Published: Updated: / By: Dawn | Girl Heart Food 32 Comments
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With plenty of black beans, fresh corn and spicy Monterey jack cheese, these black bean quesadillas come together in under 30 minutes and disappear fast! Delicious for dinner with a side salad or enjoy as game day eats with friends.
It’s no surprise that I love cheesy eats.
I’m pretty sure “cheese” is my middle name.
Not a day goes by where I don’t have cheese.
And I have at least 5 varieties in our fridge at all times.
Heck, this year I even have a cheese advent calendar. No kidding.
So, when I combined spicy Monterey jack cheese with yummy black beans, sweet corn and salsa to make these black bean quesadillas I knew I had a winner.
Just like my refried bean quesadillas, these black bean quesadillas don’t last long.
Ingredients for Black Bean Quesadillas
- Black beans (of course)
- Corn
- Salsa
- Red onion
- Lime juice
- Cilantro
- Taco seasoning
- Smoked paprika
- Monterey jack cheese
- Tortillas
- Olive oil or vegetable oil
How To Make Them
Full details are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics to make black bean quesadillas:
- Rinse and drain the black beans and place them in a bowl. Give them the tiniest mash so that most beans are whole, while some others are mashed.
- To beans, add the remaining filling ingredients (aside from cheese).
- Mix to combine all that goodness!
- Pile on half of the shredded cheese onto one half of each tortilla, top with the black bean mixture, then sprinkle over more cheese.
- Fold over each tortilla so it’s a half-moon shape, pressing down gently.
- Pan fry the quesadillas in batches in a greased pan (I like to cook two at a time). The goal is to get the outside crispy, golden brown and delicious, and the inside heated through and the cheese melted (and, bonus, if any cheese happens to sneak out, no worries. Those bits get all crispy and delicious)! All that’s left to do is cut these delicious black bean quesadillas in half, serve and enjoy.
Tip: Don’t put those quesadillas in the pan and leave them! They can burn fast! They take minutes on each side so just stick with it.
What Type of Cheese Should I Use?
Use a good melting cheese and shred your own for optimal flavour and ooey gooey cheesiness.
Monterey Jack was used, but other yummy melting cheeses are cheddar, pizza mozzarella, Gouda, fontina or provolone (or use a combo of your favourites).
Can I Make These Vegan?
Sure thing!
If you prefer vegan quesadillas, use your favourite vegan cheese (instead of dairy cheese) and ensure that your flour tortillas are vegan.
Best Way to Reheat Quesadillas
Reheating leftovers is easy! Ways to reheat these black bean quesadillas are:
- Microwave: Place quesadillas on a microwave-safe plate and heat in 20-second intervals until they’re heated through.
- Oven: Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and place quesadillas on a sheet pan. Cook about 10 to 15 minutes or until heated through.
- Pan on Stovetop: My favourite way to reheat quesadillas is to place in a non-stick frying pan over medium-low to medium heat until heated through. This yields the crispiest results. Watch them, though, because they can burn easily.
What To Serve With Them
These veggie quesadillas are super versatile! You can have as a meatless dinner as is or enjoy with a hearty salad (like this quinoa salad).
They work equally as well as part of some game day eats with friends. Throw in some homemade guacamole, sour cream or Greek yogurt and a pitcher of frozen strawberry mango margaritas and you’ve got yourself a real party. If you’re like me, a party means being home in cozy pants watching a movie, LOL.
Tips and Variations
- Always rinse and drain your beans well. Wet beans equates to soggy quesadillas and that’s never a good thing!
- Two teaspoons of taco seasoning was used, but you could use more if you like.
- Fresh corn was used, but you could use frozen if that’s what you have on hand. I like to thaw for a little first, though.
- Not a fan of cilantro? No worries! Simply omit. And if you do want some green colour, use parsley.
- Use your favourite variety of salsa, keeping in mind that if you use a spicy version, for example, it will have an impact on how spicy these black bean quesadillas are.
- Sub the red onion with milder green onion if you want. Alternatively, to tame the red onion, give them a little rinse under cold water and drain well.
- If you’re looking for other quesadilla fillings, sliced pickled peppers work great (just ensure they’re patted dry of excess moisture first). A little smear of adobo sauce is lovely too.
More Yummy Recipes
- Black Bean Dip
- Easy Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Mediterranean White Bean Dip
If you make this black bean quesadilla recipe, be sure to leave a comment below!
Black Bean Quesadillas
Dawn | Girl Heart Food
With plenty of black beans, fresh corn and spicy monterey jack cheese, these black bean quesadillas come together in under 30 minutes and disappear fast! Delicious for dinner with a side salad or enjoy as game day eats with friends.
5 from 4 votes
Print Recipe Save Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 25 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Servings 12 pieces
Ingredients
- 1 (19-ounce) can no salt added black beans , rinsed and drained
- 2 teaspoons taco seasoning, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground chipotle chili pepper or smoked paprika
- ½ cup fresh corn kernels, or thawed and drained frozen corn kernels or drained canned corn kernels
- ⅓ cup red onion, peeled and minced
- ⅓ cup salsa
- ½ lime, juiced
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- 6 ounces shredded jalapeno Monterey Jack Cheese (or regular), divided (about 1.5 cups. Alternatively, use your favourite shredded vegan cheese)
- 6 flour tortillas, about 7 to 8 inches in diameter each
- 3 teaspoons olive oil or vegetable oil, approximately
- Guacamole, salsa, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, for serving (optional)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit (that way you can keep your cooked quesadillas warm as you are cooking them in batches).
To make black bean quesadillas, place beans in a medium bowl and mash just a tad with a potato masher (leaving most beans whole while just a little mashed).
To beans, add taco seasoning, chipotle chili pepper, corn kernels, red onion, salsa, lime juice and cilantro. Stir to combine.
Distribute half of the Monterey Jack cheese (3 ounces or ¾ cup) among one half of each tortilla.
Then distribute the black bean filling over top of cheese. Top with the remaining 3 ounces or ¾ cup of cheese. Fold over each tortilla so it's a half-moon shape.
To cook quesadillas, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil or vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-low to medium heat. Gently swirl the oil around the pan to coat.
Note: Cook the quesadillas in batches, two quesadillas at a time, adding more oil to the pan between batches.
Place two quesadillas in the pan. Cook quesadillas for about 2 to 3 minutes on one side.
Flip the quesadillas to the other side and continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes or until they're golden brown and crispy on the outside, the inside is heated through, and the cheese is melted. Watch that they don't burn, because they can cook quickly.
Note: You can place the cooked quesadillas onto a sheet pan in a preheated oven to keep warm while you are finishing cooking the remaining quesadillas.
Repeat process for cooking remaining quesadillas.
Once done, cut each quesadilla in half so you have 12 pieces. Serve with your favourite sauces for dipping. Enjoy!
Note: If you have any leftovers, properly store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within 3 to 4 days, reheating upon enjoying.
A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
© Girl Heart Food Inc. Photographs and content are copyright protected.
Keyword quesadillas with beans
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If you do make this recipe, thank you!! It would mean so much if you could leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed it, and it helps other readers too!
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Tracy
These were delicious! Restaurant quality. It’s a keeper!Reply
Dawn | Girl Heart Food
I’m delighted to hear that, Tracy! Thank you very much!
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Christy
Super easy and loved them – on rotation now!
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Dawn | Girl Heart Food
Thank you so much, Christy!! I’m so happy you enjoy the recipe!!
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Melody
I make these for our 12 year old vegetarian granddaughter and she loves them. They are so easy to make. I REALLY don’t like refried beans so I am always happy to find recipes using black beans. Thank you for sharing your recipe.Reply
Dawn | Girl Heart Food
I’m so happy to hear that, Melody!! Thank you very much!!
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Pamela
Do you have a calorie count per serving?
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Dawn | Girl Heart Food
Hi Pamela! Sorry, no I don’t.
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Paulette
Delicious!! I heated the black beans with a small can of diced tomatoes with chiles and added the corn. Used chihuahua cheese cause well it’s delicious!! Used low-carb tortillas. Perfect and quick weeknight dinner!!!Reply
Dawn | Girl Heart Food
Thank you so much, Paulette!! Happy you enjoyed!! The chihuahua cheese sounds like such a yummy addition.
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Allison
I make these at least once a month. So great.Reply
Dawn | Girl Heart Food
Thanks very much, Allison!! So happy you enjoy the recipe!!
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Benita
Just tried these. Put the whole tin of corn and whole packet of taco mix. This will now be a regular with us. Sooooo good
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Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thank you, Benita! Happy you enjoyed!
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Marianne
Will these freeze?
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Dawn | Girl Heart Food
Hi Marianne! If you want to freeze the cooked quesadillas, allow them to cool completely first. Then, line a sheet pan with parchment paper and place the quesadillas on there (with some space between each one). Place them into the freezer for a few hours (or until frozen), then transfer the quesadillas to a sealable freezer bag or airtight freezer container. You can then freeze the quesadillas for a couple of months. When you are ready to enjoy them, you can reheat them in the oven (no need to thaw first). To reheat, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the quesadillas on a sheet pan and bake until they’re heated through and the cheese is melty. Alternatively, you can microwave the quesadillas on a microwave-safe plate on 30-second intervals until heated through and the cheese is melty (though, they tend to turn out soggy this way). Hope this helps!
Haylie / Our Balanced Bowl
I need that cheese advent calendar!! LOL! But seriously….I guess I’ll just have to make these instead – they look so deliciously cheesy!! Black beans are my favorite so these would go great in my household! Add a side of salsa and I’m set! YUM! Awesome recipe, my friend !
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Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Good idea 😉 Thanks Haylie!
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Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen
Holy moly! How did I miss these? They look incredibly tasty Dawn. Perfect for our next game day!
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Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thank you Mary Ann! They sure would be 🙂
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David @ Spiced
I always suspected that we were related somehow, Dawn! Cheese is my middle name, too. 🙂 Seriously, though, these ‘dillas look amazing. Quesadillas are one of our favorite go-to meals when we have nothing else around. We’ve always got the ingredient to make quesadillas, and they never disappoint. Thanks for sharing your recipe! I should’ve known you had something up your sleeve with that taco seasoning post. Haha!
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Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Lol!! Just too delish, right? Thank you David! Stay tuned for more to come using it!
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Marissa
Yum! I would devour these delicious quesadillas for any meal of the day!!
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Dawn - Girl Heart Food
I hear ya! Me too! Thanks Marissa 🙂
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Valentina
I’m a huge quesadilla fan, and this recipe is such a delicious combination of flavors and ingredients. And a cheese advent calendar!? Oh my goodness, how fun is that!? 🙂 ~Valentina
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Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
A cheese advent calendar??? Wow, that sounds like fun! 🙂 These quesadillas look amazing and would be perfect for a quick dinner. You’ve put that taco seasoning to good use!
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Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen
DAWN! This is my new favorite recipe. Can we just be neighbors? I’ll provide dessert and you provide the cheesy deliciousness? I looooove quesadillas, especially when they’re loaded with all sorts of yummy stuff like this one is. Definitely trying this! Have a great weekend and THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for always helping me with my blog questions 🙂
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Dawn - Girl Heart Food
You’re so sweet!! Thank you so much, Kelsie! XOXO
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Katherine | Love In My Oven
Bring on the cheese! You know I feel the same way as you about cheesy goodness. This is totally something I’d whip up for the family when I don’t feel like dealing with meat, and I just want an easy win! The black beans add the nutrition we need, too! Yum! Pinning!
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Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Yes!! Thank you Katerine! Hope you love them 🙂
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Ben @ Havocinthekitchen
Whaaat? You like cheesy eats? I would have never though! Just kidding – it’s no secret indeed. Love all your cheese creations – always irresistibly delicious and mouth-watering! And these quesadillas are no exception.
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Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Lol! I know, right?? Thank you Ben!
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