Copycat Applebees Quesadilla Burger

If you have never tried the amazing Applebees Quesadilla Burger you are in for something extraordinary. Part burger, part quesadilla, all 100% delicious. Make this amazing cheeseburger recipe in under 30 minutes!

A quesadilla cheeseburger cut in half on a plate with french fries

The Applebees Quesadilla Burger has to be one of the best hamburgers you can get in a restaurant. This cheesy burger is designed for those who love Mexican food and hamburgers. Why have an ordinary hamburger when you can have a quesadilla as your bun?

Cheeseburger made with Pepper Jack Cheese, Pico de Gallo, and more, on a plate.

What’s on this Quesadilla burger?

This burger is made from a well-seasoned ground chuck beef patties. The meat is topped with slices of Pepper Jack cheese, a delicious Mexi-ranch sauce, crispy Applewood smoked bacon, fresh pico de gallo, crispy fresh lettuce, and this burger is surrounded by warm Cheddar cheese quesadillas.

What’s the secret to this burger?

The secret to this burger is simple ingredients prepared in a unique way. Everyone has made a basic cheeseburger, here we upgrade the cheese, add bacon, and change out the condiments slightly. The real upgrade is the Cheddar cheese quesadilla. In no time at all you and your family can enjoy one amazing burger.

What type of ground beef should you use?

Ground chuck has just the right amount of marbling to make the burger juicy and not dry. The ground cut is beef that is 80% lean, and 20% fat. Ground beef like sirloin is a bit too dry to carry this burger off. Plain ground hamburger meat can have as much as 30% fat, and that’s too rich for all of the cheese involved in this burger.

Love Applebees? Don’t stop with this burger, there is more!

Who doesn’t love the Applebees restaurant? Enjoy their French Onion Soup, Oriental Chicken Salad, and finish with one of their famous Triple Chocolate Meltdown desserts.

A quesadilla burger cut in half. Burger has Cheddar cheese quesadilla for the hamburger bun.

ideas to serve with this burger

Try these great tasting appetizers and sides:

Check out more of my tasty Mexican food recipes and copycat restaurant dishes.

A quesadilla cheeseburger cut in half on a plate with french fries

Applebees Quesadilla Burger

This quesadilla burger is made with well-seasoned ground chuck beef patties. The meat is topped with slices of Pepper Jack cheese, a delicious Mexi-ranch sauce, crispy Applewood smoked bacon, fresh pico de gallo, crispy fresh lettuce, and the burger is surrounded by warm Cheddar cheese quesadillas.
5 from 27 votes
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Applebees Quesadilla Burger
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 1890kcal

Ingredients

Mexi-Ranch Sauce

  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup ranch dressing
  • 1/4 cup salsa
  • 1 teaspoon taco seasoning

Quesadillas

  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 16 tortillas small, street taco sized

Burger Patties

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Burger Toppings

  • 8 slices pepper jack cheese
  • 8 slices applewood bacon cooked until crisp
  • 1/2 cup pico de gallo
  • 2 cups shredded iceburg lettuce

Instructions

Mexi-Ranch Sauce

  • Combine the sour cream, ranch dressing, salsa, and taco seasoning in a small bowl. Stir to combine.

Quesadillas

  • Preheat the oven to 200°F.
  • Divide the cheese evenly among 8 tortillas. Cover the cheese with the 8 remaining tortillas.
  • In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, cook the quesadillas for about two minutes on each side until they are golden brown and the cheese is melted.
  • Remove from the skillet and keep warm in the oven while you cook the burgers.

Burger Patties

  • Combine the ground chuck, salt, and black pepper in a bowl, and use your hands to incorporate. Divide the beef into 4 patties.
  • With a paper towel, wipe out the non-stick skillet you used for the quesadillas, and cook the burgers over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes on each side.

Burger Assembly

  • Place each burger patty on top of a quesadilla. Top each patty with 2 slices of pepper jack cheese, 2 slices of cooked bacon, pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, and Mexi-ranch sauce.

Video

Notes

  • Want perfectly cooked bacon? Try baking it in the oven! No mess, and perfectly flat crisp bacon.
  • Make the Mexi-sauce ahead of time. If you have any left over, it makes a great salad dressing!
  • Have leftover chicken or grilled veggies, add them to the quesadillas!
  • You can purchase prepared pico de gallo or make homemade pico de gallo.

Nutrition

Calories: 1890kcal | Carbohydrates: 133g | Protein: 76g | Fat: 115g | Saturated Fat: 45g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Monounsaturated Fat: 44g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 257mg | Sodium: 3792mg | Potassium: 1149mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 1350IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 960mg | Iron: 13mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Wes C

    I’m a little confused. The photo does not match the construction of the burgers. Do you separate the cheese-covered tortillas and then build inside and top with separated cheese covered tortillas?

  2. Hannah

    5 stars
    I’ve made these twice so far. Delicious! I added it to my Recipe binder where all my definite “keepers” go. Thanks!

  3. Dawn Olson

    5 stars
    The sauce is the best part of this recipe, which is saying something because the entire recipe is amazing! Thanks for sharing!

  4. Shelita P

    I am a bit confused with the quesadilla part and how I am supposed to build the burger. Does the burger have two quesadillas for the top and bottom that are both cooked with the cheese?
    Thank you

  5. Maryanne

    5 stars
    I love the restaurant version. I love this version. So delicious. I’ve also made this with a black bean burger that I made with another site’s recipe (PW). And that too is delicious. Thank you for the inspiration and guidance you give. I LOVEEEEEEE CopyKat Recipes.

  6. Mary L Rainey

    I would love to make and eat this.
    But I can’t have that much sodium, or calories. Diabetes. Might want to think of that next time, it’s very hard for us to find a good place to eat out. Most of the time , we stay home and make our own food to control ingredients

    • Stephanie

      Your options might be to use low sodium bacon, cut back on the salt, maybe switch to a whole wheat tortilla. If you know what’s in your food, you can customize the recipe to suit your dietary needs.

    • t

      I’m unsure why that should be considered. If you have modified recipes maybe you should A.not comment or modify the recipe or C. go to specific sites that offer your needs.

  7. baltisraul

    5 stars
    My wife was a manager at 3 Applebees in another lifetime. This was always one of their top requested items she said. She thought the key to this burger was to have a good crunch on the shells. Now that I brought this up, she will make them this week for us. Bless you Steph!

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