These super tasty Black Bean Quesadillas have been a runaway Budget Bytes hit since I first posted them in 2012. The spicy mix of cheese, beans, corn, cilantro, and onion makes an incredibly flavorful quesadilla that’s perfect for dipping in some cool sour cream or salsa. Make up an entire batch and freeze some for later!
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“This recipe is one of the constants in my rotation! So easy and quick to make and super tasty. With sour cream, salsa and lime on the side – perfection!”
Jessica
Easy Recipe for Black Bean Quesadillas
I love these quesadillas because they’re bursting with flavor, are incredibly EASY to make, and are perfect for the freezer! Students and other busy people, take note: this recipe is perfect for you! I call them “hearty” black bean quesadillas because they are surprisingly filling. I hastily ate two and then promptly felt like my belly was not just full but full-full. This is one of those vegetarian recipes that meat-eaters won’t feel deprived when eating. Promise.
Hearty Black Bean Quesadillas
Servings 10 quesadillasIngredients
- 1 15oz.can black beans ($0.94)
- 1 cup frozen corn ($0.78)
- 1/2 cup red onion ($0.15)
- 1 clove garlic ($0.04)
- 1/4 bunch fresh cilantro (about ½ cup chopped) ($0.20)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese ($1.97)
- 1 batch taco seasoning* ($0.67)
- 10 flour tortillas (7-inch diameter) ($1.98)
Instructions
- Drain the black beans and add them to a bowl along with the frozen corn (no need to thaw)
- Finely dice the onion, mince the garlic, and roughly chop the cilantro.
- Add the onion, garlic, cilantro, shredded cheddar, and taco seasoning to the bowl with the beans and corn. Stir until everything is evenly combined and coated in seasoning.
- Place a half cup of the filling on one side of each tortilla and fold over. Cook the quesadillas in a skillet over medium heat on each side until brown and crispy and the cheesy filling has melted. Slice into triangles then serve.
- To freeze the quesadillas, stack the filled and uncooked quesadillas with a piece of parchment paper between each quesadilla. Place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to three months. To reheat either microwave (for a soft quesadilla) or cook in a skillet on low heat (make sure to use low heat so that the filling has time to thaw and melt before the outside burns).
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Black Bean Quesadillas Step-By-Step Photos
Assemble the filling: Add 1 cup frozen corn (no need to thaw) and one 15oz. can of black beans (drained) to a large bowl.
Next, finely dice about ½ cup red onion, mince one clove of garlic, and roughly chop about ¼ bunch fresh cilantro. These ingredients are super flexible, so you don’t need to be exact on the measurements.
You can use either one packet of store-bought taco seasoning, or make your own using my Homemade Taco Seasoning recipe.
Add the taco seasoning and 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese to the bowl. The cheese is the “glue” that holds the quesadillas together.
Mix to combine: Stir the ingredients until everything is mixed.
Make the quesadillas: Now it’s time to stuff the quesadillas. You’ll need about 10 7-inch diameter flour tortillas for these quesadillas (the tortillas I had today were slightly larger so my quesadillas ended up being a bit thinner). Place a half cup of filling in each tortilla and fold it over. You can either cook them or freeze them at this point (see instructions for freezing below).
Cook the quesadillas: To cook the black bean quesadillas, place the quesadilla in a skillet over medium heat and cook on both sides until golden brown, crispy, and the filling has melted. I don’t use any sort of oil or butter, but you certainly can if you want more of a fried finish to the quesadillas.
Serve: Slice then serve! You can slice each quesadilla into two or three pieces. I find that if I cut starting on the outside edge going in toward the center fold, I get less of the filling oozing out. A pizza cutter also works great!
Make it Meaty
These black bean quesadillas are incredible on their own, but if you DO decide you want to add some meat, try adding some Slow Cooker Pulled Pork, ground beef, Carnitas, or something as simple as chicken breast cooked in a skillet, then diced. They’d all be delish!
What to Serve with Quesadillas
I love to have something like cumin lime coleslaw on the side for an extra dose of vegetable freshness. Warm corn and avocado salad or my charred corn and zucchini salad are also great choices for this reason. For an extra fresh and zesty (but super easy) side, try adding some homemade pico de gallo. Oh, and don’t forget a little salsa or sour cream for dipping. 😊
How to Freeze and reheat
These quesadillas are perfect for freezing and will last two to three months in the freezer. Just fill and fold your quesadillas, but before you cook them, stack them with parchment paper in between each quesadilla. Place the stacked quesadillas in a gallon-sized freezer bag (or two) and pop them into the freezer. When you want to eat one, take a quesadilla out of the freezer and reheat it slowly over medium-low heat until the outside is crispy and the inside has melted. Using a lower heat gives the black bean quesadilla time to thaw and heat on the inside before the outside overcooks or burns.
Or, for a faster method, microwave from frozen for 30-60 seconds, or until the inside is thawed, then finish in a skillet to crisp up the outside and melt the cheese on the inside.
I originally made this recipe to keep in the freezer so I could have easy meals postpartum. I loved these so much that I now make them for any of my friends who are expecting to keep in the fridge. All my friends ended up asking for the recipe. They’re so easy to make, they taste great and it’s quick to heat up.
This is a great recipe, especially for toddlers! It’s super easy to customize and very tasty.
I came across this recipe when I was looking for an easy low cost way to incorporate cheap protein and fibre into my diet. These are the easiest thing I make in my rotation. I made my first batch two months ago and have made it three times cents. I use bigger tortillas, so yielded large quesadillas per batch. I freeze these and take them for lunch a couple of times a week or they make a quick meal when I’m tired or in a hurry. Freakin’ fantastic! Thank you for the recipe!
I think this recipe was the first we tried from you guys, and we always come back to it- it’s simple, cheap, and so delicious! I love mine with salsa, and my husband with all the fixings, haha.
Loved this recipe. Will be making for my work lunches.
This recipe is one of the constants in my rotation! So easy and quick to make and super tasty. With sour cream, salsa and lime on the side – perfection!
These are always a fan favourite! I have not made them for anyone who’s eyes haven’t grown wide when the flavour registers to their brain. We have these on regular rotation. Thank you!
This is one of my family’s favorite meatless Monday meals. Super quick and delish! We cook on a sheet pan in the oven to make cooking time a little shorter, since there are 5 of us.
One of my favorites for lunch!
So good!!!
I make these all the time for meal prep. So easy. I will eat them cold out of the fridge all the time… debatably my fave way to eat them. Ultimate way is right off the pan… at work I microwave them and they are a little soggy but then if I let them cool off they kind of get their shape back. I pair them with a hefty dollop of greek yogurt and spoon the greek yogurt with the quesadilla. Bam delicious
Put them in the toaster folded over side down – magic so crispy.
Also I freeze many of these and then pop in the microwave for 30 seconds and toast on defrost setting. Crispy, delicious, and doesn’t make a mess of my toaster
wow that’s a great recipe to make quick and on the cheap :)
Just finished making these for my dinner tonight. Really fantastic taste and very easy to make. Even better that you can freeze them!
Just made these for our Meatless Monday dinner. DELICIOUS!! Hubby says it’s a keeper
OMG!!!! What an easy and DELICIOUS RECIPES!!