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Shrimp, Roasted Red Pepper, and Cilantro Quesadillas for Two

By Steve Dunn

Published on April 3, 2023

Time

40 minutes

Yield

Serves 2

Shrimp, Roasted Red Pepper, and Cilantro Quesadillas for Two

Ingredients

4 ounces shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed, and cut into ½-inch pieces¾ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning ⅓ teaspoon plus ¼ teaspoon table salt, divided½ teaspoon vegetable oil 2 scallions, green parts only, sliced thin¾ cup jarred roasted red peppers, patted dry, and chopped fine4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (1 cup)½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped½ teaspoon grated lime zest plus 1 tablespoon juice¼ teaspoon pepper 2 (10-inch) flour tortillas ¼ cup vegetable oil

Before You Begin

Ten-inch tortillas might also be labeled “large burrito” tortillas. Two fish spatulas work well for flipping the quesadillas in step 2. The quesadillas can be served plain, with your favorite hot sauce, or with our Tomatillo-Avocado Sauce or Quick Tomato Salsa.

Instructions

  1. Combine shrimp, Old Bay, and ⅓ teaspoon salt in medium bowl.
  2. Heat ½ teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add scallion greens and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute. Add shrimp and cook, stirring constantly until shrimp are opaque throughout, 1 to 1½ minutes. Transfer shrimp and scallion greens to large bowl. Add red peppers, Monterey Jack, cilantro, lime zest, juice, pepper, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt to shrimp and stir to combine. Wipe out skillet.
  3. Spread one-half of filling over half of each tortilla, leaving ½-inch border at edge. Fold tortillas over filling and press firmly to seal. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and line with single layer of paper towels.
  4. Heat ¼ cup oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Place quesadillas in skillet, pressing into pan with thin spatula, and cook until browned on both sides and cheese has melted, 1½ to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to prepared rack. Cool for at least 3 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.
Shrimp, Roasted Red Pepper, and Cilantro Quesadillas for Two
Photography by Beth Fuller. Styling by Catrine Kelty.

Shrimp, Roasted Red Pepper, and Cilantro Quesadillas for Two

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Time

40 minutes

Yield

Serves 2

Ingredients

4 ounces shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed, and cut into ½-inch pieces
¾ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
⅓ teaspoon plus ¼ teaspoon table salt, divided
½ teaspoon vegetable oil
2 scallions, green parts only, sliced thin
¾ cup jarred roasted red peppers, patted dry, and chopped fine
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (1 cup)
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
½ teaspoon grated lime zest plus 1 tablespoon juice
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 (10-inch) flour tortillas
¼ cup vegetable oil

Ingredients

4 ounces shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed, and cut into ½-inch pieces
¾ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
⅓ teaspoon plus ¼ teaspoon table salt, divided
½ teaspoon vegetable oil
2 scallions, green parts only, sliced thin
¾ cup jarred roasted red peppers, patted dry, and chopped fine
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (1 cup)
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
½ teaspoon grated lime zest plus 1 tablespoon juice
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 (10-inch) flour tortillas
¼ cup vegetable oil

Ingredients

4 ounces shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed, and cut into ½-inch pieces
¾ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
⅓ teaspoon plus ¼ teaspoon table salt, divided
½ teaspoon vegetable oil
2 scallions, green parts only, sliced thin
¾ cup jarred roasted red peppers, patted dry, and chopped fine
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (1 cup)
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
½ teaspoon grated lime zest plus 1 tablespoon juice
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 (10-inch) flour tortillas
¼ cup vegetable oil

Why This Recipe Works

Gooey on the inside. Crispy on the outside. Stuffed with any variety of cheesy and delicious fillings. Quesadillas are a go-to snack for these reasons and many more because it only takes a few minutes and a few ingredients to make something truly delicious. But building a dinner quesadilla means it has to be sturdy enough to stand up to its robust contents. We tweaked a standard quesadilla recipe to do just this. First, by first folding one tortilla around the fillings to make a half-moon shape, which prevented the ingredients from pouring out the side. Second, we took inspiration from deep-fried quesadillas and added more oil to the pan to encourage the tortilla to crisp and puff lightly, giving important structure.

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Before You Begin

Ten-inch tortillas might also be labeled “large burrito” tortillas. Two fish spatulas work well for flipping the quesadillas in step 2. The quesadillas can be served plain, with your favorite hot sauce, or with our Tomatillo-Avocado Sauce or Quick Tomato Salsa.

Instructions

  1. Combine shrimp, Old Bay, and ⅓ teaspoon salt in medium bowl.
  2. Heat ½ teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add scallion greens and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute. Add shrimp and cook, stirring constantly until shrimp are opaque throughout, 1 to 1½ minutes. Transfer shrimp and scallion greens to large bowl. Add red peppers, Monterey Jack, cilantro, lime zest, juice, pepper, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt to shrimp and stir to combine. Wipe out skillet.
  3. Spread one-half of filling over half of each tortilla, leaving ½-inch border at edge. Fold tortillas over filling and press firmly to seal. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and line with single layer of paper towels.
  4. Heat ¼ cup oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Place quesadillas in skillet, pressing into pan with thin spatula, and cook until browned on both sides and cheese has melted, 1½ to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to prepared rack. Cool for at least 3 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

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