Mexican Street Corn Quesadilla

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Mexican Street Corn Quesadillas are officially on the weekly menu from now until forever!  Smoky, tangy corn layered inside a tortilla with chicken, avocado, and melty cheese, served alongside a creamy Jalapeno Cream Sauce . . . my heavens, life is good!

I'm jumpin'-on-the-couches, giddy-to-the-moon, grinnin'-so-big-my-face-hurts excited to bring this recipe to you all today!

Remember this incredible Instant Pot recipe for Mexican Street Corn Salad I posted some time ago?

Well, if you thought eating your way through a bag of corn chips dipped in Street Corn Salad was good, you are simply gonna hit the floor over this recipe.

One miraculous day I happened to have leftovers of this salad plus a tiny handful of rotisserie chicken that needed to be used up in my fridge and not a darn thing else to make for dinner.

So on a whim, I mixed the chicken into the salad, spread it across a few tortillas, added some avocado and a handful of shredded quesadilla cheese, and thought to myself, “This will have to do, I'm too tired to make anything else.”

One bite later we're all like, “Whoa mama!  This is incredible!  Better than the original!”

And that, my friends, is why I love leftovers with my whole heart.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE MEXICAN STREET CORN QUESADILLAS

• LAYERS OF AWESOMENESS:  Grab your favorite tortilla, add a little smashed avocado or guacamole, top it with the Mexican Street Corn and a pile of melty cheese.  Grill until gooey cheese is melting out the sides.  Heaven!
• EASY DINNER:  Once your street corn is ready, there's no measuring here.  Layer your tortillas how you like, brown it in a skillet or on a griddle, eat it with your hands – no forks and knives required.
• MESSY FOOD JUST TASTES GOOD:  While I'm typically a clean eater, this quesadilla is meant to get MESSY!  Sauce dripping down my hand, corn fallin' out of the tortilla, plate licking, etc.  It's all okay here.
• JALAPENO CREAM SAUCE:  This creamy jalapeno, cilantro, lime sauce is absolutely everything.  Drizzle it, dip it, take shots of it after each quesadilla bite . . . I will judge none of the above.  It's also amazing on rice, burritos, as a dip, or on a salad.

HOW TO MAKE MEXICAN STREET CORN QUESADILLAS

1. Cook fresh corn on the cob in the Instant Pot (notes below if you don't have fresh)
2. After it's cooked, cut the corn off and saute it in butter until it starts to caramelize, then add onions and jalapeno
3. Stir in chicken, yogurt, and seasonings
4. Make Jalapeno Cream Sauce
5. Time to assemble: corn + avocado + cheese
6. Cook in a skillet or on a griddle until melted and browned

SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR DETAILED COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

• FRESH CORN:  If it's in season, definitely look for fresh corn on the cob.  You just can't beat that fresh, sweet, flavor.  However, I've made it many times with canned or frozen corn and it still tastes amazing.  I prefer canned corn a little bit over frozen because the corn has more of a “pop” while frozen tends to be a tad soft.
• MASH THE AVOCADO:  As I mentioned, this is a messy quesadilla situation, and when I sliced the avocado, it kept slipping out.  I highly suggest mashing it to make sure it stays put and you get creamy avocado in each bite.  P.S. If you've got guacamole sittin' around, use that instead – wow it's good!
• THE CHEESE:  Have you had quesadilla cheese?  You can find it with the other Mexican cheeses, and it's definitely worth hunting down for any and all quesadilla nights.  It's melt factor is beyond compare.  If it's not available, go ahead and use mozzarella, pepper jack, or Monterey Jack.
• CHICKEN TIPS:  I love a rotisserie chicken for this recipe, but if you have leftover Instant Pot Shredded Chicken, grilled chicken, or really any kind of cooked meat (steak would be amazing) feel free to use that.
• PROPER LAYERING TECHNIQUE:  Yes, I'm one of those annoying, “how you layer a quesadilla matters” types.  I insist you spread avocado on one half of the tortilla, corn on the other, then top the whole thing with cheese before folding it in half to cook.  I can't explain it – it's just best this way.  Trust.
• USE FRESH LIME JUICE:  I promise, promise, promise, it makes a difference with this recipe!
• ADJUST THE SPICE LEVEL:  The Jalapeno Cream Sauce is SPICY if you don't remove the ribs and seeds of the jalapeno (which is how I like it), but if you want a nice mild sauce, be sure and discard the ribs and seeds before blending.

HOW TO STORE, REHEAT, AND FREEZE 

• Store:  I suggest storing each ingredient separately.  Place leftover Street Corn in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.  Store Jalapeno Cream Sauce in a mason jar in the fridge for up to a week.
• Reheat:  Warm the Street Corn a bit in the microwave or on the stovetop before assembling quesadillas.  It helps the cheese to melt more quickly vs if the corn is cold from the fridge.
• Freeze:  I haven't tried freezing the assembled quesadillas, but I suspect it might work and be an amazing dinner time hack!  The corn freezes well and can be stored in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.  The Jalapeno Cream Sauce doesn't freeze well.  It becomes a bit watery.

MAKE AHEAD TIPS

• Prepare the Mexican Street Corn up to 3 days in advance.  This will make dinner come together very quickly.
• The Jalapeno Cream Sauce can also be made a few days in advance and stored in the fridge.
• Grate a block of cheese and store it in the fridge as well.
• The avocado however should be prepared the night of making the quesadillas to prevent browning.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH QUESADILLAS

• Drinks:  Horchata, Fizzy Infused Water, Lemonade, etc.
• Instant Pot Mexican Brown Rice
• Dips:  Aside from the Jalapeno Cream Sauce, try sour cream or Yogurt, Squacho Cheese Sauce, or salsa.

VARIATIONS

• MAKE IT VEGETARIAN:  Omit the chicken for a vegetarian Mexican Street Corn Quesadilla.
• ADD STEAK:  Have leftover grilled steak or ground taco meat?  Use that instead of the chicken.
• MORE VEGGIES:  Add black beans and/or chopped roasted red bell peppers to the corn mixture.

This just might be the recipe of the summer for me.  I can't wait for you to enjoy your very first ooey, gooey bite of this fantastic little quesadilla!

Enjoy it soon and report back what you thought of it!  I can't wait to get giddy about it with all of you 🙂

MORE INSTANT POT MEXICAN RECIPES

• Instant Pot Crack Chicken
• Instant Pot Green Chile Burrito
• Instant Pot Mexican Stuffed Bell Peppers
• Instant Pot Refried Beans

TOOLS/INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE MEXICAN STREET CORN QUESADILLAS

• Instant Pot
• High Speed Blender

Mexican Street Corn Quesadillas

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Mexican Street Corn stuffed in a quesadilla with avocado and melty cheese.  You will love this new version!

• Author: Marci
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Entree
• Method: Pressure Cooker
• Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Mexican Street Corn Quesadillas

• 5 ears of corn (see note if using canned or frozen)
• 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
• 1/4 cup diced sweet or red onion
• 1 jalapeno seeded for less heat and finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup cooked shredded chicken
• 2 tablespoons minced cilantro
• 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt (whipped cream cheese or sour cream also work)
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• juice and zest of 1 lime (or 2 if you like it extra lime-y)
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• freshly cracked black pepper

To assemble quesadillas:

• Corn or flour tortillas
• Shredded quesadilla cheese (like Supremo Queso Chihuahua) or Monterey jack
• 2 avocados, mashed and seasoned with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lime juice

 

For the Jalapeno Cream Sauce

• 2 jalapenos, halved, seeded and deveined
• 1 cup loosely packed cilantro
• 1/4 cup sour cream or greek yogurt
• 1 small clove garlic
• juice of 1/2 lime
• kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil (or water for a lighter version)

Instructions

1. Add 1 cup of water to the pot of the pressure cooker and place a collapsible steamer basket or a trivet inside.  Stack corn on the trivet.
2. Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position.  Cook at high pressure for 1 minute.
3. While the corn cooks, prepare the Jalapeno Cream Sauce as directed below.
4. When cooking is complete, use a quick release.
5. Let corn cool until it can be handled, then cut corn off the cob.
6. Discard the water from the pot, dry it and return it to the base.  Select saute and let it heat until very hot.
7. Add butter and corn and occasionally stir until the corn is lightly caramelized, about 2 – 3 minutes.
8. Add onion and jalapeno and saute and stir for another 2 minutes.
9. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute.  Turn off pressure cooker and remove the pot to a hot pad.
10. Add chicken, cilantro, yogurt, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, lime juice, salt, and pepper; toss to combine.
11. Assemble the quesadillas: spread avocado on one half of a tortilla.  Pile a scoop of corn mixture on the other half. Sprinkle with shredded cheese then fold in half.  Repeat with the desired number of quesadillas.
12. Heat a skillet or griddle to medium-high heat.  Place assembled quesadillas on the griddle and cook until slightly browned.  Flip and cook until browned and the cheese is melted. 
13. Serve immediately with a side of Jalapeno Cream Sauce and/or sour cream.

For the Jalapeno Cream Sauce –

1. Add jalapenos, cilantro, sour cream (or yogurt), garlic, lime juice, and salt to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
2. Stream in oil as it mixes until it emulsifies.
3. Taste and add more salt or lime juice as needed.  If it's too spicy, add more sour cream (or yogurt).
4. Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.  Can be made in advance.

Notes

• Substitute with 4 cups of frozen or canned corn, if fresh corn isn't available
• Use fresh lime juice, it makes a difference in this recipe.
• Seed and devein the jalapenos in the recipe for a very mild dish

Keywords: Mexican street corn, quesadilla, Mexican food

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