Squash Blossom Quesadillas With Oaxaca Cheese

This Mexican classic, quesadillas with squash blossoms—quesadillas de flor de calabazas—is filled with summer squash blossoms sautéed with garlic and onion plus Oaxaca cheese.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated June 02, 2022
Elise Bauer
Squash Blossom Quesadillas
Elise Bauer

Have you ever eaten squash blossoms? The thought of preparing them always seemed a little daunting to me, until a friend made some for me for a traditional Mexican quesadilla (Quesadilla de Flor de Calabazas).

They're so easy! You just roughly chop them and sauté them with onions and garlic. The flavor is lovely, like zucchini but more delicate, and perfect in a quesadilla with cheese and corn tortillas.

Zucchini Blossoms
Elise Bauer

Finding squash blossoms for sale is another thing. They are used in Mexican and Italian cuisine, so if you have farmers markets that cater to those populations, you'll have more luck finding them.

Here they are very inexpensive. I bought about 30 blossoms for about $3 at our local farmers market. They are only available in the summer, when zucchini and summer squash are in season.

Squash Blossom Quesadillas
Elise Bauer

If you are a gardener who grows zucchini or other summer squash, you'll have no problem sourcing them. Just pick the male flowers (the pollinators), not the female flowers that bear the squash. (Leave a few male flowers to do their pollinating work.)

How To Tell Male From Female Squash Blossoms

You can pretty easily tell the difference between them—the male blossoms grow closer to the base of the stem and if you peek inside they have a long stamen with pollen. The female flowers are a bit more swollen at the base, which will grow into a squash if pollinated.

Do you have a favorite way of preparing squash blossoms? If so, please let us know about it in the comments. I'm always looking for new ideas.

Squash Blossom Quesadillas With Oaxaca Cheese

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 4 to 6 servings

Traditionally a small sprig of epazote (a Mexican herb) is placed in each quesadilla with the squash blossoms. You can also lay a strip or two of roasted poblano chile in the quesadilla.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 cup chopped onion

  • 5 cloves of garlic, minced

  • 30 summer squash blossoms

  • 1 teaspoon butter

  • 12 white corn tortillas

  • 8 ounces Oaxaca cheese (a Mexican string cheese) or Monterey jack cheese, sliced

  • Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Method

  1. Prepare the squash blossoms:

    Check the insides of the blossoms for bugs (especially if you've picked the squash blossoms from your garden), rinse out if you find any or if the blossoms are dusty. Otherwise there should be no need to wash.

    Cut away the stems. Roughly chop the blossoms, stamens and all.

    squash-blossom-quesadilla-method-1
    Elise Bauer
    squash-blossom-quesadilla-method-2
    Elise Bauer
  2. Sauté the onions and garlic:

    Heat the oil in a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté a minute more.

    squash-blossom-quesadilla-method-3
    Elise Bauer
  3. Add the squash blossoms:

    and toss to coat with the garlic and onions. Cook for a minute or two more, until the blossoms are just wilted. Remove from heat.

    squash-blossom-quesadilla-method-4
    Elise Bauer
  4. Heat the tortilla until bubbles form:

    Heat a large cast iron pan or a large relatively stick-free skillet on medium heat. Rub a little butter in the pan (just enough to give the tortillas a little flavor). Place a corn tortilla in the pan and heat on both sides for half a minute or so, until bubbles begin to form in the tortilla.

  5. Add the cheese and squash blossom mixture:

    Place a slice or two of the cheese on one side of the tortilla. Top with a tablespoon or two of the squash blossom mixture.

    Use a spatula to fold the other side of the tortilla over the side with the cheese and squash blossoms. Press down with a spatula. Cook until the cheese has melted and the tortilla lightly browned.

    squash-blossom-quesadilla-method-5
    Elise Bauer
    squash-blossom-quesadilla-method-6
    Elise Bauer

    While the quesadilla is cooking, if your pan is large enough, you can start heating another tortilla in the pan.

  6. Repeat then serve:

    When the cheese has melted, remove the quesadilla from the pan and continue to make the remaining quesadillas in the same manner. To serve, cut each quesadilla into triangles and serve with salsa, chopped fresh cilantro, avocado, black beans, Mexican queso crema (or diluted sour cream)

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
889 Calories
30g Fat
136g Carbs
34g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 889
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 30g 39%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Cholesterol 39mg 13%
Sodium 746mg 32%
Total Carbohydrate 136g 49%
Dietary Fiber 29g 102%
Total Sugars 46g
Protein 34g
Vitamin C 96mg 481%
Calcium 792mg 61%
Iron 10mg 55%
Potassium 3532mg 75%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.