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Home » Mexican » Squash Blossom Quesadillas

Squash Blossom Quesadillas

By Hank Shaw on September 16, 2021 - 4 Comments

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4.80 from 5 votes
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Squash blossom quesadillas, called quesadillas de flor de calabaza in Spanish, are just about the tastiest vegetarian snack, appetizer or vegetarian supper I know of. What’s more, they are easy, and can be made in less than 30 minutes. 

Quesadillas de flor de calabaza on a plate
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

That’s a rarity on this site, where I revel in the long, slow cooking process that coax out the best in wild game. But I am also a gardener, and I grow winter squash every year; calabazas en español. 

The way a squash sets fruit is with male and female flowers. The female ones have a micro squash at their base. The male ones are simply on a stalk, called a guia or guide in Spanish. And like a lot of organisms on this planet, there are a lot more males than females. So you will find yourself with an excess of squash blossoms if you are growing them. 

The answer, for me, are these squash blossom quesadillas. I prefer them to their other main use, which is stuffed and fried, and while flores de calabaza are used a lot in soups in Latin America, I don’t normally feel like soup in summer. 

Incidentally, while flowers from winter squash blossoms are most commonly used, there is no reason you can’t use those from zucchini or other summer squash. 

A stack of squash blossom quesadillas
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

I make my own tortillas for quesadillas de flor de calabaza, and I do prefer flour for this recipe; my method for making homemade flour tortillas is here. If you prefer corn, I have a recipe for corn tortillas, too. 

You will want to use any melty cheese here. I use queso Chihuahua, which melts nicely. Queso Oaxaca works well too, as does mozzarella… or, let’s face it, so does that “Mexican blend” you see in the supermarket. Monterey jack is another good choice. 

These are really very simple squash blossom quesadillas, with only cheese, the blossoms, and an herb of your choice: I prefer epazote, which is traditional, but cilantro works, too. Pipicha is another fun, very Mexican, option. If you have them, little chiles pequin are a nice surprise in there as well. 

Once made, your quesadillas de flor de calabaza are best eaten right away, but I’ve eaten them cold and they were still good. 

Quesadillas de flor de calabaza on a plate
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4.80 from 5 votes

Squash Blossom Quesadillas

These are quick and easy to make, especially if you have tortillas already made.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time30 mins
Course: Appetizer, lunch, Snack
Cuisine: Mexican
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 410kcal
Author: Hank Shaw

Ingredients

  • 8 tortillas, flour or corn
  • 1 pound shredded queso Chihuahua, or other melty cheese
  • 1 sprig epazote, or cilantro
  • 1/2 pound squash blossoms, roughly chopped
  • Chopped chiles pequin (optional)

Instructions

  • Heat a comal, griddle, flat top or large cast iron pan over a large burner. If you are doing flour tortillas you want medium-high. If you are doing corn you want high heat. Corn tortillas are best around 500°F, where flour is better around 400°F.
  • Lay down a little shredded cheese on one side of a tortilla, then some chopped squash blossoms, and a few epazote leaves. Top with a little more cheese. Fold over carefully and press the quesadilla down on the hot comal with a spatula until the cheese melts and holds it together. Let this sear a few minutes, then flip and repeat. You want the cheese a little browned on the edges. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Notes

When buying or making tortillas, you want them larger than those for street tacos. When I make the flour ones, I measure out about 40 grams per tortilla. 

Keys to Success

  • Epazote really adds a lot to this, so use it if you can find it. It'll be in many Latin markets. No huge deal if you need to skip it though. 
  • Chop the stem ends off the squash blossoms and they will lay flatter in the tortillas. If I have lots and lots of them, I only use the yellow part. 
  • Serve your quesadillas with a nice salsa on the side. I am partial to salsa morita, fire-roasted salsa, or my tomatillo salsa verde. 

Nutrition

Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 728mg | Potassium: 292mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1651IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 952mg | Iron: 1mg
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Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Featured, Mexican, Recipe

Avatar for Hank Shaw

Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet's largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

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Comments

  1. Avatar for Jesse HoweJesse Howe says

    January 21, 2022 at 2:22 pm

    Classic quick and easy recipe. For those of us who don’t grow squash (or anything), trying to source the blossoms can be pretty brutal (and expensive).
    How I miss those days living in Mexico buying a massive bag of squash blossoms for a dollar.

    Reply
  2. Avatar for Neslie McKnockniskNeslie McKnocknisk says

    September 17, 2021 at 6:23 am

    Hank,

    The wife is going to make them today so can’t leave a rating based on anything except an answer to use the ones we have been overloaded with. We usually do a simple batter and fry or stuff /batter/ fry so this sounds easier. We qnce tried a frittata but did not do well except for the added benefit of charcoal in the diet.

    Reply
  3. Avatar for bobbob says

    September 16, 2021 at 4:35 am

    do you only use the male blossoms? how many blossoms/half pound

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      September 22, 2021 at 9:58 am

      Bob: I do, but there’s no reason not to use female ones. And I don’t know how many because they are all different sizes, but about a dozen or so.

      Reply

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Hi, my name is Hank Shaw; I’m a James Beard Award-winning author and chef. I started this site back in 2007 to help you get the most out of all things wild: fish, game, edible wild plants and mushrooms. I also write cookbooks, have a website dedicated to the intersection of food and nature, and do a podcast, too. If it’s wild, you’ll find it here. Hope you enjoy the site!

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