quesadilla

American  

[key-suh-dee-uh, ke-sah-thee-yah] / ˌkeɪ səˈdi ə, ˌkɛ sɑˈði jɑ /

noun

Mexican Cooking.

• quesadillas
  plural

1. a tortilla folded over a filling of shredded cheese, and sometimes vegetables or meat, cooked on a griddle or the like.

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quesadilla British  

/ ˌkeɪsəˈdiːljə, -ˈdiːjə /

noun

1. a toasted tortilla filled with cheese and sometimes other ingredients

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• quesadillas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of quesadilla

First recorded in 1940–45; from Mexican Spanish; Spanish: “a pastry or cake made with cheese,” equivalent to quesada ( queso “cheese,” from Latin cāseus; cf. cheese ¹ + -ada noun suffix) + -illa diminutive suffix; see -ade ¹

Explanation

Next time you go to a Mexican restaurant, you might want to order a quesadilla, a grilled tortilla filled with melty cheese. Quesadillas come on flour or corn tortillas, which are loaded with cheese and sometimes vegetables or meat, and cooked over high heat. In Mexico, a quesadilla is traditionally made with Oaxaca cheese inside a folded corn tortilla, which is grilled without oil and served with salsa. There are many variations of this popular dish. Quesadilla comes from the Spanish queso, "cheese."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

quesadilla quesadillas

“When they say everything in America is big, I understand it. Why the hell is this quesadilla the size of my head?”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

A truly decadent mix of grilled chicken, cheese, tomatoes, corn salsa, and tortilla strips, tossed in citrus-balsamic and topped — because why not — with actual cheese quesadilla wedges.

From Salon ● May 19, 2025

For instance, substituting "pastry" for "quesadilla" could significantly affect comprehension for students from diverse backgrounds.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 29, 2024

The meat was well-spiced and a colleague agreed that the quesadilla was “better than it needed to be.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2024

My grandfather gets a cheese quesadilla, three beef tacos, chicken fajitas, a side of rice and beans, and an extra side of guacamole.

From "The Fourteenth Goldfish" by Jennifer L. Holm

Breakfast tacos, a Tex-Mex delicacy, anchor the morning hours while salsa-brightened al pastor tacos, burritos and quesadillas are all-day favorites.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026

This week, the native of Monterrey decided to prepare pozole and quesadillas for his team.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 25, 2025

In keeping with Mexican law, prosecutors identified him by his first name, Jesús Gerardo, alias “el Kekas,” a slang word that means quesadillas, or cheese-filled tortillas.

From Seattle Times ● May 7, 2024

Or head to the Kitchen for dishes like breakfast quesadillas, sandwiches, pizza and burgers.

From New York Times ● Jul. 24, 2023

We could make ravioli and garlic bread, quesadillas with beans and rice on the side, vegetable soup, a spinach salad with dried cranberries and blue cheese, or chili with corn bread.

From "We Are Okay" by Nina LaCour