Crispy Potato Quesadillas
Updated July 13, 2025
- Total Time
- 35 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 1pound potatoes, unpeeled but scrubbed clean
- 1cup peas, frozen or fresh (6 ounces)
- 2cups shredded semi-soft cheese, such as Monterey Jack or Cheddar
- 1½ tablespoons avocado or vegetable oil
- 8(7- to 8-inch) flour tortillas
- ¼medium green cabbage, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
- 2carrots, grated
- ½red onion, thinly sliced
- 1jalapeño or serrano, diced (seeded for less spice, if desired)
- 1lime, juiced
- 3tablespoons white or apple cider vinegar
- 1½ teaspoons sugar
- Sour cream or Mexican crema, optional, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
764 calories; 34 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 87 grams carbohydrates; 11 grams dietary fiber; 13 grams sugars; 30 grams protein; 1169 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Step 2
Fill a medium pot with water; add 2 tablespoons salt and set it to boil on high. Cut potatoes into 1-inch chunks and place them in the pot as you go. Once the water is boiling, lower the heat slightly to maintain a rolling boil and cook potatoes for 5 to 7 minutes, until easily pierced with a fork. Add the peas and cook for 3 minutes more. Drain the vegetables, return them to the pot, add the cheese and mash until fully combined. Add more salt to your taste.
- Step 3
Add the oil to a baking sheet and spread it around evenly using one side of a flour tortilla, then repeat with another until you have 4 tortillas lightly oiled on one side, evenly arranged on the baking sheet (it’s OK if they overlap a bit).
- Step 4
Divide the mash among the tortillas. Top each with a second tortilla and press down until the filling almost spills out. Flip the quesadillas so the other side gets oiled.
- Step 5
Bake for 8 minutes, flip the quesadillas over, and bake for another 8 minutes until browned and crispy. They may puff up, which is great.
- Step 6
Meanwhile make the topping. Combine the cabbage, carrots, red onion, jalapeño, lime juice, vinegar, sugar and 1½ teaspoons salt. Toss the slaw with your hands and taste to adjust for vinegar, salt or sugar until the slaw is to your liking.
- Step 7
To serve, quarter the quesadillas with a sharp knife and top with slaw and a dollop of sour cream, if using.
Private Notes
Comments
OK - San Diego chiming in. The potatoes were boiled until softened. Red peppers, onions and Anaheim chiles sautéed in the cast iron skillet. Add the potatoes with additional butter in the skillet. Salt, pepper, ancho chile, cayenne pepper for spices. No peas - these have no place in a Mexican dish. Actually going to prepare individual quesobirria tacos with the potato medley on my comal. As good as any of the best taco shops in town.
So a samosa and a pierogi met up in a cantina. What’s not to like and try? The peas are a way to add fiber and don’t alter the taste. Yums!
@Marty — thank you, especially for your comment about the peas. I was shaking my head “no way” when I read that in the steps.
I made it mostly as directed (ended up 1.5ing the mash to use up some ingredients, and I pan fried one quesadilla at a time because I made this for meal prep) and it was odd. The quesadilla itself lacked flavor even when I added what felt like a whole salt lick to it. The slaw was decent after I pumped it up with a bit more acid and salt. If I were to make this again I’d add more textural variation in the quesadilla (not even the crispy tortilla could redeem the gluey filling) and some more punchy spices or herbs in both.
Made this recipe as written and they were a big hit. Make extra filling since I had extra potatoes and the kids were hounding me for more "mashed potatoes". My pre-teen loved the pickled onions and was eating them straight out of the bowl. There are lot of opportunity for variations with this recipe that I can't wait to try.
Found the recipe intriguing (I love peas, contrary to many comments here). However once we made it, we found the whole thing rather underwhelming and bland, especially the quesadilla filling. (Could have punched up the heat in the slaw instead of going conservatively, but that wasn’t the main issue.) Seemed like a great idea at the time, but the combination of flavors was not as exciting as I’d hoped it would be.