Street FoodEasy

Fried Quesadillas

Name: Fried Quesadillas
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 250 g Maize dough; 200 g Courgette flowers; 100 g Oaxaca cheese; 0.25 White onion; 2 ramitas Epazote; 1 Serrano chillies; 500 ml Vegetable oil; 4 tbsp Soured cream; 200 ml Green salsa; 0.5 tsp Salt

40 min (20 prep + 20 cook) Easy 4 servings CDMX

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 24 Mar 2026 · Updated: 30 Mar 2026

Deep-fried sweetcorn dough quesadillas with mushroom, flower or cheese filling. Iconic CDMX street food.

About this recipe

Fried quesadillas are sweetcorn-dough quesadillas stuffed with various fillings - mushrooms, courgette flowers, huitlacoche, pressed pork crackling or cheese - folded and deep-fried until golden and crispy on the outside, soft inside. They are an iconic CDMX street antojito.

History & Origin

Fried quesadillas are one of the most emblematic antojitos of Mexico City and the protagonists of one of the country's most passionate gastronomic debates: does a quesadilla contain cheese or not? In the capital, the answer is clear: not necessarily, and hence quesadillas filled with mushrooms, courgette flowers, huitlacoche, pressed pork crackling, potato, tinga and many more fillings exist, alongside the classic cheese ones. Fried quesadillas differ from griddle quesadillas because they are made with raw sweetcorn dough that is shaped by hand on the spot, filled, sealed by pressing the edges, and plunged into hot oil until the dough turns golden and puffs slightly. This technique gives them a crispy exterior that contrasts wonderfully with the moist, hot filling inside. In the markets and street stalls of CDMX, the quesadilla ladies are true artists who shape each quesadilla with astonishing speed and precision, working before enormous vats of bubbling oil. Markets such as La Merced, Jamaica and San Juan have entire sections dedicated to this antojito. A fried quesadilla is served with soured cream, green or red salsa and a lettuce leaf for freshness. It is Mexican fast food in its most authentic and ancestral expression.

Estimated cost

£12.90

Total cost

£3.23

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

420

Calories

12g

Protein

38g

Carbohydrates

24g

Fat

Fibre

650mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Prepare the dough: mix the maize flour with warm water and a pinch of salt until you have a soft dough that does not stick to your hands. Leave to rest for 10 minutes, covered.
💡 The ideal consistency is like modelling clay: soft, workable and does not crack when folded.
2
Prepare the mushroom filling: saute sliced mushrooms with onion, garlic, epazote and chopped serrano chilli for 5 minutes. Season with salt.
💡 You can use any filling: courgette flower, huitlacoche, pressed pork crackling in salsa, or simply Oaxaca cheese.
3
Form balls of dough of about 60 g each. Flatten each ball between your hands or with a tortilla press to form an oval, not too thin.
4
Place a generous tablespoon of filling on one half of the dough oval. Fold the other half over and press the edges firmly to seal.
💡 If they open during frying, the edges were not sealed well enough. Press with a fork to secure.
5
Heat plenty of oil in a deep frying pan or pot to 180C.
6
Fry the quesadillas in batches, 2-3 minutes per side, until golden and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper.
7
Serve hot with soured cream, green salsa, shredded lettuce and crumbled fresh cheese on top.