Breakfast quesadillas are an easy, tasty way to get breakfast on the table without much effort. Soft scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, melted cheese, and fresh spinach are stuffed into flour tortillas and cooked until the outside is golden and crisp. They work for a weekend breakfast or a quick, easy breakfast on busy mornings.
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Living in San Antonio, breakfast tacos are a regular part of our morning routine. But quesadillas for breakfast? Never really crossed our minds. That changed after trying breakfast quesadillas at Village Smitty’s on a trip to Colorado. They were exactly the kind of breakfast that sticks with you, familiar but different enough that we knew we’d be making them again once we got home.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
Breakfast quesadillas are easy to throw together with a few breakfast staples.
The complete ingredient list and measurements are listed in the printable recipe below.
- Tortillas: If you can find uncooked flour tortillas, buy them. These are our favorites and are as close to homemade as you can get. The preferred size is the standard 8-inch tortilla. The larger tortillas will be more difficult to flip.
- Cheese: We use sharp cheddar cheese, but you can substitute your favorite shredded cheese. Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, and pepper Jack are all great choices.
- Eggs: Scrambled eggs form the base of the filling. Four large eggs make enough for four quesadillas. You can also just use egg whites.
- Green Chiles: We added roasted hatch green chiles to our eggs for a little Southwestern flavor. Check out our guide to roasting hatch chiles to make your own, or use canned green chiles in a pinch. You can also skip them if you’re not a fan.
- Bacon: Chopped into half-inch pieces, the bacon gets crispy and distributes evenly throughout the quesadilla. You can substitute turkey bacon, Canadian bacon, or even breakfast sausage.
- Spinach: Fresh baby spinach wilts quickly when added to the hot eggs. It adds color and nutrition. You can substitute kale (remove the stems and chop finely), arugula, Swiss chard, or just leave it out.
- Toppings: We served our breakfast quesadillas with a little grilled guacamole or avocado, but you can also top them with sour cream, hot sauce, or a little spicy pico de gallo.
How to Make Breakfast Quesadillas
Here are the quick, step-by-step instructions with visuals; you can find the full instructions, including the exact ingredients, in the recipe card below.
Pro tip: Cook the quesadillas over medium-low heat so the cheese has time to melt without burning the tortilla. If your heat is too high, you’ll get a crispy outside with cold, unmelted cheese in the center.
1. Cook the Bacon: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon to the desired crispness. Place the cooked bacon on paper towels to drain excess grease. Remove all but about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease from the frying pan, then lower the heat to medium-low.
2. Whisk the Eggs: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, black pepper, and green chiles.
3. Cook the Eggs: Add egg mixture to the skillet. Scramble the eggs until they are no longer runny, stirring often.
4. Add Bacon and Spinach: Add bacon and spinach and cook for approximately 1-2 minutes until the spinach has wilted. Remove the egg, bacon, and spinach mixture and clean the skillet.
5. Cook the Quesadilla: Add a small pad of butter to the frying pan and let it melt. Place one tortilla in the frying pan (or cast iron griddle). Cover the tortilla with ¼ cup of cheese and ¼ of the egg mixture, leaving an approximately ½ inch border around the tortilla. Top the egg mixture with another ¼ cup of cheese, then cover with the second tortilla.
6. Flip the Quesadilla: Cook for approximately 60-90 seconds, letting the bottom layer of cheese melt and the tortilla get crispy. With a spatula, lightly press down on the quesadilla before carefully flipping it over. Cook for an additional 60-90 seconds. Remove the quesadilla from the frying pan and place it on a cutting board. Allow the quesadilla to cool for 1-2 minutes before cutting it with a pizza cutter or sharp knife. Serve the quesadillas warm with fresh salsa or avocado slices.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Use low heat for the eggs. Scrambled eggs cooked over low heat stay fluffy and creamy. High heat makes them rubbery and dry.
- Don’t overfill the quesadillas. Too much filling makes them difficult to flip and causes the ingredients to spill out. A thin, even layer works best.
- Use a good melting cheese. Not all cheese is created equal. Using a good melting cheese is the key to keeping your filling inside the quesadilla. American or cheddar are great choices, but you can substitute with Monterey Jack, Gruyere, or Fontina. Looking for a more traditional cheese? Try queso asadero or queso Oaxaca, which are classic cheeses used in quesadillas in parts of Mexico.
- Use a little butter. To get crisp quesadillas, use a small pad of butter, bacon grease, or neutral oil, such as canola. A little goes a long way, so don’t overdo the butter or oil.
- Cook your quesadillas on medium-low heat. Tortillas can burn easily, so avoid high heat. It only takes a minute or two for your tortillas to get golden brown and crisp, and for your cheese to melt.
Frequently Asked Questions
More Breakfast Recipes To Try
Looking for more weekend breakfast or brunch recipes? Try these other favorites:
- Tex-Mex Migas – This one-pan, 30-minute breakfast recipe is quick and tasty. It combines eggs, chorizo, and leftover tortilla chips.
- Mexican Breakfast Skillet – This one-pan cast-iron breakfast skillet recipe uses chorizo, potatoes, chiles, onions, sunny-side-up eggs, and cheese. It is a tasty breakfast dish that can be made for two or a crowd.
- Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole – This four-ingredient breakfast casserole is perfect for the holidays or weekend brunch. Crispy hash browns are covered with bacon, egg, and shredded cheese. It can be made ahead of time and is easily customizable.
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Spinach, Egg, and Bacon Breakfast Quesadillas
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Equipment
- Medium Bowl
- Cast-Iron Round Griddle (optional)
- Large Skillet (10 inches)
Ingredients
- 4 strips bacon, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon diced green chiles
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 8 flour tortillas
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- salsa, for serving
- avocado slices or guacamole, for serving
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon to the desired crispness. Place the cooked bacon on paper towels to drain excess grease. Remove all but about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease from the skillet and lower the heat to medium-low.
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, black pepper, and green chiles.
- Add egg mixture to the skillet. Scramble the eggs until they are no longer runny, stirring often. Add the bacon and spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes until the spinach has wilted.
- Remove the egg, bacon, and spinach mixture and wipe the frying pan clean.
- Add a little pad of butter or bacon grease to the pan and allow it to melt. Place one tortilla in the skillet (or cast iron griddle).
- Cover the tortilla with ¼ cup of cheese and ¼ of the egg mixture, leaving an approximately ½ inch border around the tortilla. Top the egg mixture with another ¼ cup of cheese and cover with the second tortilla, cooked side down.
- Cook for 60-90 seconds, letting the bottom layer of cheese melt and the tortilla get crispy.
- With a spatula, lightly press down on the quesadilla before carefully flipping it over. Cook for an additional 60-90 seconds.
- Remove from the frying pan and place on a cutting board. Allow quesadilla to cool for 1-2 minutes before cutting with a pizza cutter or sharp knife.
- Repeat for the remaining quesadillas.
- Serve quesadillas warm with fresh salsa, guacamole, or avocado slices.
