Cheesy Ground Turkey Quesadillas (with black beans)

These ground turkey quesadillas are seriously cheesy, hearty and straight up delicious! They’re super easy to prepare and can be enjoyed as is or with guacamole, salsa and sour cream and your favourite side dish!

Hi friends!

Today I’m sharing another easy quesadilla recipe – ground turkey quesadillas, to be exact!

If you follow along Girl Heart Food you know how we love quesadillas. Like, capital L-O-V-E, love ’em! A couple of our faves are these cheesy ground beef quesadillas and black bean corn quesadillas.

I mean, crispy tortilla, hearty protein and plenty of ooey gooey cheese…sounds yummy, right?

Plus, these are totally do-able for a simple weekday dinner (hello taco Tuesday!) or Friday night eats. The recipe can easily feed up to 6 people when combined with a side. And, if you don’t feel like sharing, there’s always leftovers to be had 😉

I love to serve with a big helping of homemade guacamole and maybe a frozen margarita, if I’m feelin’ extra fancy, lol. What’s your favourite thing to enjoy with quesadillas?

Why These Ground Turkey Quesadillas Are Great!

• Made with lean ground turkey
• Jam packed with veggies and hearty beans
• They’re super simple to prep
• You can even make the filling ahead of time, store (covered) in the fridge and reheat/assemble/crisp up when ready to enjoy
• Reheats well, especially in the pan
• Of course, they’re totally delicious!

Filling for Quesadillas

1. Start by cooking some onion in a little olive oil until softened.
2. Next, add ground turkey and break up any large clumps into crumbles with a spoon or masher.
3. Mix in your veggies, beans and seasonings. Cook until turkey is cooked through.
4. Stir in tomato paste and broth. This will kinda make things stick together for one delicious quesadilla filling.
5. Now, everything is ready to be used in your turkey quesadillas!

Assemble & Pan Fry

Full details on how to make turkey quesadillas are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:

1. Spread half of your cheese onto one half of each tortilla. Cheese acts as a ‘glue’ to keep everything together….plus, CHEESE!
2. Top with your cooked ground turkey mixture.
3. Then, pile on more cheese.
4. Fold over your tortillas so you have a ‘half moon’ shape
5. Cook quesadillas in batches in a greased pan.
6. Flip to cook other side. They’re done when the outside is golden brown and crispy and the cheese is nice and melty inside!
7. Cu in half and enjoy!

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Best Cheese To Use

Use a good melting cheese. A marbled cheddar was used, but you can opt for mozzarella, Fontina, Gruyère, Provolone, Monterey Jack, Gouda, Asiago,or regular Swiss…pretty much bunch of different options here. And, if you want to go all out, use a combo of your faves!

Another delicious add-in is crumbled feta cheese (in conjunction with a melty cheese). Feta doesn’t melt well, but does add a lovely salty flavour. Queso Fresco would be yummy too.

Tip: Shred the cheese yourself for optional freshness and melty goodness vs. using a pre-shredded cheese.

What to Serve With Quesadillas

Classic dips or sauces for quesadillas are salsa, guacamole or sour cream. Honestly, though, the possibilities are endless! Other delicious goodies are –

• Greek yogurt
• Hot sauce
• Wedges of lime
• Corn and black bean quinoa salad
• Rice, like this cilantro lime rice (from Love and Lemons)
• Even dressing up some greens with a simple vinaigrette would be yummy

Reheating Quesadillas

Quesadillas are crispiest when they’re freshly made. Having said that, if you can’t devour the whole batch in one sitting and have leftovers, you can store them in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

You can reheat on low-medium heat in a non-stick pan on the stove-top (this will yield the crispiest reheating results).

Alternatively, place quesadillas on a sheet pan in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven and heat for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and everything is warmed through.

Another option is to place leftovers on a microwave safe plate and heat on 30 second intervals until warmed.

Just keep in mind that the oven or microwave will not yield the same crispy results as pan frying. Your quesadillas will be softer.

More Tips + Variations

It’s better to have your pan on a lower sitting and cook these gently. They crisp up fast (and can burn quickly) so don’t have your heat too high or leave ’em!

Cook quesadillas in batches (about two at a time), while keeping the cooked quesadillas warm in a pre-heated oven.

Though there is cayenne powder in the taco seasoning, these are not overly spicy. If you want to add a little heat, add an extra pinch or so of cayenne or a drizzle of your favourite hot sauce.

No salt was added to this recipe because the taco seasoning has salt in it, but you can add some to taste if you wish. And, if you use a ‘no salt added’ seasoning, you may want to add some salt anyway.

You can totally omit the beans, if you like. They add a little heft and nutrition, but can be omitted.

Don’t have canned corn? Use frozen corn instead.

Try corn tortillas instead of flour.

Speaking of tortillas, the quantity of quesadillas you yield may vary, if the tortilla size differs slightly from the ones used here.

More Mexican Inspired Recipes You May Enjoy

• Fish Fajitas – Made on a sheet pan in about 20 minutes, these tasty fajitas are made with cod, bell pepper and onion.
• Shrimp Tacos – Flavourful shrimp with a pineapple coleslaw makes for a delicious addition to taco Tuesday!

Hope you love this turkey quesadilla recipe as much as we do!

Did you make these cheesy turkey black bean quesadillas? That’s awesome! Love it if you leave a comment and rating below. Many thanks!

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5 from 6 votes

Cheesy Ground Turkey Quesadillas (with black beans)

These ground turkey quesadillas are seriously cheesy, hearty and straight up delicious! They're super easy to prepare and can be enjoyed as is or with guacamole, salsa and sour cream and your favourite side dish!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword ground turkey recipe, quesadilla recipe, taco Tuesday

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 20 pieces (10 whole quesadillas)

Calories 167kcal

Author Dawn – Girl Heart Food

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion , peeled and minced
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 bell pepper , cut into small dice
• 1 cup canned black beans (unsalted) , rinsed and drained (about ½ a 540 millilitre can)
• 1 cup canned corn , drained
• 1.5 – 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
• 2 teaspoons chipotle powder
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• ¼ cup unsalted chicken broth (or unsalted veggie broth)
• 12 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (about 3 cups)
• 10 flour tortillas (each about 7 to 8 inches in diameter)
• cooking spray or oil (to grease pan)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit (to keep quesadillas warm while cooking batches).
• In a non stick pan on medium heat add olive oil.
• When shimmering, add onion and cook 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add ground turkey and break up into crumbles with a wooden spoon or potato masher. Add bell pepper, beans, corn, taco seasoning and chipotle powder. Heat until turkey is completely cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes.
• Stir in tomato paste and broth and cook 1 to 2 minutes.
• Distribute half of the cheese among all tortillas (on one side of them).
• Distribute ground turkey mixture on top of cheese (about half a cup per tortilla). Then, sprinkle remaining cheese on top of ground turkey. Fold tortilla over so you have a half moon shape.
• Working in batches (about 2 quesadillas per batch), spray cooking spray or a drizzle of oil into pan and cook quesadillas (on medium low heat) for about 2 minutes or so per side until golden brown and cheese is melted (carefully turning and watching to ensure they don't burn and carefully turning with a large spatula).

  Grease pan, as needed, between batches. While continuing batches, place cooked quesadillas on a baking sheet in preheated oven to keep warm.
• Cut each half moon in half so you end up with 20 pieces. Serve with salsa, guacamole and/or sour cream. Enjoy!

  Note: If your tortillas are smaller or larger than the size used here, the quantity you yield will vary.

Notes

• It’s better to have your pan on a lower sitting and cook these gently. They crisp up fast (and can burn quickly) so don’t have your heat too high or leave ’em!
• Cook quesadillas in batches (about two at a time), while keeping the cooked quesadillas warm in a pre-heated oven.
• Though there is cayenne powder in the taco seasoning, these are not overly spicy. If you want to add a little heat, add an extra pinch or so of cayenne or a drizzle of your favourite hot sauce.
• No salt was added to this recipe because the taco seasoning has salt in it, but you can add some to taste if you wish. And, if you use a ‘no salt added’ seasoning, you may want to add some salt anyway.
• You can totally omit the beans, if you like. They add a little heft and nutrition, but can be omitted.
• Don’t have canned corn? Use frozen corn instead.
• Try corn tortillas instead of flour.
• Speaking of tortillas, the quantity of quesadillas you yield may vary, if the tortilla size differs slightly from the ones used here.

 

Tried this recipe? That’s awesome!Mention @dawn.girlheartfood or tag #girlheartfood

Nutrition (estimate only)

Serving: 1piece (half of a full quesadilla) | Calories: 167kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 351mg | Potassium: 200mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 556IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 147mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition Facts

Cheesy Ground Turkey Quesadillas (with black beans)

Amount Per Serving (1 piece (half of a full quesadilla))

Calories 167 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 30mg10%

Sodium 351mg15%

Potassium 200mg6%

Carbohydrates 12g4%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 12g24%

Vitamin A 556IU11%

Vitamin C 9mg11%

Calcium 147mg15%

Iron 1mg6%

* Nutrition estimate only. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.