If you're a fan of the iconic Big Mac but crave something extra cheesy, this Big Mac Quesadilla combines all the classic flavors in a crispy, melty bite. With juicy ground beef, tangy pickles, melty cheese, shredded lettuce, and a homemade Big Mac-style sauce, it’s everything you love about the burger wrapped into a golden, griddled tortilla. This recipe is easy to make, incredibly satisfying, and brings major nostalgia to the dinner table.
Perfect for game day gatherings, casual dinners, or even a fun twist on taco night, this quesadilla will be a hit with both kids and grownups. Serve it hot off the pan with a little extra sauce for dipping—no drive-thru required.
Jump to:
- Why You Will Love These Big Mac Quesadillas
- Ingredients
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to Make a Big Mac Quesadilla
- More Recipes You Will Love
- How to Store these Big Mac Quesadillas
- What to Serve with a Big Mac Quesadilla
- Top Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions About Making Big Mac Quesadillas
- More Recipes You Will Love
- Big Mac Quesadilla Recipe
Who doesn’t love all things Big Mac? Try our Big Mac Tater Tot Casserole, Big Mac Tacos, Big Mac Egg Rolls or our Big Mac Sloppy Joes.
Why You Will Love These Big Mac Quesadillas
- Nostalgic Flavor: All the iconic flavors of a Big Mac in a fresh, cheesy new format.
- Quick and Fun: Easy to make on a weeknight with minimal prep.
- Customizable: Adjust the fillings to your taste or spice it up.
- Crowd-Pleasing: Great for entertaining or feeding hungry teens.
- All-in-One Meal: Protein, dairy, and veggies in every bite.
Ingredients
With just a quick trip to the grocery store, you will be ready to make this delicious recipe.
See the recipe card below for the exact quantities of each ingredient.
- Ground Beef: We use medium ground beef for maximum flavor, but you can choose your preferred fat content meat.
- Yellow Onion: Provides the subtle onion taste, but you can use a white onion if you prefer.
- Seasonings: Enhances the other ingredients and used to make the iconic Big Mac sauce.
- Medium Flour Tortillas: We used flour tortillas, but you can use your preference here.
- Cheddar Cheese: Though a Big Mac typically uses American cheese, we opted for cheddar. Use whatever you prefer.
- Pickles and Pickle Juice: Gives that pickle taste to the sauce, and slightly thins it, while also providing some crunch on the quesadilla.
- Lettuce: Adds a freshness to the inside.
- Ketchup and Yellow Mustard: Used in the Big Mac sauce.
- Mayonnaise: The main component in the sauce.
- White Vinegar: Used to lightly thin the sauce and balances the sweetness.
For this easy recipe, you'll want to have on hand a small bowl, whisk, large non-stick pan, spatula, measuring cups and spoons.
Substitutions and Variations
Love this recipe but want to make it your own? Here are some helpful ideas for you to change these Big Mac quesadillas.
- Ground Turkey or Chicken: A lighter option in place of ground beef. Alternatively, you can use a lean ground beef instead.
- Flourless Tortillas: Use gluten-free tortillas if needed.
- Cheese Blend: Swap cheddar for Monterey Jack or mozzarella for a milder melt.
- Pickle Swap: Try banana peppers or jalapeños for a tangy twist.
- Big Mac Sauce: Store-bought Thousand Island dressing works in a pinch.
- Simplify It: Go one step further and make it an even easier recipe. Get out a small baking sheet and make a Big Mac sheet pan quesadilla, by laying tortillas on the bottom (overhanging) add your ingredients, then fold over (you may need to add one more in the middle on the bottom and top layers to fully cover), bake in the oven and slice!
How to Make a Big Mac Quesadilla
Check out how quick and easy it was to make this delicious recipe.
Make your Big Mac sauce by adding all the sauce ingredients into a small bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside.
Heat a large pan on medium heat and cook beef for 5 minutes.
Drain excess fat, then add onion, salt and pepper. Cook for a couple more minutes until the beef is fully cooked and no longer pink. Set aside in a bowl.
Clean the pan and lightly spray with cooking spray. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add your tortilla when the pan is warm into the pan. Working quickly, add your items to half of the tortilla in this order: ½ cup cheddar cheese, ¼ of the meat mixture, ½ cup lettuce, pickle slices (I did 1 pickle per quesadilla) about 3 tablespoons of sauce, then another ½ cup cheddar cheese.
Fold the empty side over and cook until cheese is melted, and the tortilla is golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Carefully flip and cook the other side.
Place the cooked quesadilla on a cutting board and allow it to cool slightly before cutting in half to enjoy.
Repeat for the remaining tortillas and serve immediately.
Hint: Preheat your pan but work quick to assemble and fold over your untopped half. A hot pan helps crisp the tortilla without burning.
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How to Store these Big Mac Quesadillas
Here are some ways to store this delicious recipe.
- Refrigerator: Once cooled, place in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Place a piece of parchment paper between to prevent them from getting the bottom ones soggy.
- Freezer: Alternatively, you can place it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: To reheat, place in an air fryer or back on the stove top to crisp up the tortilla again. Just until warmed through.
- Make Ahead: Prepping this recipe by making your sauce in advance can help; you can store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container. It is also great to use on other foods or as a salad dressing. For the quesadilla components, you can chop a few days in advance and keep in your fridge also in airtight containers until ready to assemble.
What to Serve with a Big Mac Quesadilla
- Crispy Oven Fries or Sweet Potato Wedges: A classic side for any burger inspired dish.
- Classic Caesar Salad: Add a salad to round out this meal by adding a fresh, crisp side.
- Mozzarella Sticks: For extra cheesy goodness.
- BBQ Baked Beans: A hearty side option.
- Other Big Mac Menu Items: Make it a theme and try our Big Mac tater tot casserole, Big Mac tacos, Big Mac egg rolls or our Big Mac sloppy Joes.
Top Tips
Here are some of our best tips to help you make the best quesadilla.
- Don’t Overfill: Too many fillings can make it hard to flip and cook evenly. Flip it with the open side facing you, for more control.
- Cheese on Both Sides: Layering cheese below and above helps hold everything together.
- Press Gently: Use a spatula to gently press down while cooking for even browning. Sometimes I will even put a (clean) smaller pan on top to apply pressure.
- Watch Your Sauce: Be careful adding too much sauce to the inside, it can make it soggy. Start with 3 tablespoons as recommend and test a little more if desired; alternatively, you can dip with any leftovers!
Frequently Asked Questions About Making Big Mac Quesadillas
You can prep your meat and sauce in advance, but we recommend waiting to assemble. This will give you the crispiest, freshest result.
Dill pickles are ideal for that classic Big Mac flavor, but if you prefer a little sweetness, go with bread and butter pickles.
They are best enjoyed fresh, but cooked quesadillas can be wrapped tightly and frozen in a freezer-safe bag or container. Reheat in a skiller or in the oven.
Sure! If you are a vegetarian or simply looking to switch it up and make a meatless meal, you can substitute with plant-based ground meat.
If you prefer a quesadilla with some extra heat, feel free to add your favorite hot sauce or diced jalapeños.
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Big Mac Quesadilla Recipe
Equipment
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Small Bowl
- Whisk
- Large Pan/Skillet
- Spatula
Ingredients
BIG MAC SAUCE:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon dill pickle juice
- ½ tablespoon dill pickle minced
- ½ tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
QUESADILLAS:
- 1 pound ground beef medium
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 4 8- inch tortillas
- 4 cups cheddar cheese shredded (or as desired)
- 2 cups lettuce shredded (or as desired)
- 4 pickles sliced (or as desired)
Instructions
- Make your Big Mac sauce by adding all the sauce ingredients into a small bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside.
- Heat a large pan on medium heat and cook beef for 5 minutes.
- Drain excess fat, then add onion, salt and pepper. Cook for a couple more minutes until the beef is fully cooked and no longer pink. Set aside in a bowl.
- Clean the pan and lightly spray with cooking spray. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add your tortilla when the pan is warm into the pan. Working quickly, add your items to half of the tortilla in this order: ½ cup cheddar cheese, ¼ of the meat mixture, ½ cup lettuce, pickle slices (I did 1 pickle per quesadilla) about 3 tablespoons of sauce, then another ½ cup cheddar cheese.
- Fold the empty side over and cook until cheese is melted, and the tortilla is golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Carefully flip and cook the other side.
- Place the cooked quesadilla on a cutting board and allow it to cool slightly before cutting in half to enjoy.
- Repeat for the remaining tortillas and serve immediately.
Notes
- Preheat your pan but work quick to assemble and fold over your untopped half. A hot pan helps crisp the tortilla without burning.
- Too many fillings can make it hard to flip and cook evenly. Flip it with the open side facing you, for more control.
- Layering cheese below and above helps hold everything together.
- Use a spatula to gently press down while cooking for even browning. Sometimes I will even put a (clean) smaller pan on top to apply pressure.
- Be careful adding too much sauce to the inside, it can make it soggy. Start with 3 tablespoons as recommend and test a little more if desired; alternatively, you can dip with any leftovers!
Nutrition
We would be so grateful for you to leave us a rating and review on any recipes you try. If you make any alterations, let us know how they turned out.
Risa says
I am updating my review to say that I had 30 minutes to get dinner on the table this week and finally got to try these. They were a huge hit! The Big Mac sauce was authentic and delicious. They were easy to make and a big favorite here. Thanks so much for the fun recipe! We will definitely make these again!
Eva Filer says
Oh wow! Thank you so much for coming back to let us know you loved them, Risa! These are definitely one of my favorites too. Happy you enjoyed them.
Risa says
This looks sooo good! Can't wait to make this, it is a perfect family-friendly busy night recipe, my kids will love this!
Eva Filer says
Thanks so much for the review! It is a family favorite over here. I hope you love it.
Risa says
This looks sooo good! Love the crunch cheesy beefy combo, perfect for a busy weeknight. We are definitely trying this our next quesadilla night! Thanks for the great recipe!
Eva Filer says
You’re welcome. It is a favorite over here!
Risa says
I am definitely making this our next quesadilla night. This looks sooo good! Love the crunch cheesy beefy combo, perfect for a busy weeknight. Thanks for the great recipe!
Eva Filer says
You’re welcome. It is a favorite over here!
Abi says
OMG look at the gooey cheesy goodness! Absolutely delicious Quesadilla 🙂
Eva Filer says
This is such a good one. I hope you enjoy it.
Madhu says
This sounds insanely delicious! Love the nostalgic twist, definitely trying this cheesy, crispy mashup soon!
Eva Filer says
This is one one for the books! I hope you love it as much as we do.
Eva Filer says
This has so much flavor and is packed with cheesy goodness. Love how simple it comes together too.