Ramp and Chorizo Quesadillas

Crispy quesadillas stuffed with cheese, chorizo, and ramps.

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated April 26, 2023
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J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Why It Works

  • The crisp crust of fried cheese that appears around the edge of the quesadilla offers both flavor and added texture.
  • This recipe takes only a few minutes from start to finish.

The trick to making something great with ramps is finding ramps in the first place. If you happen to live in the Northeastern United States, that's pretty darn easy this time of year. Hit your local farmers' market or even your local Whole Foods and you're bound to run into them—for a price, that is.

If you happen to live out in the country, you may even be lucky enough to have some growing right in your own back yard. If you do, just make sure that you only harvest them lightly—if you clean out a patch, they won't be coming back next year.

Ramps do best when treated simply. Sautéed in butter with some runny eggs, grilled over live coals, or baked into a puffy frittata. Here's another one to add to that category: ramp quesadillas.

The idea is as simple as the execution: crisp up some chorizo in a pan to render out the fat, then cook some ramps in that rendered fat. Combine the ramps, the chorizo, and some grated cheese. Spread that mixture out on top of half a flour tortilla and fold it up to sandwich it (this method works a lot better than the sandwiched-between-two-tortillas method which inevitably leads to messy flipping).

Fry the sucker in plenty of hot oil (so that it browns and puffs as it cooks. You could, if you want, also grill it). Pull him out and let him rest. And notice that crisp crust of fried cheese around the edge while you're at it. This is a feature, not a bug. Once slightly cooled, cut 'em into triangles and serve.

It takes only a few minutes start to finish, it's cheesy, crispy, gooey, and packed with fresh ramp flavor. What more could you want out of a spring snack, huh?

May 2013

Recipe Details

Ramp and Chorizo Quesadillas Recipe

Active 15 mins
Total 15 mins
Serves 2 to 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces fresh or cured chorizo, diced or crumbled finely
  • 16 ramps, washed, trimmed, whites finely chopped, greens roughly chopped
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 ounces (about 1 cup) grated Jack, Cheddar, or Oaxacan string cheese
  • 2 (10-inch) flour tortillas
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

  1. Heat chorizo in a 10-inch non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until fat has rendered and chorizo is browned and crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer chorizo to a large bowl, leaving rendered fat in skillet.

  2. Return to medium-high heat until fat is lightly smoking. Add ramps, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl with chorizo and wipe out skillet.

    Cooked ramps and chorizo with cheese in a metal bowl.

    Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

  3. Add cheese to bowl with chorizo and ramps and toss with hands to combine. Spread half of cheese mixture over one half of one tortilla, leaving a small border around the edge. Fold tortilla firmly in half to enclose the cheese. Repeat with remaining tortilla.

    The ramp quesadilla mixture spread over half of an open tortilla.

    Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

  4. Heat oil in a 10-inch nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Carefully add both folded tortillas to skillet and cook, shaking pan gently until first side is golden brown and puffed, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully fip tortillas with a flexible slotted spatula, sprinkle with salt, and cook on second side until golden brown and puffed, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and allow to rest 1 minutes. Cut each into four pieces and serve

    A golden brown ramp quesadilla on a cutting board.

    Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

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