Captains Quesadilla Recipe
Grilled shrimp, corn, black beans, mixed cheese blend and chipotle sour cream.
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Ingredients
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Quesadilla Filling
Chipotle Sour Cream & Finishing
Method
Quesadilla Filling
- 1
Prep shrimp
If shrimp are frozen, thaw completely and pat dry. Peel and devein if not prepped. Place shrimp in a medium bowl.
- 2
Season shrimp
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, ground cumin, smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and lime juice to the shrimp. Toss to coat and let sit 5–10 minutes while you prepare other ingredients.
- 3
Cook corn & pepper
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add a light drizzle (about 1/2 teaspoon) of oil. Add the corn and diced red bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until corn is lightly charred and peppers are softened, about 4–5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
- 4
Cook shrimp
Using the same skillet, add remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil if needed and reduce heat to medium. Add seasoned shrimp in a single layer and cook 1.5–2 minutes per side until pink and opaque (internal temp ~120–130°F). Do not overcook. Remove from heat and chop shrimp coarsely (halves or thirds) so they distribute evenly in the quesadilla.
- 5
Combine filling
In a mixing bowl combine cooked chopped shrimp, charred corn and peppers, rinsed black beans, sliced green onions, chopped cilantro and 3/4 cup of the shredded cheese. Stir gently to combine and adjust salt to taste (about 1/8–1/4 tsp additional if needed).
Chipotle Sour Cream & Assembly
- 6
Make chipotle sour cream
In a small bowl mix 1/2 cup sour cream with the minced adobo chipotle pepper, 1/2 teaspoon adobo sauce, lime zest and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Taste and adjust heat by adding a little more adobo sauce if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- 7
Assemble quesadillas
Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat and brush lightly with cooking oil or melt a small pat of butter. Place one flour tortilla on the skillet. Sprinkle about 3 tablespoons of cheese over half the tortilla, top with about 1/4 of the shrimp-corn-bean filling, then another 2 tablespoons of cheese (this helps glue the top). Fold the tortilla over to create a half-moon.
- 8
Cook quesadillas
Cook each assembled quesadilla 2–3 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula, until golden brown and cheese is melted. Reduce heat slightly if tortilla browns too quickly before cheese melts. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling, adding a little oil to the pan between batches if needed.
- 9
Finish & serve
Transfer cooked quesadillas to a cutting board and let rest 1 minute. Cut each into 3 wedges. Serve hot with chipotle sour cream on the side, lime wedges and extra cilantro for garnish.
