Braised Beef Short Rib Quesadillas

Tasty beef pulled and shredded from juicy, tender, fall-off-the-bone short ribs is just the start of these anytime Beef Short Rib Quesadillas! It then takes on the form of quesadillas by layering the beef with white cheddar cheese and fresh Pico de gallo between a soft tortilla shell for an upgraded Tex-Mex treat!

When I recently whipped up a batch of my red wine braised short ribs, I knew had to create a quick and easy quesadilla recipe with any leftovers. Granted having leftover short ribs doesn’t happen very often, so I planned this in advance.

This shredded beef quesadilla recipe is one that will not disappoint!

The thought of taking fall-off-the-bone tender short rib meat and placing that tender goodness inside of a soft tortilla shell along with cheese takes me immediately into snack mode. Plus leaving in Houston, AKA the capability of all things Tex-Mex, this pairing of recipes was destined to take place.

So what ingredients do I need for these quesadillas?

Well, that’s as simple as three. Yep, you’ll only need three ingredients to make this happen. Well, plus what you’ll need to make my short ribs, but once you get that part down, it is easy breezy.

Along with my shredded short rib meat, I used fresh Pico de gallo and white cheddar cheese. It’s important to no confuse fresh pico with liquid-based salsa as these are very different and will result in completely different dishes. While traditional salsa has a watery consistency, pico de gallo is chunky, and you can visibly see every ingredient.

So what is Pico de gallo exactly?

The core of Tex-Mex cooking, in my opinion, is “pico”. Also called salsa fresca, it is commonly used in Mexican cuisine. I put this on everything! I enjoy it simply with tortilla chips, I use it in my guacamole, I layer it as-is for many beef, chicken, or seafood dishes and it is a must to incorporate when I’m making quesadillas. You can also find it used as a condiment for popular Mexican dishes like tacos, burritos, nachos.

This uncooked staple is traditionally made using a combination of ripe red tomatoes, onions, jalapeño or serrano pepper, lime juice, fresh cilantro, fresh garlic, and salt (to taste). While I do make my own every now and then, you can find pre-made Pico de gallo very easily in most grocery stores.

Here is a quick recipe for Pico de gallo if you want to make your own:

• 2 cups tomatoes, diced
• 3/4 cup white onion, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 tsp. garlic minced (2 garlic cloves)
• 1/4 cup lime juice (freshly squeezed)
• salt to taste

This is a very simple recipe once your short ribs are prepared. I wanted to showcase the limitless possibilities of how to incorporate a main dish into multiple meals. You can create dishes such as my Braised Short Ribs with Cheesy Stone Ground Grits (paid link) or you can turn that same meat into a quesadilla night.

Being from Louisiana I didn’t grow up eating a lot of Tex-Mex dishes, but since I have been in the Lone Star state I partake in the world of Tex-Mex quite often. The combination of Pico de gallo, cheese, and shredded short ribs will give your Mexican inspired meals a delicious upgrade.

Here are a few more Tex-Mex recipes you might enjoy:

• Low-Carb Tex-Mex Casserole
• Nothing But Cheese Enchiladas
• 3-Ingredient Shredded Chicken Flautas
• Easy Shredded Chicken Tostadas
• Easy Chicken Enchiladas Verdes
• Chicken Enchilada Nachos

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