Ground Elk Quesadillas

Name: Ground Elk Quesadillas
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6 quesadillas
Ingredients: ½ lb ground elk (or venison, moose, antelope, etc.); 2 ½ tablespoon taco seasoning; 1 tablespoon lard (only needed if your meat doesn't have fat ground in); 1 tablespoon tomato paste; ½ cup wild game stock (or beef stock); ¾ cup red bell pepper, finely diced; ¾ cup red onion, finely diced; ½ teaspoon garlic, minced; 12 tortillas (6" or casera size); 3 cups quesadilla cheese (or Monterey jack, cheddar, etc.); 2 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped; guacamole; sour cream; salsa

User Reviews

5.0

18 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings
6 quesadillas
Calories
668 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Mexican

Ground Elk Quesadillas

Zara Evans

Report

Say goodbye to bland, dry quesadillas! This flavor-packed, perfectly saucy (but not soggy) ground elk recipe is loaded with gooey cheese and pure deliciousness.

Share:

I Made This!

Be the first!

Print

1 person printed this

Save this

Be the first!

Ingredients

Servings

Filling:

½ lb ground elk (or venison, moose, antelope, etc.)
2 ½ tablespoon taco seasoning
1 tablespoon lard (only needed if your meat doesn't have fat ground in)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ cup wild game stock (or beef stock)
¾ cup red bell pepper, finely diced
¾ cup red onion, finely diced
½ teaspoon garlic, minced

Other Ingredients:

12 tortillas (6" or casera size)
3 cups quesadilla cheese (or Monterey jack, cheddar, etc.)
2 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped

Sauces (optional):

guacamole
sour cream
salsa

Add to Shopping List

Instructions

To a medium bowl, add ground meat and taco seasoning. Mix seasoning into meat with your hands until well-combined.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add lard to pan and swirl to coat the pan.
Add seasoned meat to pan and spread out in a thin layer. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until browned on the bottom. Flip and break the meat up into small pieces.
Add diced peppers, diced onions, and minced garlic to pan. Stir to combine. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until vegetables start to soften.
Add in tomato paste and stock. Stir to combine. Simmer until liquid is mostly absorbed into the meat mixture, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat.
To a cold griddle, add half of the tortillas. You may have to work in batches depending on the size of your griddle. Top each tortilla with ¼ cup cheese.
Spread ⅓ cup meat mixture on top of cheese. Top with ½ teaspoon cilantro and ¼ cup cheese. Place remaining tortillas on top.
Heat griddle on medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes or until bottom is golden brown and cheese is melting.
Flip quesadillas and cook an additional 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and let sit for 1-2 minutes before cutting.
Cut quesadillas into quarters and serve with guacamole, sour cream, salsa, or your desired dipping sauces. Enjoy!

Equipments used:

Notes

Quesadilla cheese is the perfect cheese for quesadillas (no surprise there). But, you can also use other melting cheeses like cheddar, monterey jack, etc.
Starting with a cold pan while cooking quesadillas helps ensure the cheese melts before the bottom tortilla gets too browned. The cooking times for the quesadillas are based on using a gas stove. If you have an electric stove, it may take longer to heat up.
Quesadilla filling can get dried out pretty easily, especially with wild game. Adding vegetables, tomato paste, and stock to the filling makes a delicious sauce that keeps the filling moist.
Quesadilla cheese is the perfect cheese for quesadillas (no surprise there). But, you can also use other melting cheeses like cheddar, monterey jack, etc.
Starting with a cold pan while cooking quesadillas helps ensure the cheese melts before the bottom tortilla gets too browned. The cooking times for the quesadillas are based on using a gas stove. If you have an electric stove, it may take longer to heat up.
Quesadilla filling can get dried out pretty easily, especially with wild game. Adding vegetables, tomato paste, and stock to the filling makes a delicious sauce that keeps the filling moist.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Calories 668kcal (33%) Carbohydrates 34g (11%) Protein 44g (88%) Fat 40g (62%) Saturated Fat 23g (115%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Monounsaturated Fat 3g Cholesterol 154mg (51%) Sodium 1176mg (49%) Potassium 311mg (9%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 4g (8%) Vitamin A 731IU (15%) Vitamin C 26mg (29%) Calcium 945mg (95%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6quesadillas

Amount Per Serving

Calories 668 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	668kcal	33%
Carbohydrates	34g	11%
Protein	44g	88%
Fat	40g	62%
Saturated Fat	23g	115%
Polyunsaturated Fat	2g	12%
Monounsaturated Fat	3g	15%
Cholesterol	154mg	51%
Sodium	1176mg	49%
Potassium	311mg	7%
Fiber	3g	12%
Sugar	4g	8%
Vitamin A	731IU	15%
Vitamin C	26mg	29%
Calcium	945mg	95%
Iron	4mg	22%