Pulled Pork Quesadillas Recipe
Delicious pulled pork quesadillas layered with roasted peppers and onion, Monterey jack cheese, green onions, and seasoned pulled pork.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Pulled Pork
- 3-4 pound skinless boneless pork shoulder or butt
- 3/4 cup pineapple juice
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/2 white onion sliced
- 4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Quesadillas
- 2-3 cups pulled pork
- 8- ounce bag Monterey jack or cheddar jack cheese
- 3 burrito-sized flour tortillas
- 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 2 green onions chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for cooking
- 1-2 tablespoons butter for cooking
- Hot sauce guacamole, salsa, and sour cream for serving
Instructions
For the pork
- Remove pork from the packaging. Pat dry with a paper towel. If the meat contains the fat cap (firm white fatty layer), see the note below on removal.
- Combine paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper (to taste) in a small bowl and mix. Rub pork all over with dry rub. Place in a slow cooker and pour pineapple juice and optional beer over the pork. Add in chopped onion and garlic. Cover and cook on low heat setting for 6-8 hours, or high heat setting for 5-6 hours (until the meat easily pulls apart/shreds with two forks). Shoot for an internal temp of 200°F.
- Remove pork from the slow cooker and place it on a large platter. Shred using two forks into small stringy chunks. Season all over with salt and pepper. You can optionally sprinkle with some additional paprika/cumin or taco seasoning of your choosing.
For the quesadillas
- Heat oil in a large skillet or pan over medium heat. Cook the peppers and onions until tender and golden. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. If you're using leftover pork, now is a great time to heat it up in the pan.
- Melt a small pad of butter in the same pan. Swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Place a tortilla flat in the pan and arrange toppings on one half of the tortilla. Start with a thin layer of cheese, then peppers/onions, pork, green onion, and more cheese.
- Fold over the other half of the tortilla and press down firmly with a spatula. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden. Always allow the cheese to melt before flipping so the quesadilla doesn't fall apart. A large spatula works best.
- Cut into 2 or 4 slices and serve with guacamole, salsa, hot sauce, and sour cream.
Notes
If you're preparing several quesadillas, it may make a little more sense to bake/broil them all at once. Spray the bottom side of each tortilla with cooking spray, placing the oil side down on the sheet pan (you can alternatively brush with butter or olive oil). Place toppings on half of the tortilla and fold over the other half. Bake on 500°F for 3-4 minutes per side, flipping halfway through. You can also use the broiler for a crispier sear. Just note, you will only need 1-2 minutes per side! Watch carefully to prevent burning.
Removing fat cap: I would recommend using a serrated knife to shave the fat cap off. Pork shoulder contains enough fat to render juicy tender meat. You don't have to completely remove all fat, but it allows the spices to penetrate the meat.
Internal temp: Shoot for an internal temp of around 200°F. Pork will be very tender and easily shred at 200°F. Anything less, 145°F for example, will be very tough pork.