How do I get a quesadilla crispy without burning the outside before the cheese melts?

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My quesadillas are always either burnt outside with cheese not fully melted, or perfectly golden outside but the cheese is still solid in the centre. I cannot find a heat level and timing combination that gets both right simultaneously.

Q

QuesoQueen

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The problem is the cheese: if you are using mozzarella or a low-fat cheese it melts reluctantly. Oaxacan cheese, Chihuahua cheese, or a high-fat jack cheese will melt at 140°F. Lower-fat cheeses need to reach 165°F+ to melt properly. For either: medium heat (not medium-high) and cover the pan for the first 2 minutes to trap steam and heat the cheese from above. Remove the lid, add 90 more seconds, done. The steam step is what most people skip.

H

hot_skillet_only

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Or use a cast iron and finish under the broiler for 90 seconds. The cast iron gives you the crispy bottom; the broiler melts the cheese from above simultaneously. For thin quesadillas this is the most reliable method — you are hitting both surfaces with heat at the same time rather than hoping conduction does all the work.

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