Smoked Carnitas Quesadillas

Last tested on: 5/13/2026

A smoked carnitas quesadilla is one large flour tortilla cooked low and slow on a buttered comal, Oaxacan cheese spread across the whole surface, crisped carnitas on one half, folded when the cheese starts to melt, pressed firm, and toasted on both sides until golden. This is the real thing, and it comes together in under 10 minutes once the carnitas are ready.

Arizona is flour tortilla country. Sonoran wheat has been milled here longer than the state has existed, and a large, thin, pliable flour tortilla is the only right call for this recipe. If you can find them fresh from a local tortilleria, use those. A good 10 to 12 inch store-bought flour tortilla works fine. What you put inside it matters more than the brand.

Start here with the Smoked Carnitas, and get ready to meal plan.

Key Ingredients

• Large flour tortillas (10–12 inch): The bigger the tortilla, the bigger the quesadilla. A 10 to 12 inch flour tortilla gives you enough surface area to spread cheese wall to wall and still fold cleanly. Corn tortillas are too small and too brittle for this method. Save those for tacos.
• Smoked carnitas: From the Smoked Carnitas recipe. Crisped to order in the comal before building the quesadilla. Cold carnitas straight from the fridge slow down the cheese melt. Crisp them first and they go in warm.
• Oaxacan cheese: The right cheese for this recipe. It pulls apart into strips, melts clean, and stretches without breaking. That’s the cheese pull you’re looking for when you cut the quesadilla. Monterey Jack works as a substitute if you can’t find Oaxacan. Pepper Jack for heat. Measure with your heart.
• Butter: Half a tablespoon per quesadilla on the comal. Butter gives you the golden color and the flavor that oil can’t replicate. It also tells you when the heat is right. If the butter browns immediately, the heat is too high.
• Charred salsa verde crema: The dipping sauce. Equal parts Mexican crema and Charred Salsa Verde: tangy, smoky, slightly rich, and drizzleable. Full recipe below.

Salsa Verde Crema

Makes about 1 cup — enough for 4 quesadillas

This is not a complicated sauce. Equal parts crema and charred salsa verde, whisked together. The crema rounds out the acidity of the tomatillos and makes it drizzleable enough to go inside the quesadilla or alongside it as a dip. Two minutes, one bowl.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup Mexican crema
• ½ cup Charred Salsa Verde
• Pinch of kosher salt

Method: Whisk together in a small bowl until smooth. Taste and adjust salt. Serve alongside the quesadillas as a dipping sauce or drizzle inside before folding. Keeps refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Note: The Roasted Hatch Chile Salsa Verde works here too during Hatch chile season. Fruitier, hotter, and it changes the whole character of the dip.

How to Make Smoked Carnitas Quesadillas: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Make the salsa verde crema

Whisk together equal parts Mexican crema and charred salsa verde. Set aside. This takes 2 minutes and it needs to be ready before you start cooking. Quesadillas move fast once the comal is hot.

Step 2: Crisp the carnitas

Heat your comal or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half a tablespoon of butter and let it melt. Add the carnitas in a single layer and press down with a spatula. Leave undisturbed for 2–3 minutes until the edges are dark and caramelized. Remove from the pan and set aside. Don’t wipe the pan. That residual fat is flavor.

Step 3: Butter the comal and lay down the tortilla

Reduce heat to medium. Add another half tablespoon of butter to the comal and let it melt evenly across the surface. Lay the tortilla flat. The tortilla should sizzle gently when it hits the pan, not aggressively. If it’s smoking, the heat is too high. Back it off.

Step 4: Spread the cheese across the whole tortilla

Immediately spread the Oaxacan cheese in an even layer across the entire tortilla surface. All the way to the edges. This is not a half-and-half operation. Cheese goes everywhere. Then add the crisped carnitas to one half only, on top of the cheese.

Step 5: Watch the cheese and fold

Keep the heat at medium and be patient. After 2–3 minutes, the cheese at the edges will begin to melt and the tortilla will start to turn golden on the bottom. That’s your signal. Fold the empty cheese half over the carnitas half and press down firmly with a spatula for about 30 seconds. The fold should be clean and the quesadilla should hold its shape.

Step 6: Toast both sides

Let the folded quesadilla toast for another 1–2 minutes until the bottom is deep golden. Flip carefully and toast the second side for another 1–2 minutes. Both sides should be evenly golden with no pale patches. Remove from the comal and let rest for 1 minute before cutting. This gives the cheese a moment to set so it doesn’t run when you slice it.

Step 7: Cut and serve

Cut into 3 wedges and serve immediately with the salsa verde crema on the side. Pickled red onions and pickled jalapeños alongside.

Optional Toppings

The quesadilla is complete as written. These are the additions worth having on the table:

• Quick Pickled Red Onions: The acid hit that cuts through the richness of the cheese and pork. Non-negotiable on the side.
• Quick Pickled Jalapeños: Whole on the side for heat, or chopped fine and folded into the carnitas before building.
• Smoky Sonoran BBQ Sauce: A drizzle over the wedges instead of the crema for a completely different direction.
• Fresh cilantro: A handful over the top right before serving.
• Sliced avocado: Creamy contrast to the crispy tortilla. Add it after cutting, not inside.

Frequently Asked Questions

Equipment Used

• Comal or large cast iron skillet: The bigger the pan, the bigger the quesadilla. A comal gives you even heat distribution across the full tortilla surface. Cast iron works equally well.
• Wide spatula: Essential for pressing after the fold and flipping without losing the filling.
• Baking sheet with wire rack: If you’re making multiple quesadillas, hold the finished ones in a 200°F oven on a wire rack. They stay crispy. Never stack them.

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