Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

This simple air fryer quesadilla recipe takes just minutes to make, has a perfect crispy tortilla and oozes with melty cheese. No butter or oil needed, just cheese and tortillas right in the air fryer!

The Best Cheese Quesadilla

I don’t know about your household, but ours makes cheese quesadillas on repeat all week long. Whether the kids need an afternoon snack, or I’m making quesadillas for dinner, it’s nice to be able to make them quick and easy. You are going to love making this air fryer quesadilla recipe.

We love our air fryer quesadillas with Mexican Rice, and Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas! For daily recipe inspiration follow Picky Palate on Instagram too!

air fryer quesadilla ingredients on counter top

What You’ll Need

You can get as fancy or as simple as you’d like making quesadillas. You can add cooked meats and vegetables inside, but for this demonstration you just need two ingredients! See bottom of post in recipe card for full instructions.

Cheese– Use your favorite cheeses for your quesadillas. For simplicity, I use a Mexican blend I find at Costco. Really, any cheese you like makes a delicious quesadilla. If you have fresh grated cheese, it makes an even more delicious quesadilla.
Tortillas– For my air fryer, I found that soft taco size tortillas work best inside my air fryer basket. If your tortillas are too large, you can use some kitchen scissors to trim around the edges. Smaller tortillas work just fine too.

cheese placed over half of two tortillas

How To Make Quesadillas In Air Fryer

Add Cheese To Tortilla. Place tortillas onto a clean surface and add cheese to half of tortilla. Fold tortilla over cheese.

Place Into Air Fryer. Place uncooked filled tortillas into air fryer basket as shown above in photo. Make sure there’s enough room for the tortillas. Trim edges with kitchen scissors if needed.

Cook Quesadillas. Cook Quesadillas in air fryer at 350 degrees F. for 3 minutes. Open air fryer and flip quesadillas with long tongs and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. They should be slightly golden crisp and cheese melted. Remove from air fryer basket and serve! I like to cut my cheese quesadillas in half before serving. Serve with salsa or hot sauce if desired.

Recipe Tips For Success

Here are a handful of tips to help you make the best quesadillas in the air fryer.

Try Fresh Grated Cheese. To really kick up your quesadilla, grate the cheese yourself. It’s generally more melty and has better flavor than your store bought shredded cheese. With that said, I use store bought shredded cheese all of the time for my quesadillas and we love them. If you have the time, try fresh grated cheese.
Use Corn or Flour Tortillas. You can use flour or corn tortillas for quesadillas in the air fryer. If using corn tortillas, brush tops and bottoms with a little oil.
Don’t Overfill Air Fryer Basket. You want to make sure your quesadillas are in a single layer at the bottom of the air fryer basket to assure the hot air can circulate properly for best results.
Don’t Overfill Tortillas. Sometimes it’s tempting to add lots of cheese to the quesadillas, but too much will result in oozing cheese all over the air fryer basket. You want that gooey cheese inside. Follow my guidelines in the recipe card for measurements.
Add Chicken and Beef. Try adding cooked chicken and beef inside. I love using rotisserie chicken and shredded beef inside for a heartier quesadilla.

Cheese Quesadilla Filling Options

Sky is the limit when it comes to quesadilla filling ideas. Whether it’s using vegetables in the refrigerator or cooked meat of your choice, you’ve got lots of options!

Chicken– I use the meat from a rotisserie chicken for so many recipes. It’s perfect inside a quesadilla.
Beef– If I’ve made a Sunday roast, the shredded beef is delicious inside quesadillas. Ground beef or turkey works too.
Pork– Shredded cooked pork adds a delicious option for your quesadillas. I like to add a little barbecue sauce to mine too.
Seafood– Cooked shrimp makes a tasty quesadilla.
Vegetables– Finely diced onion, tomatoes and bell peppers are more great options.
Beans– Try black beans in your quesadilla. It’s delicious.
Bacon– Cooked crumbled bacon pieces are always a hit.
Jalapenos– For a little spice, add some jalapenos.
Salsa– A spoonful of salsa inside the quesadilla is a nice filling too.

How To Serve

Quesadillas are great on their own or served as a side to some favorite Mexican dishes such as enchiladas, tacos, taquitos, and burritos to name a few!

How To Store Leftovers

Store any leftover quesadillas in an airtight container or zip top bag in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

Reheating Instructions

To reheat quesadillas, place them into the air fryer and cook at 350 degrees F. for 2-3 minutes until crisp and hot.

Freezing Instructions

To freeze quesadillas, wrap each quesadilla tightly with plastic wrap and a layer or aluminum foil. Place into freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, let thaw for 30 minutes and cook in air fryer at 350 degrees F. for 2-3 mintues.