Go Back Email Link
copycat applebees quesadilla burger

Applebee's Quesadilla Burger Recipe

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 2 .*
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb 80/20 ground beef
  • 4 large flour tortillas (10-inch)
  • 1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp taco seasoning
  • 1 tsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp hot sauce
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 4 strips bacon
  • 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
  • 1/4 cup pickled jalapeños
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Method
 

  1. Mix the 1 lb ground beef with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 1/2 tbsp taco seasoning. Shape into 2 patties about 5 inches wide, pressing a small indent in the center of each.
  2. Stir together the 1/2 cup sour cream, 2 tbsp mayonnaise, remaining 1/2 tbsp taco seasoning, 1 tsp lime juice, 1 tsp hot sauce, and 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Set aside.
  3. Cook the 4 strips bacon in a large skillet over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes until crispy. Transfer to paper towels and leave a thin film of fat in the pan.
  4. Increase heat to medium-high and sear patties for 4 minutes, flip, and cook another 3 to 4 minutes until they reach 160°F (71°C). Tent with foil.
  5. Wipe the skillet clean, melt 1 tbsp butter in batches over medium heat, and cook each folded tortilla with 1/4 cup Colby Jack for 2 minutes per side until golden and melted. Repeat for all 4 tortillas.
  6. Slice each quesadilla in half, layer with sauce, patty, bacon, 1/2 cup lettuce, tomato, and pickled jalapeños, top with the second quesadilla half, and plate with extra sauce on the side.

Notes

The sauce genuinely improves if you make it right at the start and let it sit while everything else cooks. Assemble the burgers right before serving, not a minute before, because the warm patty softens the quesadilla shell quickly and you'll lose that crunch.