Easy Quesadillas with Leftover Pulled Pork Carnitas

Easy Quesadillas with Leftover Pulled Pork Carnitas

This recipe for QUESADILLAS WITH LEFTOVER PULLED PORK CARNITAS will help you turn your leftover pulled pork carnitas into a fantastic, mouthwatering meal that'll make you forget you're eating leftovers. And it just takes 30 minutes to put together!

5 from 19 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: carnitas, easy, latin meals, latin recipe, mexican, pulled pork carnitas, quesadillas

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 30

Servings: servings

Calories: 267kcal

Author: Juyali (ju-ja-lee)

Equipment

Frying pan or large skilletSpatula (for flipping the quesadillas)Cutting board and knife (for chopping the veggies).

Ingredients

Ingredients for the Caramelized Onions

2 tablespoons Butter Extra Virgin Olive oil is a suitable substitute.
1 Red Onion medium, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar key ingredient to add a zing and sweetness.
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper

Ingredients for the Quesadillas

2 Cups LEFTOVER PULLED PORK CARNITAS.
1 1/2 Cups Shredded cheese Any cheese that will melt and pair nicely with the other Latin flavors in this recipe.
6 Flour Tortillas large size (corn tortillas are not recommended)
1/2 Cup Corn Kernels frozen or canned
1/2 Cup Black Beans drained
1/2 Cup Red Bell Peppers any color you like
1 tablespoon Butter melted
Cilantro Fresh, optional but recommended.

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Caramelized Onions

Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped red onion, salt, and black pepper.
Cook until the onions are soft and caramelized with a golden color — about 10 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook for another 2 minutes.

Step 2: Prepare the Remaining Quesadilla Filling Ingredients

Mix the pulled pork, black beans, corn, red peppers, and caramelized onions in a bowl.
Toss everything together until evenly distributed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 3 - Build the Quesadillas

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a bit of melted butter to coat the pan. Spread a couple of spoonsful of the meat mixture onto half a tortilla. Be careful to fill your quesadillas sparingly, as they may be challenging to flip and cook evenly.
Add a handful of shredded cheese on top and fold the tortilla over.
Repeat the process with a second tortilla to cook two quesadillas at once

Step 4 – Cook the Quesadillas

Cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is golden brown and crispy.

Step 5 - Serve and Enjoy

Slice the quesadilla into wedges and serve immediately with your fresh toppings like guacamole or avocado, or fresh cilantro, salsa, or sour cream—anything you enjoy with quesadillas. Dig into the delicious flavors!

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Notes

Recommended sauces that go well with these Pork Quesadillas
Smoky Salsa Verde recipe with Chipotles or this Green Sauce with avocado, yogurt, cilantro, and spices.
Toppings and sides to pair ideas for these quesadillas: The best toppings for quesadillas are the ones you love! But some popular choices include salsa, sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, salsa verde, cheese, and fresh cilantro. Pair with rice and beans, or chips (like these homemade Plantain Chips).
Other recipe ideas for using leftover Carnitas:
Leftover Pulled Pork Tacos, (aka our favorite Carnitas Tacos!). Pork Sandwich, and this Carnitas Fajitas recipe.

Nutrition