Succulent seared shrimp spiced with delicious seafood seasoning, and stuffed inside a cheesy gooey quesadilla. These Shrimp Quesadillas are great for a snack or a wonderful lunch!
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Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please fell free to leave a comment and ask.
A great snack or lunch
Flour tortillas toasted with shredded Pepper jack cheese and pan-seared shrimp with onions and Old Bay seasoning.
One way to take a quesadilla from snack to a meal is to add some protein and veggies. I love these ocean-inspired quesadillas as a great summer meal.
If you’re really in a hurry, you can just use cooked shrimp instead of raw shrimp. Just toss the shrimp with the Old Bay, and add them to the cheese while you heat the tortillas.
This Maryland Crab Cake recipe would also make a fantastic seafood lunch!
What size shrimp should I buy?
I like a bit of a smaller shrimp for these quesadillas.
Jumbo shrimp would be too large, so go with something that’s just a bite or two. The shrimp you see in the pictures is 31-40 count per pound. You’ll see a number like this on the front of the package. This means there are approximately 31-40 shrimp per pound in this bag.
That also makes it easy to count out a pound of shrimp. Simply take about 35 shrimp from the bag, and you have a pound. Of course, if you buy a pound bag, that makes it super easy to get one pound of shrimp out. LOL
Easy to make
These shrimp quesadillas are easy to make, as well as a yummy snack!
Just toss the shrimp with the Old Bay. Cook up some onion, and then add the shrimp to the onion.
Heat a tortilla that’s topped with pepperjack in the skillet. Add some of the shrimp & onion mixture, and sprinkle on some more cheese.
Top with another tortilla. Cook it all up to melty perfection. Super easy!
Want to check out some of my other shrimp recipes?
I do love shrimp, and I have a lot of recipes that feature the delicious seafood. Some of my recent recipes are Pepper Jelly Shrimp, Air Fryer Kung Pao Shrimp, and Garlic Parmesan Cream Shrimp.
Try them all. You’ll love them!
How to defrost shrimp
Simply defrost frozen, peeled, and deveined shrimp and remove the shell from the tail (if there is one).
To defrost the shrimp, simply place them in a medium bowl and cover with cool tap water. Change the water out for fresh tap water a couple of times, and in about 5 minutes they’ll be defrosted.
At this point, the tail shell is easily removable.
Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel.
What should I serve with quesadillas?
I love quesadillas as a nice snack. Split one with a friend, and you’ll have a friend for life!
Serve these seafood quesadillas plain or garnished with your favorite salsa, guacamole, sour cream, or with fresh cilantro.
Want to make them more of a meal? That’s easy too!
Serve the quesadillas with some Chipotle Rice or Cilantro Lime Rice and some Mexican Street Corn for a a festive and full meal.
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Recipe
Shrimp Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 1 pound uncooked medium shrimp defrosted, peeled, and deveined
- 1 tablespoon old bay
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup onion chopped
- 2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
- 6 Medium flour tortillas
Instructions
- Toss the shrimp with the old bay seasoning.
- Heat oil in a large skillet or pan. Add the chopped onion to the pan. Cook for 1 minute or until tender.
- Add the seasoned shrimp, and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until shrimp begins to turn pink.
- Transfer the shrimp & onion mixture to a bowl. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel. Return the pan to the heat.
- Place a tortilla in the pan and sprinkle about 2/3 cup cheese on one side of the tortilla. Spoon about 5-6 shrimp or enough to cover the tortilla, and top with another sprinkle of cheese. Fold tortilla in half. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden and crispy on the outside and the cheese is melty on the inside. Repeat for remaining tortillas.
- Serve quesadillas with sour cream, salsa, or guacamole.
my daughter is a quesadilla fanatic! Why have I never thought to use shrimp in them?? Brilliant! She LOVED them! Thank you!
The thought of these plump juicy shrimp tucked in with gooey cheese makes my mouth drool. Good thing I had shrimp because we dined on these quesadillas last night!
These shrimp quesadillas were awesome. And delicious!