This epic loaded quesadilla gets some extra flavor and nutrition thanks to a special ingredient: venison. Not only is a venison quesadilla freakin’ delicious, but you’ve found a healthy red meat option across the board. Compared to standard ground beef, it’s lower in calories, much (MUCH!) lower in fat, and still boasts plenty of protein and iron. Plus, the savory flavor can’t be beat. And with all the nutritional benefits you’re getting from eating wild game, you can really pile on the cheese and toppings. Kidding! But only a little.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Venison Quesadilla
- Loaded Venison Quesadilla Ingredients
- What Makes Venison Healthier?
- HONEY INFUSED. FLAME PERFECTED.
- How to Make Loaded Venison Quesadillas
- What to Serve with the Loaded Venison Quesadilla
- Leftovers and Reheating
- For More Quesadillas
- FAQs
- Flavor X Fire & FOOD X Fire
- Venison Quesadilla Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Venison Quesadilla
You know how easy it is to throw together a quesadilla for a quick lunch or dinner, right? This venison quesadilla is no different. We’ve got a straightforward but winning concept: ground meat, a classic homemade taco seasoning, cheese and tortillas. The only reason to mess with perfection is to make it better for you, and that’s exactly what we’re doing with the ground venison.
I’m also adding in a tangy, spicy chipotle lime crema that comes together really quickly. After making it for these venison quesadillas, I know you’ll want to try it on all your taco and quesadilla recipes!
Looking for more ground meat recipes that could work with venison? Check out Beef Empanadas, Crispy Cheese Tortilla Beef Tacos or any of the Best Smash Burger Recipes!
Loaded Venison Quesadilla Ingredients
- Venison: We’ll season our venison with finely diced onion, minced garlic, and homemade taco seasoning — ingredients below!
- Taco Seasoning: So much better than the store-bought stuff, and so simple too. You’ll need chili powder, garlic powder, ground cumin, onion powder, dried oregano, cayenne, black pepper and kosher salt to taste for our venison quesadilla seasoning.
- Quesadilla: We can’t have a quesadilla without cheese and tortillas, right? I’m using mozzarella cheese and large tortillas here. You can go with either flour tortillas or corn tortillas.
- Chipotle Lime Crema: This sauce really levels up our loaded quesadilla. Grab sour cream, mayonnaise, buttermilk, lime juice, chipotle puree and kosher salt.
What Makes Venison Healthier?
Wild deer are naturally active and eat a varied, natural diet. On the flip side, cattle on major U.S. ranches are often grain-fed and less active. As food writer Michael Pollan likes to say, “You are what you eat eats, too.” For Maui’s Axis deer, that’s rich volcanic soil, remarkable plant diversity and intelligent wild grazing. The result: a healthier animal, and therefore a healthier meat product for us.
For more with Venison, check out my Grilled Venison Chops, Coffee Crusted Venison Rack, Venison Rack with Wild Herb Butter and Smoked Venison Burgers with Beer Cheese.
Get stoked for life
HONEY INFUSED. FLAME PERFECTED.
- HONEY SWEETENED
- CAYENNE KICK
- SMALL BATCH
How to Make Loaded Venison Quesadillas
Let’s start by making the chipotle lime crema for our venison quesadilla. In a medium bowl, mix together sour cream, mayonnaise, buttermilk, juice from 1 medium lime, chipotle puree and kosher salt to taste. Chill in the fridge until you’re ready to eat.
We’ll also need to make our taco seasoning so it’s ready when we cook the venison. Combine chili powder, garlic powder, ground cumin, onion powder, dried oregano, cayenne powder, black pepper and kosher salt to taste. You can store this mixture in an airtight container in the pantry for six months, so there are plenty of venison quesadillas in your future!
Next, preheat your grill to high heat (around 400 degrees Fahrenheit) for direct cooking. Heat a bit of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Then, add 1 pound ground venison and cook until browned. When it’s browned, stir in taco seasoning, diced onion, minced garlic and a splash of water. Simmer until fully cooked then set aside.
Add one of your 3-4 large tortillas to the skillet. Cook one side, then flip and top with 2-3 mozzarella cheese slices. Add the venison and some pico de gallo to the tortilla, then fold it over to crisp up. Cook until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is crispy.
Serve your loaded venison quesadilla with the chipotle lime crema on the side. Enjoy!
What to Serve with the Loaded Venison Quesadilla
There are so many side dishes that would be freakin’ delicious with this venison quesadilla. Basically, think of anything you’d want with your favorite ground beef taco or quesadilla, then serve it here! Mexican rice, Mexican street corn, beans and rice, grilled peppers and onions, a cabbage slaw with lots of lime and scallions — the list goes on.
Leftovers and Reheating
If you’ve got leftover venison quesadillas, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. To reheat your loaded venison quesadilla, heat a cast iron skillet over the grill or stovetop at medium-low heat. Cook the quesadilla for 2-3 minutes per side, until the cheese is heated through and crispy again.
For More Quesadillas
FAQs
Definitely! Cheddar cheese, Monterey jack or Colby jack are basically all great substitutes for the mozzarella cheese in this venison quesadilla.
Yes, yes you can. You’ll treat it the same way as we do the ground venison. You’ll see more fat while you’re cooking, though, so just keep that in mind throughout the process.
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Venison Quesadilla
Ingredients
Venison:
- 1 lb Ground Venison
- ¼ cup Finely Diced Onion
- 2 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 2 tbsp Taco Seasoning
- Water as needed
Taco Seasoning:
- 2 tbsp Chile Powder
- 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tbsp Cumin Powder
- ½ tbsp Onion Powder
- 1.5 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1 tsp Cayenne Powder
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- Kosher Salt to taste
Quesadilla:
- 8-10 Mozzarella Cheese Slices
- 3-4 Large Tortillas
Chipotle Lime Crema:
- ¼ cup Sour Cream
- ¼ cup Mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Buttermilk
- 1 medium Lime juiced
- 2 tbsp Chipotle Puree
- Kosher Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the crema sauce. Keep chilled.
- Preheat your grill to high heat (around 400F) for direct cooking.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground venison and cook until browned.
- Stir in your taco seasoning, diced onion, minced garlic and a splash of water. Simmer until fully cooked then set aside.
- Add a tortilla to the skillet and cook one side then flip and top with 2-3 mozzarella cheese slices. Add the venison and some pico de gallo to the tortilla, then fold it over to crisp up.
- Cook until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is crispy.
- Serve with the crema sauce on the side. Enjoy!
