Copycat Applebee's Quesadilla Burger Recipe

This style of burger is like a perfect blend of taco flavors and a juicy burger smashed into one.  To make it, you'll need 2/3 lb ground beef, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 4 small flour tortillas, 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 2 slices pepper jack cheese, 2 tablespoons pico de gallo salsa, 2 tablespoons ranch dressing, 1/4 cup shredded lettuce, 1/4 cup pico de gallo, and 4 pieces of cooked bacon.

Every Applebee's quesadilla burger is topped with that "Mexi-ranch" sauce. Thanks to some insider knowledge, we can pretty confidently tell you that it's simply a combination of ranch and salsa in equal parts. Yup, it really is that easy! Use a buttermilk ranch and a medium heat chunky salsa for best results.

With a sauce that easy and only 10 minutes of cooking required, all these low prep ingredients make your copycat quesadilla burger very easy to prepare and even easier to enjoy as soon as you can.

It would be pretty hard to call this a quesadilla burger without the tortilla shells that we use in place of a typical bun. The burger sits on normal flour tortillas that have been crisped in the oven with some cheese. Look for the small, fajita-style flour tortillas that are 6 inches or even a little smaller if possible.

To that, we'll be adding some shredded cheddar cheese. It takes just a quarter cup for the four tortillas we'll be using as buns, and you can definitely use either pre-shredded or cheddar you shred yourself. If you don't have cheddar, a blend of jack and cheddar, plain jack, or Colby cheese will work as well.

If you're using ground beef instead of preformed patties, take a moment to form good patties now before you begin cooking. This is easiest to do by forming a ball and then flattening it, using your fingers to smooth and bind the edges until you have an even and flat patty.

We recommend making an indent in the middle with your knuckle or thumb, which also happens to be a Bobby Flay burger rule, too. This step can help prevent shrinking. It's also ideal to let the patties warm up to room temperature, as the cold of the fridge can make the burgers shrink when they hit the pan.

Finally, season both patties with salt and black pepper. We typically use 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper for each patty.

Add the seasoned burger patties to your preheated pan and let them cook for about 5 minutes on the first side. If you haven't made your Mexi-ranch sauce yet, this is a great time to stir that together quickly and set it aside with the other toppings for assembly.

When your burgers are flipped, lay a slice of pepper jack cheese on top of each patty and allow it to melt.

This is where you decide how you like your burgers cooked. For a medium burger, with pink in the middle, cook the burgers on the second side over medium heat for just 3 minutes. For a more well-done burger, add 2 to 3 minutes. When they're cooked, remove the burgers from the heat to rest for a moment while you assemble your tortilla buns.

Once assembled, quesadilla burgers don't last long texture-wise, as the juice from the patty and the Mexi-ranch sauce can make the bottom tortillas soggy. If there happen to be leftover patties or toppings, they're best stored separately and assembled only when you're ready to dig in.

Ultimately, these burgers are really best served right away. And to make it look really like a restaurant plate, add some crispy french fries as a finishing touch. We think these juicy quesadilla burgers are even better than the original and with your first, mouthwatering bite you'll be sold, too. Soon enough, you'll find yourself whipping these up in your own kitchen all the time.