Whether you grabbed some fast food yesterday or made too much for dinner last night, letโs face it: youโve got leftovers. Leftovers in the form of a quesadilla, that is!ย You wonโt have to fear a soggy tortilla, though, when I show you how to reheat a quesadilla in the air fryer.

Why You Need This Recipe
The microwave may be everyoneโs favorite quick cooking appliance, but the fact is that itโs going to give you a soggy tortilla on your quesadilla.
Sure, you could also pop it in the oven, but then youโve got to wait for the long preheat and heat up your whole house. Thatโs not so great when youโre in a hurry, like lunchtime.
By using the air fryer, Iโm 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 Iโm 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 fryerโs 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 350ยฐF
- Place your cold quesadilla into the preheated air fryer basket in a single layer

- Cook on the air fry setting for 3 minutes at 350ยฐF, 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 350ยฐF 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 fitย

- Air fry at 350ยฐF for 5 minutes, or until quesadilla is heated through

How to Reheat a Chipotle Quesadilla in the Air Fryer
- Preheat your air fryer to 350ยฐF
- 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 350ยฐF 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. Itโs an especially great way to supplement leftovers to ensure you get a full meal!
Try your air fryer reheated quesadillas with my spicy panko fish tacos made with Mahi Mahi in the air fryer, quick Trader Joeโs Tamales in the Air Fryer, or easy Microwave Refried Beans.
Recipe FAQs
Can You Reheat a Quesadilla in an Air Fryer?
Yes, you can reheat a quesadilla in an air fryer.
In fact, itโs 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 350ยฐF 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.
Whatโs 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.ย 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
- Iโve 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 donโt 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 theyโll start to dry out
More Air Fryer Reheat Guides
- How to Reheat Salmon in the Air Fryer
- Reheat Spring Rolls in an Air Fryer
- How Long to Reheat Wings in an Air Fryer
- Reheat a Cuban Sandwich in an Air Fryer
- How to Reheat Rice in an Air Fryer
Final Thoughts
Now that you know how to reheat a quesadilla in the air fryer, youโll never want it any other way!
Youโll 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 youโre making homemade, make a few extra for the easy additional meals. If youโre ordering out, well then throw an extra quesadilla or two on the order and then youโve got low effort food for another day!

Reheating Quesadilla in Air Fryer Instructions
Equipment
Ingredientsย ย
- 1 Leftover cold quesadilla, any variety
Instructionsย
- Preheat your air fryer to 350ยฐF
- Place your cold quesadilla into the preheated air fryer basket in a single layer1 Leftover cold quesadilla, any variety
- Cook on the air fry setting for 3 minutes at 350ยฐF, 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 fryerโs 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
- Iโve 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 donโt 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 theyโll start to dry out
- Nutrition information is based on a 10โ restaurant cheese quesadilla. Other sizes, fillings, and preparations will vary so consider this a general guideline only
Nutrition

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