Venison Quesadillas

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Spice up Taco Tuesday and make quesadillas instead! Filled with deliciously seasoned ground venison taco meat, these venison quesadillas are easy to make and offer a unique take on a beloved Tex-Mex favorite.

Venison quesadillas cut in triangles on a white plate.

Who doesn’t love a cheesy, crispy quesadilla? It’s such a comforting meal that is delicious every time.

The best thing about quesadillas is how simple and forgiving they are. If you are short on time and ingredients, you can make one with just cheese and a tortilla.

Of course, whenever I can, I like to go all out. They are still incredibly easy to make, and they are packed with flavor!

Most recently, I’ve been making my quesadillas with venison taco meat. It’s delicious, filling, and I have it in abundance from my husband’s hunting trip!

These venison quesadillas are a winner every time in my house. I’m certain your family will love them just as much!

Are you looking for more recipes to spice up Taco Tuesday? Try my chipotle chicken street tacos or fajitas texanas next!

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Quick meal: Quesadillas are so easy to make in very little time. They are perfect for those busy nights when you’re tempted to get takeout!
Flexible ingredients: As long as you have cheese, tortillas, and venison, you can make this easy and delicious meal. It’s a great recipe for using up whatever cheese or vegetables you have in the fridge.
Family favorite: There’s nothing to dislike about a cheesy, crispy, meaty quesadilla! It’s a meal that even the pickiest eaters will love.
One-dish meal: Okay, I definitely love to go crazy with sides and dipping sauces when I have the time. But, if you need something simple and easy, these quesadillas are definitely it! They are loaded with delicious and filling ingredients, so you don’t have to dirty any other dishes.

Ingredients

Flour tortillas: You can use store-bought or homemade. Any size will work, but you will have to spend more time cooking more quesadillas if you opt for a smaller size.
Cheese: I like to use freshly shredded cheddar cheese! Pre-shredded works, too.
Ground venison: If you’ve never tried venison in place of ground beef taco meat, you’re going to be amazed at how great it tastes! In fact, you’ll also want to try my ground venison tacos while you’re at it.
Spices: A combination of chili powder, salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper makes a zesty seasoning for the ground venison. If you have a taco spice mix you like, you can use that instead.
Veggies: Bell peppers and onions give the quesadillas a wonderful variety of colors, textures, and flavors.
Butter: You’ll need some for sauteeing the veggies and some for frying up the quesadillas. Butter gives them a beautiful golden color and a subtle but pleasant flavor that I find much tastier than oil or cooking them without any fat.

Variations

Feel free to try a different type of meat; chicken, beef, pork, or any other wild game meat (such as moose or elk) will work.
I like using onions and peppers, but other veggies are also delicious! Try it with tomatoes, green onions, or sauteed mushrooms.
Instead of cheddar cheese, you can use a Mexican melting cheese, such as Oaxacan or Chihuahua, or another low-moisture cheese, such as pepper jack or Monterey Jack.

How to Make Venison Quesadillas

Sauteing onions and peppers in a cast iron skillet.

Step 1. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the diced bell pepper and onion, and sauté for about 5 minutes until softened.

Browning ground venison with pepper and onions in a cast iron skillet.

Step 2. Add the ground venison to the skillet and cook until browned, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks.

Pouring seasonings into the meat and veggie mixture.

Step 3. Stir in the chili powder, salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, and cayenne. Mix well to evenly distribute the spices. Remove the meat and vegetable mixture from the skillet and set aside.

Spreading shredded cheese onto a flour tortilla.

Step 4. To assemble the quesadillas, melt a small amount of butter in the skillet. Place one tortilla in the pan and sprinkle an even layer of shredded cheese over the entire surface.

Spreading venison, peppers, and onions on a tortilla with cheese.

Step 5. Spoon the venison and sautéed veggie mixture over the cheese, then add another layer of cheese on top.

A tortilla on top of a quesadilla, cooking in a cast iron skillet.

Step 6. Place a second tortilla over the filling and dot the top with a little butter. Cook until the bottom is golden brown and crispy, then carefully flip and cook the other side until crisp, and the cheese is fully melted. Remove from the skillet, slice into wedges, and repeat with the remaining ingredients to make additional quesadillas.

Looking down on a plate of venison quesadillas cut into triangles.

Tips + Notes

How many quesadillas you can make with this recipe depends on the size of your tortillas and how much you fill them. I usually like to make one large quesadilla per person, then serve the slices family-style on a large platter.
It can be a little tricky to get the skillet temperature just right. I recommend starting with medium heat and carefully increasing it as necessary. If the pan is too hot, the tortilla will brown before the cheese fully melts, so it’s better to keep it in the medium-heat range.
If you aren’t serving the quesadillas right away, it’s best not to cover them with foil to keep warm. This will cause steam to build up and soften the tortillas, taking away that delightful crispy texture we are after.
If your tortillas are very large, the quesadilla can get difficult to flip. In that case, I like to make them by folding a single tortilla in half, making each quesadilla half the size and therefore much easier to flip.
For a super easy meal prep, cook the pepper, onion, and venison mixture up ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. All you’ll have to do to get dinner on the table is assemble the quesadillas and fry them up!

How to Serve Venison Quesadillas

You can keep your quesadilla meal simple or make it as elaborate as you like! Quesadillas are best served warm and sliced into easy-to-handle pieces. You can pair them with your favorite Mexican-inspired side dish, such as beans or rice, or serve them alone.

If you prefer a lot of flavor like I do, you’ll definitely want to serve these up with a dipping sauce or two! Here are my favorites:

Salsa: red, green, or pico de gallo
Guacamole
Plain sour cream
Chipotle sour cream
Warm queso
Hot sauce
A bowl of Colorado green chili

However you like your quesadillas, they’re sure to be a crowd-pleaser every time. If you’re feeling decadent, serve them with a dipping sauce bar made up of all your favorite salsas and sauces so each person can try a variety.

Holding up a slice of venison quesadilla over a plate of them.

FAQs

Does venison make good taco meat?

Yes! I love using ground venison in place of beef for tacos, nachos, and quesadillas.

Can I use venison steak instead?

Of course! Steak is absolutely delicious in quesadillas, and venison steak is no exception. This is an especially great way to use up leftover venison steak; just slice or dice it and add it to the pan with the peppers, onions, and spices in step 2 of this recipe.

How do I store leftover quesadillas?

Leftover quesadillas can be stored in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the refrigerator. They can be reheated in the microwave, but for best results, I recommend reheating them in the oven or in a cast iron skillet on the stove so the tortillas get crispy again.

There you have it: a venison quesadilla recipe that will rival any Tex-Mex restaurant and takes just a few minutes to prepare! If you find yourself with more ground venison to use up, check out all of my best ground venison recipes. Enjoy!

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