Air Fryer Quesadillas

Name: Air Fryer Quesadillas
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2 small flour tortillas; ¼ cup shredded cheddar ((4 tablespoons)); 1 green onion ((finely sliced))

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Last Updated on November 17, 2021 by Slow The Cook Down

Cook the perfect cheesy quesadillas quickly and easily in the air fryer with no oil! Perfectly crispy tortillas are filled with melted cheese and green onions for one delicious Mexican style appetizer that everyone will love!

Overhead shot of air fryer cheese quesadillas on a serving plate, garnished with fresh parsley and green onions.

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It's not surprising, considering I have food blogs, that I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Because I cook a lot, I have a good idea of how to put a dish together without too much hassle. However, the quesadillas took a while to get right!!

The recipe for these in itself is simple, but trust me, I had to make quite a few batches of these before I got them just right.

Sure, I can whip up quesadillas in a skillet without too much trouble, but making them in an air fryer presents a few issues, fillings falling out and tortillas flying around in the basket can result in quite the mess and a few burnt hands!

Luckily for you, my persistence paid off and this air fryer quesadilla recipe is now totally fool proof and comes out perfectly every single time.

Be sure to grab my top tips to make this appetizer that's meant for sharing!

Be sure to try my Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas and Ground Beef Quesadillas too!

Why you will love this recipe!

Healthier: These quesadillas don't need any oil to get nice and crispy, so although not exactly a health food, they are definitely better for you than cooking them in oil on the stovetop.
Easy to adapt: This is a simple quesadilla recipe with just cheese and green onion, you can easily mix things up by adding all of your favorite fillings.
Quick and easy: Quick to cook, these quesadillas come together easily when you know how!

Air fryer quesadilla on a serving plate garnished with fresh parsley.

Ingredients

Tortillas: Use smaller tortillas that will fit flat into your air fryer basket, 4.5 inch or 6 inch depending on what size air fryer you have. I prefer to use flour, but you can use corn.
Shredded cheese: I used a taco blend shredded cheese, but any good melting cheese like mozzarella or cheddar will work well.
Green onions: Finely sliced green onions add a bit of tang and freshness to each bite.

You can of course add any filling you like to these quesadillas, shredded chicken, ground beef, roasted vegetables, nothing is off limits!

How to make air fryer quesadillas

Be sure to scroll down for the full recipe!

Place a tortilla in your air fryer basket and top with the fillings (photo 1).
Top with another tortilla and place on the baking bead chain (photo 2).
Cook til crispy and golden brown, flipping halfway (photo 3).

Three step by step photos to show how to make the recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need to use baking beads?

So this baking bead chain is a must to make the perfect quesadillas. Air fryers have a super powerful powerful fan in them to circulate the hot air. This helps the food to cook quickly and evenly, but it means that anything light can get thrown around during cooking. The baking beads weigh the tortilla down and keep it in place.

Without the chain, the top tortilla will lift up and fold over on itself, and the shredded cheese will fly up into the fan. The beads also help to keep the tortillas flat and not puff up.

Do you really not need to use oil?

I tried this with and without a spray of oil, and to be honest with you there wasn't much difference at all! If your air fryer basket is a little older and food sticks, then for sure spray a little oil in before placing in the tortilla.

Do you need to flip the quesadillas half way through cooking?

I tested out whether or not flipping the quesadillas would make any difference. If you don't flip them, they are still pretty good! The bottoms don't get quite as crispy, but still hold together and have a bit of crunch to them. For best results flip, but don't worry if you don't!

Be careful when flipping as the basket will be super hot, use a long handled spatula and keep your fingers away from the sides!

Quesadillas piled onto each other on a white serving plate.

Serving Suggestions

As they are, these air fryer quesadillas make for a great sharing appetizer, and they are awesome for game day. Serve up with some sour cream, guacamole or mango salsa and get stuck in!

If you load them up with more goodies like shredded chicken or ground beef, they make for a quick and tasty lunch or dinner alongside a fresh salad.

Recipe Notes and Tips

Build the quesadillas in the air fryer basket. If you build them on the countertop, the fillings can spill out when you transfer it to the basket.
This recipe is made with a 6 qt basket air fryer. Other models may require an adjustment in cooking time.
I prefer to make these with the smaller sized tortillas, but you can use large ones and fold them in half.
Don't add the cheese right to the edges of the tortillas or it will melt out onto the basket of your air fryer.

Overhead shot of quesadillas cut and served on a plate.

More Air Fryer Appetizers

I love hearing from you!! If you have tried these air fryer quesadillas, be sure to scroll down, give them a star rating and let me know what you thought!

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