Griddled Brisket Quesadillas with Quick Guac and Pico

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Leftover smoked brisket gets chopped, re-warmed with a splash of its own juices, and folded into flour tortillas with a heavy handful of shredded jack. The trick is a dry, well-heated skillet and a thin smear of butter on the outside of the tortilla — you get a shatter-crisp, blistered shell instead of a soggy one. A five-minute pico and a chunky guacamole turn a pound of leftovers into a full dinner for four.

Ingredients

• 1 lb cooked brisket, chilled (leftover smoked or braised)
• 2 tbsp beef broth, brisket drippings, or water
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp chipotle powder or chili powder
• 8 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 4 oz sharp cheddar, shredded (about 1 cup)
• 1/4 cup pickled jalapeños, chopped (optional)
• 4 10-inch flour tortillas
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• kosher salt

• 3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced small
• 1/3 cup white onion, finely diced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 2 ripe avocados
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp white onion, finely diced
• 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Make the pico: stir the diced tomatoes, white onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, and 1/2 tsp salt together in a bowl. Set aside at room temperature — it will loosen and get juicier as it sits. Drain off excess liquid before serving.
2. Make the guacamole: scoop the avocados into a bowl, add the lime juice and salt, and mash with a fork, leaving it chunky. Fold in the onion and cilantro. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate.
3. Trim any hard bark edges or big pockets of unrendered fat from the brisket, then chop it into rough 1/4-inch pieces — chopped, not shredded, so it stays meaty inside the quesadilla.
4. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high. Add the brisket in an even layer and let it sit undisturbed 2 minutes to catch some color. Stir in the cumin, smoked paprika, and chipotle powder and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
5. Add the broth or drippings, toss, and cook 1 to 2 minutes until the liquid has nearly evaporated and the meat looks glossy rather than wet. Taste and salt lightly (leftover brisket is often already well seasoned). Scrape into a bowl and wipe the skillet clean.
6. Toss the shredded Monterey Jack and cheddar together. Lay a tortilla on the counter and cover half of it with about 1/3 cup cheese, then a quarter of the brisket, a few chopped jalapeños if using, and another 1/3 cup cheese. Fold the bare half over and press flat. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
7. Butter the outside of one folded quesadilla with about a heaping teaspoon of softened butter, spreading it thin to the edges. Set the dry skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes until a drop of water sizzles.
8. Griddle the quesadilla buttered-side down for 3 to 4 minutes, pressing occasionally with a spatula, until the surface is blistered and deep golden. Butter the top side, flip, and cook another 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese is fully molten and oozing at the fold. Lower the heat if it browns before the cheese melts.
9. Transfer to a cutting board and rest 1 minute — this sets the cheese so it doesn't run out. Repeat with the remaining quesadillas, wiping the pan between batches to clear any burnt cheese.
10. Cut each quesadilla into 3 wedges and serve hot with the guacamole, drained pico, sour cream, and lime wedges.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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