Not just for breakfast, quesadillas make a great snack at any time of the day and depending on what you fill them with, they can be a nutritious and healthier snack for the whole family.
So yes, you can freeze quesadillas to enjoy them any time. As most quesadillas contain egg, cheese and meats, they will keep frozen for two months at best quality but may keep for as long as six months; depending on the fillings. Quesadillas can be frozen before cooking or after cooking and are easily thawed and reheated on the stovetop, in the oven, toaster oven or microwave.
The good part is that whether you have made chicken, beef, black bean, vegetable or even vegan quesadillas in corn or flour tortillas, the freezing and thawing process is the same. You can make quesadillas ahead and batch freeze, or just freeze leftovers to keep them fresh for breakfast or lunch at later date.
General Tips When Making Quesadillas to Freeze
- Quesadillas are best frozen whole. Once they have been thawed and reheated, they can then be sliced. If you pre-slice them, there is more chance of losing some of the filling during the freezing and reheating process.
- As we know, cheese is always important for a great quesadilla and if you always start with cheese and end with it as you assemble your quesadilla then cheese will act as a bond between the tortillas and the filling – stopping everything from falling apart!
- You can make the quesadillas with two tortillas or make half-moon ones if you prefer – where you only fill half the tortilla and fold the other half over. Either way, try to avoid overfilling them – around two tablespoons of filling is usually enough for one large tortilla.
- Fat is essential for crispy quesadillas but only use a little as too much will give you soggy tortillas. Flour tortillas will usually absorb more oil than corn tortillas, but a light coating of oil or fat on the skillet should usually be enough.
- Leaving the egg slightly undercooked when you cook the quesadilla means it will not end up overcooked when you reheat them on the stovetop or in the oven.
How to Freeze Quesadillas
In the following section, I explain first of all how you can freeze quesadillas before cooking them and in the second method, how to freeze them once cooked – or as leftovers.
Freezing Quesadillas Method One: For Uncooked Quesadillas
Cook your ingredients and eggs as required and one cooked, allow the egg (and any other ingredients) to cool to room temperature. Once cool, assemble the quesadillas with any other fillings from the refrigerator. You will find it helpful if you assemble them on a piece of aluminum foil or baking parchment as it makes it easier to bag the quesadillas up, or if you intend on wrapping them in shrink wrap, then assemble each on its piece of wrap.
Ideally, each quesadilla needs wrapping separately and once wrapped, place them flat on a cookie sheet and into the freezer for a few hours. Once frozen, you can take the cookie sheet out and transfer the quesadillas into a Ziplock bag or airtight container then put them back into the freezer.
If you do prefer to wrap the quesadillas together rather than separately then you will need to put a piece wax paper or parchment between each quesadilla before placing the whole stack in a Ziplock bag or airtight container. Otherwise, they will stick together as they freeze.
These uncooked quesadillas will keep for two months or more in the freezer, depending of course, what ingredients you have put in them.
Thawing Uncooked Quesadillas
Uncooked quesadillas are best thawed in the refrigerator overnight. Once thawed, place them in the oven or skillet and cook them as if you were cooking them from fresh.
Freezing Quesadillas Method Two: For Ready Made Quesadillas
To freeze cooked quesadillas, make your quesadillas as normal. You may want to undercook the egg slightly, especially if you will be reheating in the oven or on the stovetop.
Leave the quesadillas to cool down to room temperature. Then you can either wrap each one separately as detailed above for uncooked quesadillas or place a piece of parchment or wax paper between each quesadilla and place the stack into an airtight container or Ziplock bag.
Ready-made or leftover quesadillas will keep at best quality for two months in the freezer, or for as long as four to six months, depending of course, how you have filled them.
How Do You Thaw Frozen Cooked Quesadillas?
Cooked quesadillas can be thawed and heated straight from frozen. Heat them for around five minutes at 350°F in the oven, or use a skillet, grill pan or griddle, or even the toaster oven.
They can also be reheated in one to two minutes in the microwave. If you do them in the microwave, wrap them a moist paper towel to help stop them from drying out as much.
If you do thaw and reheat from frozen, there is a chance they may thaw and heat unevenly so you will need to make sure they are fully heated throughout before serving. Also adjust reheating time if you have made ‘half’ quesadillas as these will not take as long to reheat as those made with two tortillas.
The easiest way to thaw cooked quesadillas is to leave them in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat for a few minutes in a skillet or for a little longer on a cookie sheet in the oven as this will help crisp them up again. Make sure you add just a little oil, butter or cooking spray to the skillet or cookie to stop them from sticking.
Can You Just Freeze Tortillas Rather Than Having to Make the Quesadillas First?
If you are lucky enough to be able to bulk buy tortillas, then it is good to know you can freeze both flour and corn tortillas. You can leave them in the original plastic packaging or, if you will only want to use a few at a time, take them from the packaging, place a layer of wax paper or parchment between each tortilla and place the stack into a Ziplock bag. Remove the air, seal the bag and note down the contents and date on the bag with a Sharpie. The tortillas can then be placed flat in the freezer – on a cookie sheet will help – until frozen.
Flour or corn tortillas keep at their best for at least six months in the freezer but can keep for longer, especially if well wrapped to prevent them from drying out.
If you froze the tortillas in the store packaging, then take the package out of the freezer and leave them in the refrigerator for a day or so until they are completely thawed. This means they will not stay stuck together when you separate them. Otherwise, individual tortillas can be defrosted out on the countertop, in the oven or even in a skillet – depending on how you want to use them.
How Long Will Quesadillas Keep in The Refrigerator For?
If you decide to store prepared quesadillas in the refrigerator rather than freezing, then keep the egg in a separate container and assemble the quesadillas when you are ready to heat and eat. This stops the tortillas getting mushy.
Otherwise, leftover quesadillas which are wrapped up well in foil or shrink wrap will keep for up to three days in the refrigerator.
Freezing Quesadillas – To Sum Up
If you want a stash of quesadillas for easy brunch, as ready snacks for little fingers or just to have something ready to heat when friends come over for a big game, then you can freeze quesadillas uncooked or cooked. These will keep at their best for two months in the freezer, or for even longer, depending on the filling.
