Black Bean Quesadillas

Published: November 29, 2019 Updated: June 17, 2020 / By: Dawn | Girl Heart Food 28 Comments

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

Ingredients for a black bean quesadilla recipe.

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.

Collage of steps to make cheesy black bean quesadillas.

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.

Black bean quesadillas on a blue board next to fresh cilantro.

More Yummy Recipes

If you make this black bean quesadilla recipe, be sure to leave a comment below!