Go Back
–+ servings
Print

Pork Carnitas Quesadillas with Caramelized Onions

Course Appetizers
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 8 halves, serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups Pork Carnitas shredded
  • 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
  • 8 tortillas
  • 1/2 cup corn kernels frozen or canned
  • 1/2 cup red bell pepper diced
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Quick Caramelized Onions

  • 1 1/2 tbs butter
  • 2 brown onions halved and finely sliced
  • 1 1/2 tbs brown sugar
  • 1 tbs balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • black pepper
  • parsley or coriander, fresh, finely chopped, optional garnish

Instructions

  • Caramelised Onions: Melt butter in a fry pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 7 minutes, stirring every now and then so they cook evenly. Add remaining Caramelized Onion ingredients and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until sticky and caramelized. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • Brown Pork Carnitas (optional): Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a frypan over high heat. Add Pork Carnitas and press down lightly with a spatula to help crisp up. When the Pork Carnitas are heated through and the underside is golden brown and crisp (about 1 to 1/2 minutes), remove from pan (do not flip).
  • Lay out the tortillas. Divide the cheese between the tortillas, scattering evenly across half of each tortilla. Top with pork carnitas, corn, capsicum, and Caramelised Onion. Season to taste with pepper and salt. (Note: Different cheeses have different levels of saltiness, so be careful not to over season.) Fold the tortillas in half.
  • To freeze: Wrap each tortilla tightly in cling wrap and freeze until required. Defrost before cooking.
  • To cook: Heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add as many quesadillas as will fit in the pan. Cook until nicely browned on the underside (about 1 1/2 minutes), then flip over the folded edge. Cook the other side until browned, then remove from pan. Tip: Keep cooked quesadillas warm in a very low oven. Keep then in spread out in a single layer so they stay crisp.
  • Serve immediately, garnished with parsley if desired.

Notes

1. The Pork Carnitas used in this recipe is flavored. If you are using unflavoured cooked protein as a substitute (eg. poached chicken), toss the chicken with a pinch of salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, and onion or garlic powder if you have it.
2. If using frozen corn, allow the to defrost slightly to ensure they cook through.
There is an art to making quesadillas. Learn from my mistakes:
1. Use 1 rather than 2 tortillas. Don’t sandwich your filling between 2 tortillas. I learned this the hard way when I flipped a tortilla and most of the filling went flying. Use the “half-moon” technique by putting the filling on one side then folding the tortilla over. When you flip, flip it over the folded edge which will ensure all the filling stays in.
2. Don’t overfill. It’s so tempting to overstuff it. But resist! Not only is it harder to flip but it’s also harder to eat because the filling falls out. As a general rule, stick to about 1/3 cup of filling in total per tortilla.
3. Don’t cook on high heat. The tortilla will burn before the cheese is melted. Patience will be rewarded. Turn down the heat to medium/medium-high.
4. Don’t use corn tortillas. Because they’re less pliable, they don’t hold together well when you flip them.
5. Eat them fresh off the stove! They don’t reheat well – the crispy crust goes soggy.