Whether you grabbed some fast food yesterday or made too much for dinner last night, let’s face it: you’ve got leftovers. Leftovers in the form of a quesadilla, that is! You won’t have to fear a soggy tortilla, though, when I show you how to reheat a quesadilla in the air fryer.
The microwave may be everyone’s favorite quick cooking appliance, but the fact is that it’s going to give you a soggy tortilla on your quesadilla.
Sure, you could also pop it in the oven, but then you’ve got to wait for the long preheat and heat up your whole house. That’s not so great when you’re in a hurry, like lunchtime.
By using the air fryer, I’m able to get a crisped shell, warm interior, and melted cheese all over again. Plus, even with preheating it takes less than 10 minutes!
Sometimes I’m tempted to order an extra quesadilla when I go out, just so I can have it for lunch the next day!
Ingredients List
Leftover cold quesadilla, any variety
Ingredient Notes
If your leftover quesadilla has any toppings (such as sour cream, salsa, or guacamole), make sure to remove them before heating
Depending on the size of your air fryer’s basket, you may need to separate the triangular pieces of the quesadilla so that they fit in a single layer
The air fryer works to reheat all types of quesadillas well! Chicken, steak, ground beef cheese, or another flavor, corn or flour tortillas, as well as homemade versus a fast food offering like Taco Bell or Chipotle are all reheated perfectly in an air fryer
How to Reheat a Quesadilla in an Air Fryer (Homemade)
Preheat your air fryer to 350°F
Place your cold quesadilla into the preheated air fryer basket in a single layer
Cook on the air fry setting for 3 minutes at 350°F, then check it and add additional time in 1-2 minute increments as needed to warm through
Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy
How to Reheat a Taco Bell Quesadilla in the Air Fryer
Preheat the air fryer to 350°F following manufacturer guidelines
Remove Taco Bell quesadilla from refrigerator and all exterior packaging (I have a Taco Bell chicken quesadilla here)
Place cold Taco Bell quesadilla in preheated air fryer basket, separating it into sections if needed to fit
Air fry at 350°F for 5 minutes, or until quesadilla is heated through
How to Reheat a Chipotle Quesadilla in the Air Fryer
Preheat your air fryer to 350°F
Remove Chipotle quesadilla from refrigerator and all exterior packaging
Place cold Chipotle quesadilla in preheated air fryer basket (they split theirs into sections so it should fit in most air fryers, but feel free to cut it smaller if needed)
Air fry at 350°F for 5-6 minutes, or until quesadilla is heated through
What to Serve With Quesadillas
Guacamole
Salsa
Sour cream
Hot sauce
Queso
Pickled jalapenos
Avocado
Tacos
Nachos
Burritos
Tamales
Tortilla chips
Jicama fries
Mexican coleslaw
Beans
Mexican street corn
Taco salad
Mexican rice
Soup
Churros
Fried Ice cream
From simple toppings and sides to a full on feast and dessert, there are lots of great things to serve with quesadillas. It’s an especially great way to supplement leftovers to ensure you get a full meal!
In fact, it’s one of the best methods for how to reheat a quesadilla in general.
How Long to Reheat a Quesadilla in the Air Fryer?
How long you should reheat a quesadilla in the air fryer typically ranges from 3-6 minutes.
Plain cheese takes the least amount of time, meat filled somewhere in the middle, and loaded with all that plus veggies will bring you to the upper end.
Of course, this also varies slightly based on the size and wattage of your air fryer.
How Long to Reheat Chicken Quesadilla in the Air Fryer?
Typically, you reheat a chicken quesadilla for 5-6 minutes in the air fryer.
The actual time varies based on the thickness of your particular quesadilla as well as the power level of your air fryer.
How Do You Reheat Cheese Quesadillas?
Reheat cheese quesadillas for 3 minutes at 350°F in the air fryer. For very thick quesadillas, you may need to add 1-2 additional minutes to melt them completely.
Feel free to break them into sections to allow the air to reach the insides more quickly.
What’s the Best Way to Reheat a Quesadilla?
Many agree that the best way to reheat a quesadilla is, in fact, the air fryer.
While the microwave is fast, it leaves your tortilla soggy. The toaster oven or oven takes longer, and heats up the house more, too.
Reheating a quesadilla in an air fryer is the perfect balance of crispy shell, reasonable time, and delicious result.
Recipe Pro Tips
Typically, you do not need to spray any oil on quesadillas before reheating. They should have enough residual from the original cooking. However, if you made them ahead and are reheating without an initial cooking, you may want to spritz them lightly with oil
You generally do not need to flip quesadillas during reheating. If, however, the bottom is not crispy, you can always flip and give them an additional 1-2 minutes to crisp up more
I’ve never had an issue with cheese leaking out, but if your quesadillas are particularly cheesy, feel free to place them on a piece of parchment or foil to make cleanup easier. Cut a square to fit under the quesadilla, but don’t cut off your air circulation entirely
The thickness of your quesadillas plays a huge part in reheat time. On average, Chipotle takes 1 minute longer than Taco Bell just because of the size. Homemade varieties vary, so they could take more or less than fast food quesadillas
Storage Tips
Quesadillas should be stored in the refrigerator and reheated for consumption within 3 days
I do not recommend reheating more than once, as they’ll start to dry out
Now that you know how to reheat a quesadilla in the air fryer, you’ll never want it any other way!
You’ll get that crispy tortilla shell, melted cheese, warm fillings, and best of all it takes under 10 minutes with preheat included.
That makes reheating a quesadilla an easy option for lunches or quick weeknight dinners on those busy days.
If you’re making homemade, make a few extra for the easy additional meals. If you’re ordering out, well then throw an extra quesadilla or two on the order and then you’ve got low effort food for another day!
Reheat your quesadilla in the air fryer for a crispy tortilla, melted cheese, and warmed fillings in 10 minutes or less! It’s a quick and easy meal, and a great use for leftovers.
Place your cold quesadilla into the preheated air fryer basket in a single layer
1 Leftover cold quesadilla, any variety
Cook on the air fry setting for 3 minutes at 350°F, then check it and add additional time in 1-2 minute increments as needed to warm through
Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy
Notes
If your leftover quesadilla has any toppings (such as sour cream, salsa, or guacamole), make sure to remove them before heating
Depending on the size of your air fryer’s basket, you may need to separate the triangular pieces of the quesadilla so that they fit in a single layer
The air fryer works to reheat all types of quesadillas well! Chicken, steak, ground beef cheese, or another flavor, corn or flour tortillas, as well as homemade versus a fast food offering like Taco Bell or Chipotle are all reheated perfectly in an air fryer
Typically, you do not need to spray any oil on quesadillas before reheating. They should have enough residual from the original cooking. However, if you made them ahead and are reheating without an initial cooking, you may want to spritz them lightly with oil
You generally do not need to flip quesadillas during reheating. If, however, the bottom is not crispy, you can always flip and give them an additional 1-2 minutes to crisp up more
I’ve never had an issue with cheese leaking out, but if your quesadillas are particularly cheesy, feel free to place them on a piece of parchment or foil to make cleanup easier. Cut a square to fit under the quesadilla, but don’t cut off your air circulation entirely
The thickness of your quesadillas plays a huge part in reheat time. On average, Chipotle takes 1 minute longer than Taco Bell just because of the size. Homemade varieties vary, so they could take more or less than fast food quesadillas (mine were perfect at 3 minutes in a Ninja air fryer, and had meat, cheese, and vegetables)
Quesadillas should be stored in the refrigerator and reheated for consumption within 3 days
I do not recommend reheating more than once, as they’ll start to dry out
Nutrition information is based on a 10” restaurant cheese quesadilla. Other sizes, fillings, and preparations will vary so consider this a general guideline only
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I enjoy trying new recipes, creating my own, and dabbling with new techniques all the time. My husband loves to protest when I make him my guinea pig, but it’s all for the love of food!
My cooking philosophy is that great tasting food doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming to make. I'm a home cook with over 20 years of experience feeding myself and others. I've learned from a variety of different people, things I've learned online, and some trial and error as well.
I enjoy cooking a variety of foods, from convenience to comfort foods, as well as international cuisine. You can rest assured that all of my recipes have been actually made, thoroughly tested, and most importantly: tasted! I want you to enjoy my food as much as I do!
