouse. Until recently. I don’t know what happened, but suddenly I’m falling in love with red meat. I know craving it is often a sign of iron deficiency, but I definitely don’t have one and wouldn’t exactly say I’m craving it… It’s just that every time I’ve had it recently, I’ve been so obsessed. I think it started around Christmas when my mom made beef tenderloin and it continued to Valentine’s Day when I made filet mignon at home. I marinated some NY strip steak last night and topped a salad with it and omg I was in heaven. What is going on with me?? It must just be that I’ve been having some really good cuts of beef lately and it’s made me realize how grand it can be.
Flank steak isn’t often thought of as an amazing cut of beef (it’s probably not going to blow your mind like a tenderloin will), but it’s pretty inexpensive and really delicious in dishes like fajitas and quesadillas. There are three keys (I believe) to making the perfect flank steak:
- Marinate it,
- Don’t overcook it, and
- Cut it against the grain.
FLANK STEAK AND GORGONZOLA QUESADILLAS RECIPE
While I cook Mexican food at home quite a bit, I rarely ever make quesadillas. But after making these flank steak quesadillas again (the first time was in 2013), that will definitely be changing. They’re so easy and versatile and always delicious.
Like I mentioned, the first thing you’ll need to do is marinate your flank steak. Make sure you plan ahead of time as your meat will need at least 3 hours in the marinade. You can also prep this the night before and let it sit in the marinade for longer (up to 24 hours). The marinade consists of simply lime juice, minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, and olive oil. Add everything to a big Ziplock bag and make sure the marinade is evenly distributed. Keep in fridge.
Cooking the flank steak is easy, but make sure you are paying attention and don’t overcook it. Cook it in a grill pan or cast iron pan over high heat for about 3 minutes on each side (I do 1.5 minutes, rotate steak, and do another 1.5 minutes before flipping to get the pretty grill marks).
My steak was a nice medium rare (maybe a little bit more on the rare side), which is exactly how I like it. When it comes to flank steak, a well-done steak means a tough steak, so try to avoid going past medium rare. Make sure you slice your flank streak against the grain! If you slice it with the grain, it will be much tougher.
And don’t forget the rest of your flank steak quesadilla fillings… Like the onions and jalapeño peppers! Sauté the onions over medium-low heat with salt and pepper for about 5 minutes. And then add the sliced jalapeños in and sauté for another 8 minutes or so, until the onions are getting nice and browned.
Clean the grill pan, lightly brush tortillas with olive oil, and place in pan over medium heat. Sprinkle gorgonzola cheese on the tortilla, top with a few slices of steak, onions and jalapeño, and a little bit more cheese. Top with another tortilla and cook for a minute. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes before removing from pan to a separate plate.
Continue with the rest of the tortillas and fillings. Rotate the tortillas if you want those criss-cross grill marks!
You can either slice your avocado or mash it up a little bit. Or leave it out all together. But I love mashing it up and dipping my sliced steak quesadillas into it. Which, by the way, I easily slice with a pizza cutter.
And my steak obsession continues. These flank steak gorgonzola quesadillas are a majorly upgraded quesadilla… Especially if we’re talking about the ones I used to make in the microwave as an after school snack in middle school (which were also quite delicious, but consisted of simply cheddar cheese and some salsa).
Though who knows where I’d be be if I came home from school and whipped up flank steak quesadillas with gorgonzola cheese when I was 12. We’ll never know.
I’m just happy I made it here now. Because it’s a marvelous place to be.
All of the flavors in these steak quesadillas just go together so well. If you think you don’t like gorgonzola cheese, try it in a quesadilla with flank steak and I think you might change your mind. My steak is definitely a bit on the rare side, but it was perfectly tender and flavorful and everything many people think flank steak isn’t.
These quesadillas also made me kind of crave summer when we can actually cook the steak on the grill. And then go sit in the sun. And just be amazingly happy and warm. Did I mention these quesadillas go fabulously with a nice cold beer?? Or a raspberry rosé gose (which is what I enjoyed them with)?? OK, but they’re also perfect in the winter when it’s chilly and you need a little bit of comfort food. The best kind of “year round” food.
Also note that flank steak is really good for freezing so you might want to get on that so you can make these flank steak quesadillas any time you have a craving. Which will probably be ALL THE TIME.
Now I need to figure out where I’m going to get my next steak fix!
What’s your idea of the ultimate quesadilla?
For more delicious and easy steak dishes, check out these Steak and Cheese Croissants or these Beef, Asparagus, and Carrot Rolls. And I can’t wait to try this delicious Sous Vide Steak from Salt Pepper Skillet.
Flank Steak Gorgonzola Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup freshly-squeezed lime juice,
- 4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 3/4 tsp salt, divided
- 1 lb. flank steak
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced
- 8 flour tortillas
- 4 oz. gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Add lime juice, 2 Tbsp olive oil, minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, and 1/2 tsp salt to a large ziplock bag and place flank steak in the bag. Make sure marinade is distributed evenly and place in fridge for at least 2 hours to marinate.
- Heat grill pan or large cast iron pan until extremely hot and placed flank steak on it. Grill for 3 minutes on each side. If you want criss-cross grill marks, be sure to rotate steak after 1.5 minutes on each side.
- Remove steak to cutting board and let cool slightly. Slice flank steak in strips, being sure to cut against the grain.
- While steak is cooling, heat pan to medium and add 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add onions, remaining 1/4 salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook for about 5 minutes. Add sliced jalapeño and cook for another 6-8 minutes, until onions are browning.
- Wipe out pan. Lightly brush one side of all tortillas with remaining olive oil and place one oil-side down on pan over medium heat. Sprinkle gorgonzola cheese over the top, top with steak, onions and jalapeño, and a little more cheese.
- Place another tortilla over the top, cook for about one minute, and then flip and cook for another two minutes. Be sure to rotate tortillas halfway through cooking if you want criss-cross grill marks. Continue with remaining tortillas and filling.
- Using a pizza cutter, slice quesadillas into four and serve with mashed or sliced avocado.
Notes
- You can cook steak on the grill if you prefer.
Oh how fun!!! I am not sure I would have been able to do it.
Love your quesadilla. My fav? Can I say them all???? 🙂
i saw your pics of the plane trip on instagram & was so jealous, as i spent the day driving. boo. these quesadillas sound fancy & fabulous!
I love anything that has steak and Gorgonzola…two flavors and textures that can go anywhere together 🙂
You can’t go wrong with steak and gorgonzola!
Love these quesadillas! Really hit the spot after a long work week. As far as catching the flight bug.. I definitely did. I can not wait to take my intro flight next weekend (if the weather plays nice). I have a feeling this won’t be your last flight 😀
Such a great weekend filled with both excitement and great food. Great job Sues!
these sound SO good! I will need to try these soon!
I didn’t know there would be post-flight snacks! These look awesome!
These look so delicious! Definitely a huge step up from the quesadillas I made as a youngster. And your indoor grilling skills are enviable, especially those beautiful grill marks! Now I’m hungry…
This dinner looks pretty sweet. All my favorite things!!
Quesadillas are my go-to dinner at least once a week. I love how versatile they are, and usually use black beans, vegetables, cheese, and avocado in mine.
These quesadillas look great. I make them all the time. My ideal quesadilla is a summer one with lots of avocado, ripe tomato, corn right off the cob, maybe some arugula, and definitely cheese. Oh, and bacon!
I looooove the combination of beef and gorgonzola. It’s one of my favorites for savory dishes.
Love this post! Everything about it!!
My favorite quesadilla is any one I am currently looking at. I just love them. Steak+ gorgonzola = heaven. At all times.
YUM! These sound a-amazing! Now pair that with a margarita and you’re golden. 🙂
I somehow never think to make quesadillas and I’m not sure why. These are so fun!
how cool is that! i would’ve been scared too 😉 these quesadillas look fabulous, should remember them when i’m wondering what to make for the big game!
Love quesadillas and this one looks and sounds delicious! Great combination of flavors.
I must tell you.. I did not realize until today that my ideal quesadillas is one that you make for me… especially if it’s this one!! lol Look fantastic!!
All I can say is yum. Super yum!
these look sooo good
The quesadillas look amazing! What could be bad about flank steak and gorgonzola…
Hi! Not sure what I did wrong when cooking these….I smoked out my entire apartment in less than 30 seconds! The whole one side of the steak was burnt to a crisp in that same time frame. I place the cast iron skillet on the stove, turn it to high heat for a few minutes and then placed the steak in the pan. And Whoof! The smoke just started billowing out and wouldn’t stop. I resorted to cooking the steak in the oven. What did I do wrong???
@Kelsey- Oh no! Pan searing steak over high heat will definitely generate some smoke (I always turn the fan above my oven on), but it shouldn’t be THAT bad. Were you using a grill pan or cast iron pan? Heavy pans like those are definitely best for searing over high heat. You can also try using a different oil- I’m fine using olive oil (just make sure it’s not extra virgin!), but peanut oil, grape seed oil, and avocado oil all have higher smoke points, so may work better. Lastly, you may just need to turn down the heat a tad and experiment with what works best for searing on your stovetop (all stoves act a little bit different). I’m sorry that happened and I hope that helps!!