These super tasty Black Bean Quesadillas have been a runaway Budget Bytes hit since they were first posted in 2012. The spicy mix of cheese, beans, corn, cilantro, and onion makes and 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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Why I’m In Love with These Quesadillas ❤️
I love these quesadillas for three reasons:
- they’re bursting with flavor
- incredibly EASY to make
- perfect for the freezer!
Students and other busy people take note: this recipe is perfect for you!
I called 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.
How to Freeze Hearty Black Bean Quesadillas
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.
What Kind of Taco Seasoning to Use
To make these black bean quesadillas super fast and easy, you can use a packet of store-bought taco seasoning. Or, if you have a well-stocked spice cabinet, you can use my homemade taco seasoning recipe
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 Charred Corn and Zucchini Salad are also great choices. And don’t forget a little salsa or sour cream for dipping. :)
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!
Hearty Black Bean Quesadillas
Servings 10 quesadillasIngredients
- 1 15oz.can black beans ($0.49)
- 1 cup frozen corn ($0.20)
- 1/2 cup red onion ($0.22)
- 1 clove garlic ($0.08)
- 1/4 bunch fresh cilantro (about ½ cup chopped) ($0.20)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese ($1.69)
- 1 batch taco seasoning* ($0.67)
- 10 flour tortillas (7-inch diameter) ($2.00)
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).
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
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Scroll down for the step by step photos
How to Make Black Bean Quesadillas – Step By Step Photos
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.
Stir the ingredients until everything is mixed.
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 in the post above the recipe).
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.
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!
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!!
You will NOT regret making these!! I have made them at least 3 times in the past few weeks! I leave out the cilantro (darn soap gene) and eat with guac and pico! Wonderful recipe!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. The whole family enjoyed it. I used the frozen corn with the bell peppers mixed in. I used your homemade taco seasoning which I think is what made it so good. Way better than store bought taco seasoning.
thanks for such a tasty, easy recipe — so yum!
What a hit! Made the homemade taco seasoning, added pico de gallo, sour cream and avocado…scrumptious and big hit with hubby!
So easy and delicious! I used Siete Spicy Taco seasoning. I sautéed minced garlic from a jar and some frozen diced yellow onion I had in the freezer before adding to the mix. I left out the cilantro. I used dairy free shredded cheese. I thought it would be too much cheese but nope! These were soooo good!!! I think I’ve found a new favorite, thank you!!!
These were sooo good!!!! I used a spicy store bought taco seasoning and some diced yellow onion I had in the freezer (I sautéd the onion and garlic on the stove before mixing in). I used dairy free shredded cheese which I thought would be wayyyy too much cheese but came out perfect!!
these are amazing! i needed a new “meatless monday”, recipe for the fam and as a heavy meat eater, i am very cool with these. one thing to note, this makes a lot of food. this is my go to party food. it accomadates everybody, people love it, makes a lot and is cheap!
100 % my favorite recipe. It’s such a good way to use up vegetables, other proteins, whatever you have on hand, and this recipe stretches!
So tasty, quick, and easy to prepare! I made them for dinner tonight and my boyfriend and I both thought they were very good and filling! I forgot to get cilantro but they were great without it. I served it with sour cream, salsa, chopped tomatoes, lettuce and avocado. Will be making these again for sure! Thanks for the great recipe!
These are so flavorful and easy to make. I’ve made these a few times a month. I love them that much.
This is our go-to Friday meal during Lent haha so hearty and filling without feeling like you’re missing out on meat! I make a chipotle ranch to go with it. So good!
Beth,
We made this for Ash Wednesday and it was a huge hit!
really enjoyed this meal and the price is amazing! we used store bought taco mix but ill have to try homemade for my next round when I meal prep this for my lunches.
thank you for sharing!
Awesome, tasty and easy to make
Kid friendly and approved without modifying! I sautéed the onions and garlic. Preassembled, they freeze well and can be cooked in a toaster oven. Thanks for sharing!
I love this recipe and found that they freeze/reheat well! I’ll be making this repeatedly!
Fantastic! These are so good and filling and freeze well. I eat 2 for lunch every day. Around $6 for an entire 5 days of lunch is crazy.
Very good! Sometimes I add rotisserie chicken to them. They are filling with or without the added meat.
This is brilliantly easy! I am going to have to sub out the black beans for pinto beans or black-eye pees due to the higher potassium level of black beans, but that is no hardship! Perfect for the freezer, or I can take one out before work and heat it quick at lunch time, too.
Been making these for years so thought it was about time to leave a review! They go down an absolute storm every time I cook them for guests, and are so quick and easy to make just for yourself. I’ll often just prep the filling and have it with a salad, and it’s great to be able to keep it to use the next day. I’ve committed Beth’s taco seasoning to memory, I just reduce the cayenne because I’m a wuss when it comes to spices. I’ll also sometimes add a little mayo after cooking to cool it down if I do make it too hot. Thanks so much for this recipe, it’s fantastic!
Love these! Super easy and delicious! Thanks!
Do you cook them
And then freeze them? When you take them out of the freezer, can you just let them thaw or do you need to recook? Thank you!!! I’m new to cooking…
I just fill, fold, then freeze. :) There’s more info on freezing in reheating in the blog post under the heading, “How to Freeze and Reheat Black Bean Quesadillas”
Easy and delicious!
Just made this recipe for lunch. It is easy, fast, and sooo delicious! Great recipe!
This recipe is perfect exactly as written! It has become a staple in my house and the kids LOVE it!
Quick and delicious, you’ll want more! My mom had leftover ground beef prepared with taco seasoning so I added a cup of that and took out the garlic, cilantro, and onion and it still tasted amazing! I also used sour cream as a dipping sauce.
This has been an amazing base for all kinds of meals for me! Rice bowls, tacos, salads, etc. What other recipes on the site are good “base” recipes?
Mirroring other commenters, I had made the mixture and just made the quesadillas as I went along. I enjoyed them and it was super easy to come together. I may try some suggestions from the other commenters but it was a good base! A little spicy, but that’s alright.
These are delicious and filling enough as-is but I’ve made them so often I decided to do a little experimenting anyway. Adding a diced red pepper gives it a little more flavor; I’ve started adding two as a replacement for the corn because I just like peppers better than corn (and often just green peppers because they’re cheaper, but still taste great in this) but it works fine as a simple addition.
Other things I’ve added both one at a time and in various combinations (some of these will obviously make it not vegetarian and also increase the cost:)
-If you’re not vegetarian and you’re thinking a little bit of meat could fill it out, get a single can of canned chicken, saute the chunks with whatever spices you prefer, and shred the chicken before adding it to the mix. Shredded, the single can will be enough to notice it in quesadilla, since it will distribute evenly when you mix it in with the rest of the recipe (it’s obviously more price-efficient to just get a chicken breast from the meat section, but it’s way way more than you need for a single or even double go of the recipe.)
-A little bit of rice cooked in whichever type of broth you prefer. I keep the rice stored separately and mix it in with the quesadilla filling when I’m putting it on the tortilla.
-Diced Jalapenos
-Diced okra, if you don’t mind the texture. You could probably boil/sautee/otherwise prepare the okra first to avoid future slime in the quesadillas but I haven’t bothered trying, I’ve found it’s not really THAT noticeable raw, I assume because it’s not really ‘cooking’ in the tortilla for the amount of time it’s on the stove.
-1tbsp bacon bits, maybe a little more to make the flavor come through more, but I’d stop before 2tbsp.
-Substitute something different for the taco seasoning; whatever seasoning you like to use in ground beef/burger patties will very likely work well here (my store’s store-brand spices include a burger seasoning that goes really well with this,) at least for a one-time experiment if not something you’d want to do regularly.
-Entirely replace the onions with peppers; this made for an interesting flavor but not one I’d want every time, definitely better to just keep the onions and peppers together.
I’ve also done an alternate preparation to turn this into bean burritos:
-Mix as in the recipe
-Make some rice, use a broth of your choice instead of plain water for extra flavor.
-Line the middle of the tortilla with a layer of the rice. Put the quesadilla mix on top of that; optionally add a salsa or hot sauce of your choice (you can also add sour cream but on account of the next step, sour cream is probably better left as a dip.)
-Roll up the tortilla or tortillas, put them on a skillet pre-heated on medium heat for 30-45 seconds, flip them, immediately set the heat to low (you’ll likely want to use the “keep warm” setting and not the lowest cooking heat) and lay a sheet of tinfoil over them. Leave them for 5 minutes or so, maybe 10 if the heat is really low; the medium heat should last long enough to properly toast the other side but will cool down fast enough not to outright burn them; the extra time is to warm it through the entire way and melt the cheese inside.
–Alternately, leave out the shredded cheese from the recipe, add some nacho cheese sauce to the burrito before rolling it up (put it on top of the rice before adding the quesadilla mix on top.) It won’t take as long to warm through on the last step since there isn’t shredded cheese to melt. The jar of cheese sauce at my store is cheaper than the shredded cheese, too, though YMMV.
Time to get your own blog, girl. 🤣
I didn’t use to have a freezer, so I would make the filling and store it in a container in the fridge. Then, when I got home from work each night it was real nice and easy just to scoop some filling onto a tortilla and heat it up on the stove. Filling, cheap, and tasty.
Enjoyed these overall, especially the flavor of the homemade taco seasoning. I sauteed the onions and garlic before adding them to the filling, but otherwise made as is. It was actually too cheesy for me (which is a first!) It gave me a great starting point to experiment in the future, though.
Thanks for the recipe, this was so good! I didn’t have all the spices for taco seasoning so I just used cayenne pepper and garlic powder, it was delicious. I can’t wait to try this recipe again with the exact ingredients!
Very good.
Omg amazing!!! I added in white rice in some of them! And it was sooo goood! Loved how it was super easy and super simple to make with minimal ingredients. And I loved how it was freezer friendly too and it made a lot! Definitely a 10/10
So good!! I made a couple of these as meal prep for the week. After the first two quesadillas, I realized they don’t stay together well enough for the containers I have for meal prep, so I turned them into burritos instead. AMAZING! I paired it with the salsa from the salsa poached eggs (minus the eggs, of course) for some extra pizzaz.
I enjoyed this recipe – very tasty. However, all my filling kept falling out because the mixture was so dry. Is there anything I can do about that?
It’s kind of the nature of the beast. A little more cheese should help hold everything together! ~ Marion :)
try mashing the beans into kind of a paste
Tortillas in the store don’t show a size in inches. Instead they are called by their suggested use. Soft taco / large, fajita (smaller) or nothing
We used medium-sized flour tortillas…the enchilada or bigger taco-size shells which are approx. 7-8 inches wide (the size between the 4-inch, street taco style tortillas, and the very large, 10-inch, burrito-style shells). I hope that helps! ~ Marion :)
I have been making something very similar. I never thought to add corn. Next batch for sure!
Phyllis
SO TASTY AND EASY!
This is one of the first recipes I made from Budget Bytes many years ago (also the pineapple ginger lassi!) and it’s still a favorite. The raw onion is too much for me so I always sauté it and the garlic before mixing everything up. I don’t remember cilantro in the original recipe but my partner is one of those soap people so I always omit it anyway. I love having a stash of these in the freezer.
I made this and it was very good! I will make this again!!
I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve made these yummy guys. :) This time I’m making them for a friend who needs to cut meat back for health reasons…. meatless and delicious? Yes, please!
Quick, easy, and filling. These were delicious and will become a regular in our rotation.
These are the absolute BEST quesadillas I’ve ever had–so cheap, filling, and bursting with flavor is right! Love that I can keep a stash of them in the freezer to whip out on busy days and know I’m going to have a delicious meal in two minutes.
These were really delicious and filling. Never thought to jazz up a quesadilla with taco seasoning! Thanks for the recipe!
Super simple to make and really delicious!!! Loved it! I left out the onions, so glad I did. Dipped the slices in sour cream and Naked brand salsa. OMG highly recommended!!! Will definitely make this recipe again for guests and with guacamole and margaritas. 😁
Okay, these are SO good. I figured I would like them because *2 cups of shredded cheese* but I wasn’t expecting to fall in love. These are the real deal, and so quick to make. I will definitely be putting these into my standard rotation.
Love this recipe – so easy and super filling. I used the Chihuahua melting cheese from Costco instead of cheddar.
Oh wow!! These are so good! And easy too. I can’t wait to make these for my family.
Question:
When you say “1 quesadilla” under nutrition info, is that one tortilla(+filling) folded in half? Or 1 slice/triangle?
Thank you!!
That’d be one full tortilla folded in half — since the recipe calls for 10 tortillas and there are 10 servings. Thank goodness! I could never have JUST ONE SLICE! — Marion :)
a new favorite! these are super easy and very tasty!
Thank you for this amazing recipe. I have heart issues and this is such a tasty way to include garlic through guacamole in my diet. Can’t thank you enough, so delicious!
This is the best item recipe I ever tried.
These tasted really great. Any tips for how not to lose the filling when you turn them over while cooking them would be appreciated though!
If it’s cumbersome, try using two spatulas. Also, don’t pick them up too far up from the pan. Keep them close to the surface. XOXO -Monti
These are a staple in our household. They are so easy to make, and the kids love them!
excellent recipe and very economical. thank-you
Brenda
After all this time I thought I’d share that this has become a regular recipe in my rotation for about the past 3 or more years! Thank you for originally publishing this, so cheap and delicious; my friends and girlfriend love when I make this.
I’ve been a fan of this recipe for years and it used to be a staple for exam seasons back in college. Right now I’m 8 months pregnant and making a double batch of this to freeze for easy, filling and healthy-ish meals when baby comes <3 Thank you again for a great recipe Beth! ***
I ended up winging measurements since I couldn’t be bothered converting to a smaller serving size AND measurements I’m used to, but it turned out really good! I skipped the taco spice mix and went for garlic, salt, pepper and paprika to save some money, and used Violife mozzarella for the cheese. I really liked it, and seeing as it is the first of my vegan meals I’ve made myself, I think it’s a good step in the right direction. I’ll definitely make this again!
Yum!!! I was in a big rush so I used onion and garlic powder instead of fresh, but it still tasted sooo good. We had this with your Crunchy Cabbage salad and the two were delicious together. It was so good that I’m planning to have it for breakfast in the morning. Lol
Thanks to your freezer instructions, these have been a go-to for prepping meals for anyone for post-surgery or baby, especially for vegetarians. Love to add spinach for some greens as well. So easy and so nice to have some made up on hand!
OMG it was so good I had to laugh after eating. Used Gluten-free tortillas.
Didn’t have corn so added chopped tomatoes. Gobbled it up with tofu sour cream, salsa (with corn lol) and guacamole.
I came across this recipie today and had everything on hand. I do quesadillias a few different ways..but THIS is now a FAVORITE For SURE. Did it exactly..we’ll except..I use a packet of Ortega taco seasoning mix(my fav) that I had on hand and no cilantro. We loved it..Thank you..pinned it as a favorite.
Thank you! XOXO -Monti
The chokehold this recipe has on me! I have made it 3 times. I don’t love red onion so I omit it and use canned corn instead of frozen and a couple dollops of sour cream and it is perfect!
Wow these are so good and so easy! I was looking for a recipe to used up some black beans and some cilantro and this was just amazing. Do yourself a favor and make the taco seasoning — the smoked paprika adds so much. Made exactly as posted and couldn’t be happier. Thank you for introducing me to what will not be a go-to recipe!
Great easy to make recipe, I will definitely make it again. I did add a tablespoon of sour cream the the mix, because I felt the filling looked a bit to dry for my liking. Other than that, definitely a winner and repeat.
Hi, I notice that you use frozen corn in the recipe and you suggest that after it is cooked into the quesadilla, these quesadillas can be frozen. I would love to do this but I always thought that “refreezing” food after it has already been frozen was not safe. Could you please clarify? Thank you. Love your blog!
Refreezing food is not a safety issue as long as the food was not in the temperature danger zone (40-140F) for more than two hours. Most of the time when people suggest not refreezing food it’s because it can cause a degradation in the quality, mostly in the texture. For something like this you won’t notice a difference. Here’s the statement from the USDA on the matter. :)
I loved this recipe! Initially, I was skeptical because I am not a huge fan of black beans or bean quesadillas, but I had some black beans I needed to use and figured this would be a decent way to use them. This recipe was fantastic! I loved the texture and flavor of the beans and onions! I found that I personally didn’t care for the addition of corn, but when I made them again without corn, it was amazing! I also subbed the homemade taco seasoning for El Paso taco seasoning because I have a huge container of it and it saved time and money because I didn’t have the ingredients to make the seasoning myself. I liked this recipe so much that I shared it with my sister! 10/10!
Such an excellent meal prep lunch. I go ahead and toast them all in the pan before freezing. I just reheat at lunch and pour some jarred salsa on top.
These quesadillas are SO easy and SO good. They make it into my meal prep rotation almost every week because I just can’t get enough!
Best quesadilla recipe i’ve found yet
Delicious and easy. Will be on our regular rotation. Thanks!
Super simple and delicious!
These were really good. I added tomato, jalapeño and used chili lime, chipotle chili, cumin, red pepper and salt instead of the taco seasoning. My 15 yo son gave these an 8.4 and didn’t even realize there was no meat in them till I told him after. Thanks!
Hello there, I have a question, maybe someone out there can help me. This looks amazing! I would make this as a snack and take to work, but I don’t eat cheese. Would there be another way to make this without the cheese? I know it’s a crazy question. lol
The melted cheese is what glues it together, so it would be tough to find something else that might work. Maybe a little sour cream mixed in? Or you could serve it loose in small tortillas like tacos. :)
Hi! I realize this comment is a few months old, but I just wanted to say — I’ve successfully made dairy-free “quesadillas” using a thin, even layer of refried beans to hold things together. In this case, I’d mash the black beans and spread them evenly across the whole tortilla, then sprinkle on the other ingredients and fold.
Great idea, Corinne! Thanks for sharing!
This looks great! I wonder if the mixture would freeze well (without having added the queso). I envision batching a big amount and placing in pint jars to pull out of the freezer as needed. Thoughts on whether the cilantro would hold up? Many thanks and again, this looks yum! :D
I freeze them, cheese and all. You can find more information about freezing them in the blog post above the recipe. :)
Love it
So delicious. I add Jalapeño peppers and fresh diced tomatoes.
I needed a quick lunch today before my meetings started up again and my microwave died! I remembered coming across this recipe somewhere, and thought well no better time to try it. I made the suggested seasoning mix, and followed the recipe with what I had on hand since I had to eat and get back to work – black beans, frozen corn, frozen diced onions, and shredded Mexican cheese blend (no cilantro or garlic). It is the spices that make this recipe more than just a black bean quesadilla, and I am happy that I have a nice bowl of filling waiting for me to eat tomorrow when I have more time to enjoy! Thanks for sharing a quick and healthy lunch idea!!
Tasted great! I added some rice and cooked spinach to the mix and a bit less cheese. Side of guacamole and salsa. Trying to eat some vegetarian meals more often. Me and my husband loved this!
Delicious! So easy and tasty. One of my guys can be a bit picky and he loved it and wanted to have all the extras! This is definitely going in the rotation. I had to play around with frying pans, one pan was burning the quesadilla too quickly. I went with a heavier bottomed pan and it heated them through without burning the tortilla.
Great recipe. I sauteed the onion (Vidalia) and then tossed the beans in there to warm them up a bit. Also, since it’s corn season I used fresh white corn. This is awesome for vegetarians!
This recipe is versatile. I ran out of tortillas because I only bought a six pack so I used the rest as nacho topping. Threw it on some chips, and put it under the broiler. Worked perfectly!
I was skeptical that a black bean quesadilla would be that good (I usually always have chicken in mine), but this was delicious. It was also super easy. A new meal for the rotation!
This was dinner tonight… so quick to put together. My meat loving husband absolutely loved it, made as per recipe, only adding a sprinkle of cayenne pepper.
Came by your website after a recommendation from our lovely daughter x
I had no tortillas and no reasonable way to obtain any, so I adjusted the recipe by adding 1 T olive oil to my handy cast iron pan, sauteing the onion five minutes, then adding the spices and minced garlic and sauteing them for a minute. I like to saute spices to help them ‘bloom’.
I then added the beans and corn and simmered the whole thing for 15 minutes to meld the flavors. I served the whole thing on polenta as a substitute for tortillas. Topped with cilantro and cheese, it was really yummy. It is the spices, as so many of the BB recipes, that make the recipes, including this one, work.
Possibly my favorite Budget Bytes recipe yet (and I’ve made a lot of them!). This was easy, quick to make and I’m always looking for meatless options.
I’m someone for whom cilantro tastes like soap, can you suggest a substitute? Biting into something that looks delicious but ends up tasting like someone grated a bar of soap into it isn’t pleasant. :-(
This one has so much flavor going on that I think you could get away with just skipping the cilantro and not replacing it with anything. Sometimes I use green onions to give things a nice fresh kick in place of cilantro (even though they have very different flavors, it still brightens things up), but this recipe already has red onion, so that might be overkill.
very easy and quick, i love it! thanks!
So freakin good! Adding to my list of quick go-to meals!
These were quick, simple and delicious. I grilled them. They came out perfect.
Can’t wait to make these tomorrow I will add chicken to it tho.
Yo this was awesome! Used white kidney beans instead of black beans and it was still great!
Great ratios on the spice mixture also.
So easy and good! I’m eating leftovers of it now and can’t get enough! I put a little less onion in since not everyone in our family loves them but they still came out great. Thanks for another easy and affordable recipe.
Great recipe and very adaptable. We add in some carrots and sometimes a little chopped spinach to get in some extra veggies (hidden for sake of our toddler). We also tend to bake them at 350 for about 20 minutes so we can prepare a bunch at once and the whole family gets hot quesadillas at the same time. If baking, brush both sides of the tortilla with oil to keep it from drying out.
These are so delicious and quick! I added some diced jalapeños too; the filling made 5 filled quesadillas (10″ diameter tortillas). I used the extra filling I had left to make nachos. This recipe will be a new staple in my kitchen!! ◡̈
This was amazing. Such a simple recipe but it all came together as a delicious, filling meal. A great “pantry” recipe that leaves room open for improvising with whatever you happen to have on hand. I myself only had the black beans, onions, garlic and cheese. I added some garlic powder and chili lime seasoning. BudgetBytes never disappoints xx
This was also the first recipe I ever made from your website. I cook mine in the oven for about 10 minutes and serve them with white queso dip. I add canned chicken sometimes. My 8 year old has been eating them for like 5 years.
These look so good and easy! I bet that it would make a great filling for freezer burritos too! Thank you.
These were very tasty ‘dillas, but only made 7 tortillas using a 1/2 cup scoop and even with that reduced number they definitely *did not* only take 10 minutes to cook to golden brown – more like 30.
Amazing! I had one for lunch.
Using your Poor Man’s Burrito Bowls as a model, next time, I am going to see how these ingredients work as a bowl meal: Leave the beans undrained; add corn, garlic, and taco seasoning and warm through. Serve over rice and top with cheese, cilantro, and red onion.
These are great, I make them often – thanks for sharing them! They work fine with canned corn, too IMO (frozen is a bit hard to get where I am). I don’t freeze the whole quesadillas, but I often keep a batch of the filling in the fridge for 2-3 days for super quick dinners or lunches. If I run out of tortillas, I toss the filling into scrambled eggs for a delicious scramble.
This was also my first BudgetBytes recipe over 5 years ago, and it remains one of the few I have memorized. They’re the best!
This was the first of your recipes I ever made, about five years ago or so (needed a good recipe to make when hosting a party with vegetarian guests). Just made it again on Friday. SO YUMMY
This was one of the first recipes I made from this site and years later I still love it. It’s so versatile too. You can add in shredded chicken for more protein, rice to blulk it out, red bell peppers for crunch and flavor. So many options!
Unfortunately I just used up all my frozen corn yesterday. Excuse me while I go and update my grocery shopping list because this is definitely on the menu for next week.
I used your idea – had some leftover black bean mash – not enough to be equal to a can of corn so I quick-cooked some grits and added that instead. Chopped onion, cumin seed, a bit of garbanzo bean flour, some chopped jalapeno – all things I did have available plus some cheddar cheese mixed in. I always have a problem frying half-rounds so this time I put a tortilla flat, filling, top tortilla. Fried on both sides. We thought it needed a little salsa of some kind on top. Your recipe is so versitile and tasty. Thanks for posting it!
We’ve been making something very similar for years – loved it when I first tried it. We use homemade naan bread to make these – fry one side, then put the filling on the cooked side.
We make these all the time and had them for dinner last night. We make them in a sandwich press.
My kids LOVE these!
I ALWAYS look forward to making these bad boys! They’re flavorful and full of goodness. Although I end up making a pico, and I dread the extra chopping, I serve these with it & a good dollop of sour cream and they are a perfect happy blend! Someone else mentioned putting the corn/black bean mix into some Nachos and that was delicious as well! Glad to see it being featured again because it is a staple in my kitchen and family meals.
I’ve been making these for YEARS! I almost always have some in the freezer. I heat mine slowing in a dry, nonstick pan. Easy, cheap, healthy, flavorful, and filling. A perfect recipe!
These were delicious! We ate the whole batch in one sitting (2 adults and 3 kids). I plan on making them again Monday for dinner. To save time we put all the quesadillas in a 350 degree oven for 10 min, flipping halfway through, then broiled them for a couple of minutes to crisp them up. We ended up with 9 quesadillas. We used mission whole wheat soft taco tortillas.
These were AMAZING!!! I didn’t think they would be as good as they were!! Full of flavour. It is my first time on your site and I am loving the rest of your recipes. Thank you so much for sharing them!! :) xx
My 14 yo son is getting frustrated with my lack of meal planning for us. (Only him and I). My idea of meal planning is to pick a restaurant and plan on what time to go and what to eat. Last night it came to a boil (pun intended). So next day – I’m searching for meal planning ideas, determined to help my son become less frustrated with me and to help us eat healthier and cheaper. I came upon this site, and my son and I are going to cook this tonight. I’m excited I found this site. Excited to use other recipes here.
That is so awesome! And this is such a great recipe to start with. I hope it worked out well for you. :)
Amazing how something so tasty could be so simple! I prefer to heat up the mixture and then make a burrito with it though. I forgot to buy cilantro but added some sour cream and avocado and it was incredible. This is definitely entering regular rotation!
These were fantastic!!! So much flavour and just the right amount of filling!
Super yummy, cheap, and easy to make! I used two small shallots instead of red onion and garlic because that’s what I had available to me. I made one and stashed the rest in the freezer. I also added a note that soft scrambled eggs could be added partway through reheating. (note: I haven’t tried this yet but imagine it would be tasty.)
Wasted so much money on this as none of them stuck together. Find other recipes on the internet. This one made me actually angry. So frustrated and terrible meal made for my family.
that’s mean
Overall flavour super delicious, but a bit too spicy for me. I used your taco seasoning recipe and I think 1Tbsp of chilli powder is too much for my liking or my chilli powder is too hot.
Will do this again, but will definitely reduce chilli amount.
Chili powder doesn’t have heat in it.
I love these. I have made with canned or frozen corn and it works both ways. I’ve also made with pre-made taco seasoning and Beth’s seasoning (which I prefer). I use mission flour taco size tortillas and get 8 quesadillas from this recipe.
Really good! Used cheddar cheese. Adding a jalapeno, as suggested by others sounds good. I found that my corn tortillas cracked when I folded them over the filling prior to cooking. Next time I’ll either microwave the tortillas to increase flexibility prior to filling or wait to fold them until I’ve started cooking them. I found that 2.5 to 3 minutes per side in a medium heat (350 F) cast iron skillet lightly wiped down w/avocado oil got my tortillas nicely browned.
Good way to solve cracking problems is to put one tortilla in your greased cast iron pan, put your filling on top, adjust filling accordingly, put second tortilla on top of filling. Flip when cheese melts and hold tortillas together. The only way I make quesadillas.
This recipe is so yummy and easy! I add chopped jalapeno peppers and lime zest. Delish!
Loved them! So good I shared the recipe link with several people. Thank you for sharing.
Love love love them
Even my kids picky eats loved them
Ohhh lord, this was good. I had some cooked from dry black beans and wasn’t sure how many to use, so I just went with about two cups, which seems to have worked. Used a burrito-sized tortilla and filled it with a cup of filling, probably gonna take that down to 3/4 cup next time. Added jalapeño, used frozen white onion because it was all we had, and used cheddar cheese. Flavor was incredible, and it was so easy to mix up. This is a keeper!
Thank you!!! I just assembled this and had one for lunch and the others are in the freezer. So simple to make and I know I’m going to enjoy every one of these when I just don’t have the imagination or energy to prepare anything else. And they are delicious!!!
Delicious
I put manchego and mozarella.
More tasty
Thanks for sharing the recipe 🥰
A delicious, easy meal! I happened to have all the ingredients on hand save for the red onion & the fresh cilantro, so I subbed extra onion powder in the homemade taco seasoning (soooo much better than store bought!) and refrigerated cilantro paste. I used 8-inch whole wheat tortillas and made 6 hearty quesadillas. I loved the in-depth tips on freezing them—I frequently cook for one and often work late so having a delicious, easily-prepared meal at home that isn’t overly-processed is an absolute dream. I’ll be using this recipe many times over!
Amazing Quesadillas!! So simply yet SO GOOD! Thank you☺️❤️❤️
This is one hell of a hit here! Very easy to do and really cheap with ingredients that we always have on hand. I use what was left of the cheese mix and put it in eggs the next day. My 6 yo said it was a perfect meal. Thank you Beth. I tried a lot of your recipes and i had to comment this one. I will be making it on a regular basis.
Just wanted to share… I have been making these for years! The filling is great to keep in the fridge for a couple of days. Yesterday I had some to use up and ran out of tortillas, so I used it as a nacho topping! It was great. I just dolloped it on chips and added some more shredded cheese on top, then broiled for a few minutes. Delicious!!
I also like to make the batch and keep the filling in the fridge for a few days.
So easy and super delicious. I cooked some chicken strips with taco seasoning for the meat lovers of the family to add to theirs.
Super easy and delicious, first time making Quesadillas.Thanks for the recipe.
pretty decent!
I made these last night and froze them as a meal prep for work. I let them thaw and popped them in the toaster oven for a few mins, and finished up under broil to brown and crisp the tortilla. These are so good! Next time I’ll probably add a tiny bit more cheese, but I love that these were so quick to prep.
I ended up having these as leftovers the next day. They were in the refrigerator and to reheat them, which turned out excellent, I put them in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes, and then flipped it and heated for another minute. It was as good as freshly made.
I did these tonight and they turned out great. The recipe and the workflow worked out well. Instead of taco seasoning, I saved a little time and bought Walmart’s shredded cheese with taco seasoning added.
This looks so good! Just wondering that have you tried to use uncooked tortillas before? Should I cook the tortillas first and then follow your instructions? Thank you so much!
Hi Summer! Yes those uncooked tortillas are delicious. Definitely precook them to just cooked then proceed with the recipe as noted above.
Delicious! I took advantage of Aldi prices plus a flash sale 99¢ for the cheese and fed four for $4.45!
This was AMAZING. Honestly never thought I’d find something so good that I didn’t miss meat tacos, but this recipe knocks it out of the park.
Followed it to a tee, zero adjustments needed or wanted. So happy, thank you for sharing!
So I got too excited, didn’t read all the instructions, and then realized (after cooking them all) that you said to freeze them BEFORE you cook them 😬 Any advice on how to freeze them now they’re cooked?
Hi Anna! Not to worry, we all get a little excited sometimes! My suggestion would be to wrap them in parchment paper and then put them in a freezer safe bag. Then you can just reheat them as you’d like in the parchment.
First of all, let me congratulate you on your website. I continually come back for great butget friendly meal ideas.
NOW, as for this quesadilla recipe, it is the JAM in our household. I do variations on your basic recipe. I leave off the cilantro b/c no one in my family likes cilantro much. My daughter doesn’t like black beans. So when she is home from college I make the mixture w/o black beans for her and add a bowl of black beans and lime juice on the side for us to make individual quesadillas. I always add chicken. My sister has sworn off quesadillas from anywhere else. This recipe is the BOMB!!!
Yum!
I sauted the onion and garlic first because my tummy is sensitive to raw onions.
These are such a handy option to have in the freezer for a quick lunch or snack, served with some salsa and sour cream on the side.
As I pull them from the freezer bag, I leave the parchment papers in there – ready and waiting for the next batch I make, because there will definitely be a next batch!!
Great tip Erica.
If I were to write a book, could I use any of your recipes? I would credit you. I just think your recipes are great and would help so many others trying to eat healthier and more cheaply
Hi Cheryl, thanks for asking. If you are planning to write a book that will be for sale, you would need to purchase a license to reprint the recipe. If you’re interested, please use our contact form to send us an email. Thanks!
My family and friends love this recipe! I just put the black bean mixture (w/o cheese) on a bed of quinoa, topped with a little cheese, salsa, jalapenos, avocados. Its amazing! Such a yummy lunch idea.
Made these tonight. Didn’t change anything and used Monterey Jack cheese. They were so delicious and rediculusly quick and easy to make. Thank you for sharing!
Hi! I know this is an old one but figured I’d comment anyway. I work outdoors and so the most my lunch can be refrigerated is with an insulated lunch box for a few hours, plus no reheating. I’ve been trying to find more filling lunch ideas that don’t have to be reheated and came across these. If I was to freeze them and then let them thaw during the morning, and eat them room temp, do you think that would work? In that case, would I skillet cook them before freezing or just freeze them as is? Thanks!
I would probably cook them first so the cheese gets melted and acts as the glue to hold them together. They won’t stay crispy if you freeze and then let them thaw, but I bet they’d still be delicious!
These quesadillas were so delicious and easy to make! I like to try and have some meatless dishes for meals and these were perfect. My only issue was with the taco seasoning; I feel like I maybe added too much of something but the smokey flavour (perhaps the smoked paprika?) was a bit overpowering with the first batch I made. That just might be my own tastebuds however :) I added a bit of sugar to the bowl of filling and the next ones were amazing! I also added a red pepper as per another review and I thought it was a wonderful addition.
Sorry, did not mean to reply to your review, rather to post my own! :P
Just a suggestion, if you have the time… you could heat it over low heat in the morning as u got ready for work & then wrap it in foil. At least then you’d get to enjoy the crispness and melted cheese! I’ve been making these for a few years and my family loves them! Best of luck!!
Made this tonight for tea. Added leftover rice to the mix. Everyone loved them! I think Master 1 enjoyed them the most :-)
I made this with pepper jack. I freeze the mix in a gallon size zipper bag. The filling thaws as it cooks.
My husband and I decided to add some chicken to the recipe. He sliced two chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks and I cooked it with lime juice, chipotle chili powder, and garlic powder. Afterward, we mixed it in the black bean mixture and cooked as normal. With our leftovers, we mixed it with eggs and had amazing breakfast burritos. This recipe is amazingly versatile! Thanks!
These are so good! I was a bit skeptical at first, but they are delicious. I’ve made them a handful of times now with a packet of taco seasoning. Today I tried out the homemade taco seasoning and they’re even better! They freeze well. I always reheat in a skillet.
These are literally my favorite – and how I found your site. I always keep a stack of them in the freezer and swear I will never order a quesadilla from a restaurant again because these are better!!
Wonderful, thank you! I had more filling than tortillas so I mixed the rest with some leftover quinoa. Also delicious!
These came out so amazing, my girlfriend actually took the time out of her lunch break to come home and make another quesadilla with the leftovers. She’s never tried so hard for food before in her life.
Also, usually block cheese has made me a changed man. I’m never going back to pre-shredded.
I make these two-three times a month. They make great last minute lunch substitutions. I make mine “Jumbo” with burrito sized tortillas.
This is, without a doubt, one of my all-time favorite recipes. I make it so often, and it’s really easy to customize in case you want to spice up the flavor. My favorite thing to do is to add chopped up red and green bell peppers. It elevates this already-awesome recipe to a whole new level! Thanks so much for this recipe!
I wanted a simple dinner idea that was tasty and affordable and this fit the bill. My husband kept saying how much hed enjoyed them. Thanks for another winner
THESE WERE PERFECT!!!!!!! Made these last night since I had all the ingredients on hand. I used garlic paste from a tube since I had it in the fridge and I was worried that minced might not incorporate well enough to get rid of the “raw” and bitter flavor. My DH and grandkids scarfed them all down and declared them “make again” worthy. I had fajita-sized tortillas and got 9 beautiful quesadillas out of the recipe. I thought the home-made taco seasoning was spot-on ( and LOVE being able to control the salt content!). I had to laugh, because my 14-year-old granddaughter “hates” beans of any sort and she swooned over these. I’m sure there are many ways to “change these up”, but I’ll keep making them exactly as written until we get sick of them (if we ever do). Thank you, Beth!
Fantastic! These are a huge hit at my house. Plain bean and cheese quesadillas are a thing of the past! . Just as good out of the freezer which is so great for me. I have one kid who doesn’t like melted cheese, so I add a couple tablespoons of refried beans instead to bind everything together which is also a vegan option using vegetarian refried beans. Next time I’m making a double batch and freezing a ton. These didn’t make it 3 weeks in the freezer!
Yum! We loved these. I am going top try this as a tamale filling too. I love tamales but do not eat meat.
My Southern may be showing, but 2 t. of Blue Plate mixed in adds to the creaminess and also helps absorb some of the sharpness of the spice and red onion, without making it too greasy or adding too much to the overall calorie count. As my incredibly intelligent son says, mayonnaise makes everything better. :) Budgetbytes is my favorite, most reliable and most realistic site for recipes, for many years. Thanks, Beth!
Oooh, I never thought about adding mayo to this! Thanks for that great idea!
so delicous!!! thank you for this recipe!
Can you bake these instead of frying?
I haven’t tried it, but it might work. The only issue I can think might happen is that the top side of the tortilla might start to bend or curl up as it bakes. I didn’t fry mine though, I just toasted them in the hot skillet. I didn’t use any oil.
Just made them for dinner and it was a huge hit with the family. Super easy and delicious. This is my new go-to quick dinner from now on.
I just passed this recipe to a friend of mine. This is my go to food when I am too tired to book but still want more than a takeaway.
Thank you for this recipe! It is very kid friendly. My 5 year old says he could eat these every day. They freeze well and heat in a toaster oven frozen state on Bake/440 degrees, 5 minutes on each side.
These are so good. I have made them several times now and even my “meat & potatoes” husband loves them and because of the black beans he doesn’t miss meat and actually gets full! Thank you for sharing!
I have quite possibly commented on this one before sometime over the years (I just realized I’ve been reading Budget Bytes for about 6 years, how wild is that?!), but I just made these guys again and they’re just as good as ever! My store was out of cilantro which made me sad, but they were still yummy. I also used vegan cheese (RioLife brand) and it was fabulous! My pack of tortillas only had 8, but I used almost all the filling (probably could have done one more but I think I’m going to make some Tex Mex scrambled eggs tomorrow to use up the rest). Thanks as always!
Yum! I love the idea of mixing this with eggs! And believe it or not (I can hardly believe it), I started Budget Bytes over nine years ago! Crazy!
What are “taco sized tortillas”? How many inches across?
LOL, yeah the package said “taco size” but I now know that is not a standard measure. Haha. They were about 6 inches in diameter.
These were delicious! Didn’t have cilantro, so I omitted it, used about 2T of taco seasoning (almost too much). Used about 1c of cheese , which was enough for my taste. I will definitely make again and share this recipe!
I made these last night and they were quite good. Followed the recipe and made on whole wheat tortillas. I only got 9 all together but i do think the last one was a little extra full. I froze 5 of them and am excited to eat them again. I’ll probably make this recipe in the future and try to add shredded chicken and maybe some diced tomatoes… yum!
Again – another home run with your recipe!! I had half a red pepper in my fridge so I added that. Definitely didn’t need any additional seasoning, these were great. Even better that you don’t have to precook the filling – perfect weeknight dinner!!
Filled with fiber. Great for people who need it in their diet
I really like these but I think next time I might leave the cilantro and raw garlic out…they have such strong flavors that they were pretty overpowering…but I would definitely make them again…yum
I added a cup of Oriental rice noodles for crunch. I’m patting myself on the back… awesome
These quesidillas were awesome but I had to alter the recipe. To make them flavorful you need to add more taco season and cilantro. I also added garlic powder, jerk season and red pepper. I kept stirring until I got the taste I wanted. I put a layer of cheese on half of the flour tortilla then the bean mixture then another layer of cheese. Brown on both sides.
I’ve never been so excited to try a quesadilla before!
Has anyone tried warming these from frozen state in the oven? We have a large family, so thought this would speed up the process.
Thanks!
The only issue you might run into is that the top half of the tortilla may start to lift and curl in the hot oven. When you do it in a skillet you don’t get that because there is only heat on the one side.
That is exactly what we do. I make a huge batch of these (double or triple the recipe). I throw them in the freezer and the kids heat them up for afterschool or weekend snacks at 350 deg in the oven. They come out perfect! I have tried a million and one online recipes and this one has been our favorite for a few years now.
Did the question get answered? Is the tortilla counted in the calories and other nutritional info?
I have made these so many times, and they are fecking amazing. So delicious, so easy, and so cheap (especially when using home cooked beans). The only issue is making the taco seasoning – I might just have to make a giant batch to keep in the cupboard!
These are food crack! So delicious, so inexpensive and so easy! Even clean up is easy. I used reduced sodium packaged taco seasoning from Aldi, .39 cents, and a 10 ounce can of chicken breast, $1.50, and had chicken quesadillas. Thanks for a fantastic recipe.
What is the best way to cook them from frozen?
I do it in a warm skillet over medium low so they have time to thaw and melt on the inside before the outside gets too brown. I don’t add any butter or oil to the skillet.
I love these! (and so has everyone I’ve made them for) I keep them in the freezer and it is great to have an easy lunch to grab in the morning.
How much is one batch of tacos seasonning ? One tbsp ? I’m french ;)
Oh, that was supposed to be linked to the recipe for the taco seasoning! Sorry about that and thanks for catching the error. The recipe for taco seasoning that I make ends up being about 2 tablespoons. I hope that helps. :)
Someone asked so I ran it thru my recipe maker and came up with these numbers . . .
Nutrition Facts
Servings 10.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 288
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 11 g 17 %
Saturated Fat 6 g 31 %
Monounsaturated Fat 2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 27 mg 9 %
Sodium 449 mg 19 %
Potassium 180 mg 5 %
Total Carbohydrate 35 g 12 %
Dietary Fiber 6 g 25 %
Sugars 4 g
Protein 14 g 27 %
Vitamin A 8 %
Vitamin C 8 %
Calcium 33 %
Iron 11 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.
Does this include the tortilla?
I would also like to know if the values include the tortilla and if so, what size was your tortilla. Thanks
Do you have he nutritional information for this?
No, I’m sorry, I don’t have a reliable source for nutritional information.
So had to do a lot of improvising because my cupboards are bare I use the black beans Mexican cheese mix chipotle peppers from a can and chopped them up and put that in the mix I also used the sauce from the can and put them on the shell to hold it together and I also use chopped tomatoes garlic powder onion powder cumin a little bit of salt and pepper they were delicious
I also add a squeeze of one lime, brightens up the whole dish.
This sounds great, thank you. And an extra thank you for putting the recipe first. On most sites you have to scroll past tons of pics just to get to the recipe. I usually don’t bother. I’ll visit your site regularly.
Good recipe––with modifications. I reduced the amount of pepper to tone down the heat a bit and I was glad I did. The quesadillas were sufficiently spicing using less pepper in the Taco Seasoning. I used 2 teaspoons of chili powder instead of 1 tablespoon and cut the cayenne in half (1/8 teaspoon instead of 1/4). To increase the vegetable content, I added 1 cup grated (squeesed dry) zucchini, 1 diced avocado, and some grated carrot to the filling. Next time plan to add some sauteed mushrooms and spinach as well. Of course, doing so will compromise the simplicity of the recipe (will add another step and dirty another skillet) but to my mind the trade off would be worth it. Lastly, one final element of the recipe that I did not care for was the rawness of the garlic. The next time I make the recipe I plan to sautee the garlic (along with some mushrooms) to mellow out the harshness of the garlic.
This was amazing! My whole family loved it!
I made these last week and they were wonderful! Super easy and tasty. Thank you! :)
Has anyone cooked them first and then put them in the freezer successfully? Thanks!
The only reason I suggest against cooking them before freezing is that you’ll lose the crispness of the tortilla when it thaws. So I suggest filling and folding, then freezing. Then reheat it in a skillet so that it gets crisp as the inside warms up.
First – these are EASY and delicious! However, I had some issues with the corn tortillas breaking and ended up using two, with the filling in between them. I may have rinsed the beans too much, not sure, but it didn’t matter because they were delicious. Also, I added a green pepper and chicken breast so the recipe yielded far more than it should have (bonus!)
I especially loved following your recipe for homemade taco seasoning. I’ll never buy bagged again!
THANK YOU!
Would it be okay to use a yellow onion?
I think sliced green onions would provide better flavor.
I used a yellow onion and it was just fine!
What is the serving size? How many can you have at a meal? It says “servings 10 each”. I don’t think It means 10.
Thank you, I would love to make these if I can find out many you get for 243 calories…
Sorry, the serving info got messed up when I switched to the new recipe card plugin. The recipe makes 10 quesadillas, but how many you eat per serving is very variable from person to person, or whether you’re making it a meal with side dishes, or just eating it as a snack.
I had some zucchini to use up so I added 1 c.
grated and squeezed. Nice recipe
How many calories do these have?
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 243; Total Fat: 7g; Saturated Fat: 4g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 15mg; Sodium: 501mg; Carbohydrate: 37g; Dietary Fiber: 7g; Sugar: 2g; Protein: 11g
This was absolutely delicious! I hope my husband enjoys them, so I can put them in our dinner options for our busy nights!
I just made this tonight and used sprouted grain tortillas, turned out absolutely wonderful! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
I made these tonight, they turned out great!! I got all the ingredients at Aldi’s. Instead of taco seasoning mix, I used burrito seasoning mix (they didn’t have the taco). That is the only substitution I made. The red onion and garlic give this a lot of flavor also.
Nevermind; just found answer in older comments. I use your site all the time; thanks!
Hi! I’m cooking these and made double batch to freeze some extras. Do I cook them before I freeze them? Thanks so much!
Thank you for this delicious, quick & easy recipe! Toddler- and parent-friendly!
These are so so good. I add shredded rotisserie chicken to mine, and leave out the onion. We just devoured our servings and there’s plenty more filling for tomorrow :D Quick and easy but delicious.
FYI….this filling makes an awesome topping for nachos
I love this recipe so much, I have been using it for about 2 years now I think, thanks so much Beth! The costs are totally different for me as I am in Australia, but still cheap and sooo good to enjoy with friends! I use a flat sandwich press instead of frying pan, and this is a lot quicker but have done the pan in the past. I just noticed your tip on corn flour, i might try that next time :) I do also add a can of edgell mexi-beans which adds to the yumminess <333
So good. I needed a quick lunch for work tomorrow and made these in literally twenty minutes. I ate a piece of one – awesome! I’m going to have to pick up some corn starch though.
Do you use a package of taco seasoning? Or do you mix your own?mary
Hi Mary, I used my own mix. The link to it is in the recipe.
I have been attempting to print this recipe (including copy and paste) for days and cannot. Very frustrating!!
What happens when you click the print button? Are you using a computer, tablet, or mobile device? If you give me a few more details we may be able to trouble shoot it. Or email me at budgetbytes@gmail.com and I can send you the pdf of the print version.
The prices listed are as bargain-sale costs at the stores in my area. Either the price quotes should be dropped, or perhaps Beth can say where she does her shopping.
I do most of my shopping at a local grocery store chain here in Louisiana. Prices will always vary from region to region and even day to day. I show the prices to help people see how different ingredients impact the total cost of a recipe, even if your overall recipe cost may differ.
Just found your site and I am now obsessed! Do you think using a panini press would work too or would that get too messy?
If it has ridges, it might squeeze the fillings out. :)
Beth what are the calories for each quesadilla?
Just wanted to say that these are freaking great! Thank you! I found the recipe looking for meatless options and let’s just say meatless Mondays have become a joy now.
Third time I am making these for my lunches. I make them as per the recipe with extra spices. Then wrap and freeze them individually. Once completely frozen I put all the packages together in one large freezer bag. And try not to eat them all in one week!
Hello,
I’ve made these twice now and they are wonderful. I liked them so much the first time I actually made a tripled batch for the second one. They make for a quick and easy lunch. I love this site!
How many calories are in a serving?
Tried this recipe tonight for a quick dinner. It was a hit! Even my meat loving hubby liked it!
Just made these- they were so good! I think I used larger tortillas or too much filling, since I only ended up getting 7 quesadillas, but they were seriously delicious and filling! They were also super easy too- I made my beans in my Instant Pot (which took a bit of time), but other than that everything came together in just minutes.
Great recipe!!!
Question – how about a recipe for bbq chicken quesadillas? I put the following in mine:
shredded cooked chicken
sweet baby ray’s bbq sauce
grated sharp white cheddar cheese
cilantro
caramelized onions
sriracha for some spiciness (if desired)
so yummy!
Excellent idea, Josh!! I’ll be doing that soon. :)
My spouse made these for the first time about a year ago. Since then, they circle our staple-recipe rotation. He loves how easy they are to make, and I love that they can be frozen and reheated. We add diced cooked chicken breast occasionally for added protein, and love eating them with sides of avocado and salsa. Since I don’t love raw red onion, I cook it a little before adding to the rest of the ingredients.
Recently, we had several servings of filling in the fridge from the night before’s dinner, and made breakfast quesadillas by adding scrambled eggs to the inside before toasting the tortilla.
I am literally just finished making these and they are fantastic! So flavorful and filling. I wanted a little heat so added some diced green chili peppers and half the juice of a lime. Definitely making again!!
Just as an FYI to all: These work splendidly with vegan shredded “cheese” (I used Daiya brand cheddar-style, which I find pretty much tastes like Kraft Singles, which to me isn’t really a bad thing lol). I’m lactose intolerant so I try to avoid real cheese whenever possible (though of course sometimes nothing beats the real thing, in which case I brave the upset tummy!), and I wanted to try one of my old BB faves without the stomachache. Plus, replacing the cheese makes the recipe vegan! Hooray!
Though I’ve loved your blog for years, I recently started grad school and have been working my way through a ton of your recipes. I finally got around to making this BB classic – it did not disappoint! I used fresh corn since it was on sale and added some lime and avocado that I had. So delicious.
I made these last night they are delicious and recie is simple to follow. I never can cook anything so give it a try. Thank you.
I made these yesterday and they turned out great, even with a few below average ingredients. I had to work with frozen coriander, and a quickly put together taco seasoning that was missing a few key ingredients.
For cheese I used Tilsiter which is readily available in Germany and bakes really well. Made a quick salsa from canned tomatoes and it made a great meal.
Would cooking these in a skillet and *then* freezing them to nuke later work? I love the thought of freezing them, but a soft and potentially soggy quesadilla doesn’t sound as good as a nice, crispy one.
If you cook first, then freeze, you’ll either end up over browning the tortilla on the outside when trying to reheat in a skillet, or have a soft tortilla if you reheat in the microwave. Browning first in the skillet won’t keep it from being soft after thawing, unfortunately. If you freeze before cooking in a skillet you can brown/crisp the tortilla as it reheats without having it brown twice or over brown. That’s hard to explain, so I hope it made sense! :)
I made these even though I don’t like black beans (I told myself I would try it once and then modify if needed). However, these were so delicious that no changes were needed. My husband, who is a devoted carnivore, also said they were absolutely delicious.
This is my favorite recipe on your site. It’s so quick and easy, but equally delicious. They re-heat so well, you’d never know they were frozen. Both times I’ve made the recipe, I ended up with more filling than tortillas.. BUT, the next morning I used the excess as an omelette filling. Also an AWESOME filling for southwestern omelettes, just add a little sriracha on top for an extra kick to start the day.
Love this recipe, quesadillas are the best. Thanks simon.
Could you add rice to it and skip the corn?
Sure! :)
Do you think it would work cooking these in a sandwich press instead of a skillet?
Yes, probably! As long as the grooves in the press are not too deep. :)
This is my favorite recipe from your blog (and I really like a lot of them)! I share it with friends and they’re psyched about it too. Thank you!
I made these last night and even my toddler loved them. However, I did have issues with flipping them in the pan and eating them without half the filling falling out. Any tips? I even added more cheese as I figured that would help them stick.
Hmm, I think by the time I flip them the bottom has gotten crispy and stiff, so that helps them to not flop around and spill the filling. :) A wide spatula should also help!
I’ve made this recipe a few times and it’s always a hit with my family. Though I find that adding dried oregano, cummin, paprika powder and fresh jalapeno INSTEAD of fabricated Taco seasoning enchances the flavors in a really positive way. When adding taco seasoning I always find it too overpowering. Then I always serve with sour cream, a hot tomato salsa and guacamole. It’s a nice, filling dish and depending on the side dishes is great for family dinnes as well as when having company.
Very filling and tasty. I used maybe 6oz of cheese, because I was using up an already open bag, and used fajita tortillas because they looked good. I dipped them in a bit of left over crema from the Mexican grocery, although salsa or guacamole would have been even better!
I’ve made these a few times (without onion) for my husband and one year old. We all love them!
So im going to start off by saying this is the FIRST time ive ever actually left a comment on the food recipes I have made so far. So to anyone skeptical, THATS HOW GOOD THIS RECIPE IS! LOL. Super tasty, the ONLY thing I did was cut up a few fresh grape tomatoes and add them in. Spot on! Really great mix of ingredients, packed full of flavor! And I even have a great tip on freezing. I actually COOK them, cut them, line them on a baking sheet in the freezer, then when frozen put them in a container. But the reheating process is where its different, if any of you own a Toaster Oven, I highly suggest using that to reheat. SO the outside is nice and crispy as its already been cooked, and the insides get warm and gooey! (thawed out first from the freezer).
I cannot believe how good these are! They’re so simple to make and, according to what I logged on My Fitness Pal, under 300 calories. I made these by the recipe, except I added Rotel tomatoes and totally forgot the corn. The taco seasoning has some amazing flavor in it. I got 8 out of it instead of 10. I ate one today with some sour cream to dip it in. A delicious, low calorie lunch that’s easy to carry to work & reheat; how can you beat that?!
This was way good. Will be making it again soon and often.
Just made these and they remind me of Chili’s southwest egg rolls, but much healthier of course! Great recipe! Love your blog!
The perfect college kid food. I made about 8 of these (I used too much filling to make all 10) and froze them. Great to learn this quick little trick. I followed the slow cooker black bean directions and froze the leftovers so I have plenty more leftover for the future. Thanks very much for your recipes! I’m addicted!
This was wonderful!!! Thank you so much!! Made it once the regular way, then made it again but added chicken. Great both times!
My head exploded when I saw that you mixed all of your ingredients together before building your quesadilla. I have never even considered that! I can’t wait to make these. I think I might also make a frozen batch for my boyfriend who works crazy hours and never has time to cook.
Can you use corn tortillas?
If you prefer them, yes, but I find they tend to break when folded over so tight.
One word for this recipe: DELICIOUS! Even my picky five year old liked it. Will definitely be making again.
Just made these! Added diced green chilies, and sauteed some onion and bell pepper. Had to cook chicken (used your taco seasoning to season it), and cut it into cubes. 1/2 cup per taco seemed like too much, so I used 1/4 cup scoops and was able to fill 16 quesadillas. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Goddddd these are so good. And such a brilliant idea. I take to work and just microwave them and they still taste amazing! They thaw perfectly between waking up and lunch time. I just made a couple last night with excess enchilada filling I didn’t know what to do with. DELICIOUS AS ALWAYS! Thank you!!
Anyone have tips for reheating? I made these and loved them! But when I went to reheat them after freezing, I often ended up with a burnt tortilla and still frozen center.
I ended up thawing in the microwave before cooking in a dry skillet. Does anyone have a better idea?
I find that if I keep the heat pretty low on the skillet, it lets the inside warm up before the outside browns, but thawing in the microwave might be faster! :)
These were delicious! And they are *quite* hearty, true to their name. I wanted to add some more green to this recipe, so I wilted about 6 oz. of spinach in a pan and stirred it into the mixture. The quesadillas were still amazing.
Hi – love this recipe – it’s a ‘go-to’ of mine. If I was doing a large batch of these for a party, do you think I can bake them in the oven instead of in a skillet? Last time I did them on a large skillet, but couldn’t keep up with demand! Thanks
I think I tried that once but the tortillas curled up and didn’t stay flat. :/
I want to thank (or is it blame ;) ) you for getting me hooked on “anything quesadillas”. By that I mean that after I made these, anything I felt like reheating into a toasty, vaguely quesadilla form is fair game. For example, if I’m in the mood for something pizza like for lunch but in a hurry to eat, cheese + a few pepperoni + a spoon of pizza sauce (frozen in small portion now) satisfies the craving.
I’m going to make use of two leftover tonight based on the above. I’m combining the spicy black beans I made awhile ago that need to be used from my freezer with the last of my shredded chicken and the other onion/cilantro combo above. I’m lucky enough to live walking distance from a Carnerceria that sells rounds of quesadilla cheese too, so that makes this and other plays on it easy and very affordable!
Ooooh, you’re so lucky! I seriously keep tortillas in my fridge at ALL times because of “anything quesadillas”. :)
Just wanted to say we LOVE these. We normally make a double batch, freezing about half and eating the rest throughout the week. We go for extra cilantro plus tomatoes if on hand. I also like to make a pot of rice and eat it as a bowl meal. Since we often have baby spinach, I add a handful for an easy well-rounded tupperware lunch. I layer rice, then torn spinach leaves, sprinkled with a little salt and pepper, and then the bean mixture on top. The spinach cooks nicely in the microwave when you heat it up the whole thing. Add a little Crystal hot sauce…mmmmmm
I really enjoyed this recipe. I added a little lime and hot sauce, and sautéed everything before I mixed in cheese and filled. Delicious. Made a bunch of mini quesadillas for lunch and snacking this week.
THANKS!
Hi Beth,
I’m obsessed with these (and your website). I make them all the time, and bring frozen ones to work to reheat for lunch. Thank you. They’re great with lowfat or 0% Greek yogurt in place of sour cream!
Question: Every time I make them using the recommended 1/2 cup of filling, I just barely have enough for 8 servings. The recipe says there are 10, though — not sure what I’m doing wrong!
Maybe it’s because I omit the cilantro..?
Anyway, great work.
Sarah
It could be that or maybe your tortillas are slightly larger than mine were. :) Or, maybe I didn’t pack the filling quite as much into the measuring cup? You can bulk it up with a little extra corn, maybe a bell pepper, or an extra can of beans.
Have you prepared these in the oven rather than on the stovetop? Trying to feed company makes it difficult to do one-by-one in the frying pan.
Thanks, they’re delicious!
If you try them in the oven, the tortillas might curl up as they bake. They won’t get that nice browned exterior, just a little browning around the edges.
Great recipe! Would you be able to provide the nutrition information? Thanks!
I love this recipe! I try to always have them stocked in my freezer.
Last time I added some sweet potato and it stretched out the batch and made them really hearty.
Thanks so much for all your freezer-friendly recipes! They are great for grad students living alone like me :)
I’m not a fan of onions, should I add more cilantro or just use onion powder?
I think onion powder would be a good option. You can always add more cilantro if you like, but it wouldn’t be necessary.
I’ve made these for an annual camping trip/festival for 3 years in a row and thought I should finally show some comment love since I’m about to do it again! I mix up the filling and freeze it in jars, then we just bring the tortillas along and cook up the whole shebang up on the camp stove. I’ve also used your Slow Cooker Chicken Taco recipe in a similar way, but we’re definitely careful to use the chicken jars the first night. Last year I had people coming up to our camp site asking for them – said they were the best things they ate all weekend the year before! :) Thank you for all you do!
i make these almost every week now! If I’m not in a rush i saute the onions and beans with half the spice mix and a couple tablespoons of salsa before mixing it with everything else. I’ve been following your blog for 2 years now, thanks for all the great money saving recipes!
Restaurant quality quesadillas. I made your pico de gallo salsa recipe and topped with a little sour cream. I also froze some for future easy meals.
Thank you!!!
Can a can of corn be substituted instead?
Looking to make this on a camping trip :)
Yes, just make sure to drain it REALLY well.
Thank you for this recipe! I’ve never made a good quesadilla before this, and these were amazing! It was also the first time I’ve cooked with black beans. The freezing instructions were helpful as I am single and I have several frozen meals to look forward to.
I’ve been making these for several months now, and they may be my favorite meal ever with sour cream, tortilla chips and mango or pineapple salsa. All three of my kids LOVE them. I double the recipe and freeze leftovers. They’re just as good, maybe better, heated up out of the freezer. Thanks so much!!
Very wise use of corn starch in this, and a mark of a great cook. The freezing instructions was also a great touch. These will be a staple at my house forever more. Thank you
You killed it once again! On point as always. Thanks for this!
These were great! They were so flavorful I didn’t even try to add sour cream or salsa.
these were delicious!! even my boyfriend who is always reluctant to eat ANYthing that does not have meat in it loved them. So easy, quick and flavorful!!
Just made a batch of these. So, so good! Thanks for your site. My stomach thanks you as well. :)
Hey I feel silly for asking, but if I’m freezing some to reheat in the microwave- should I cook them first?
They’re delicious!
You don’t have to. You only need to “cook” this one to melt the cheese and make the tortilla crispy. I’d suggest reheating it in a skillet to get that crispy tortilla instead of the microwave, though. Just make sure to reheat on low so that the inside has time to thaw and melt before the tortilla gets too brown.
Oh, and never feel silly for asking a question. :) You have to learn some how, right?
So delicious… I can’t stop eating these, help!!
How have I not commented on this yet? I make them at least once a month. These are just amazingly delicious, a bit of work to prepare a new batch but then SO EASY to reheat and eat. I accidentally put in a tablespoon of paprika last time, but it didn’t seem to adversely affect the taste.
Hi there! How much cornstarch should I mix in to the taco seasoning? Thanks!
1/2 tsp. Adding that note to the post now, thanks! :)
This was awesome! Loved by the whole family.
Where is the meat? No meat, no eat.
“Hearty black bean quesadillas”
WRONG!
“EPIC black bean quesadillas”
Perfect for everything, from a lunch, to a Superbowl party…
I made this by mixing half of the taco seasoning with the onion, some lime juice and a cubed sweet potato. Roast in the oven until the potatoes are soft and serve like tacos! Awesome way to add servings, and very delicious!
Very delicious! I left out the cilantro and added one breast shredded chicken…soo good! I also put a dollop of sour cream on the plate and some salsa to dip in. Thanks beth for this awesome recipe
This was so simple to follow! I was skeptical, as I am not so well versed around the kitchen. Followed the instructions (Thanks for the way you present them. Pictures are good!), but substituted the onions for tomato. I was blown away how good they were, I ate 3 of them. Next time I want to impress a date this is a go to. Got another easy healthy recipe like this?
Keep up the great work!
Brad
These are fantastic!
I added a little habanero sauce to the mix just to give them some extra kick.
My girlfriend and I really loved this recipe after I made it tonight. We’ll probably either substitute or omit the cilantro for her benefit next time (it tastes like soap to her), but the original recipe is excellent to me.
What would you substitute for the cilantro?? I don’t like it either…
I woul just leave it out. There will still be plenty of flavor.
I used chopped parsley instead of the cilantro…They were delicious!
These are so delicious I accidentally burned the first one I made and I still ate it with delight.
If I had been at my parents house I would have been tempted to slap my mother.
Just made a small batch of these and they were gorgeous! Perfect teatime fare if you don’t feel like something light. Thank you!
These are truly better than you can imagine!
These are so good. I make them ALL the time at our house.
Thank you for taking the time to post these recipes. they are of great help!
Just made these! Cooked two and threw the rest in the freezer. They were super filling and went nicely with a generous pool of sriracha. I also drained and rinsed my beans completely, and they still stuck together/ came out perfectly well. Thanks for the easy, cheap freezer recipe!
I followed the recipe verbatim. It turned out awesome. I used a packet of Taco Bell taco seasoning and froze them (with the exception of the one I cooked immediately) so I’m interested to see if they get soggy once defrosted and cooked.
If you reheat them over low flame in a skillet, they should defrost and get crispy on the outside. If the heat is too high, though, the outside will burn before the inside heats up.
These were really good. I had to replace the fresh cilantro with dried, but they were still really good :)
Is there any way to make your own homemade taco spices using cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder? How much would you use? The premade seasonings usually have so much sodium.
I’ve got ya covered! Here is my taco seasoning recipe. :)
These were some very satisfying quesadillas! I substituted hatch green chiles for the cilantro to give them a kick ’cause that how I like it! ;) I also sauteed the red onions in a little olive oil before adding them to the mix just because that’s how I prefer onions to be in a quesadilla. I froze half of them and am very excited that I now have homemade, delicious, and healthy snacks in my freezer! Thanks Beth!
Made these last night and WOW. I made homemade salsa to go with (red onion, cilantro, plum tomatoes, 1/2 jalapeno, garlic, lime…). Since i used the raw red onion in the salsa, I ommited it from the quesadillas.
Also, we drained the beans, seasoned them and roasted them at 400F for like 5 minutes…amazing!
Wonderful! Especially when dipped in salsa! Although it was my first time cooking with fresh cilantro and I think I added too much for my taste. I’m making another batch tomorrow and I’m planning to add 1/2 lb ground turkey per my husbands request.
Made these tonight and loved them! Even my 10 month old devoured nearly an entire quesadilla.
My boyfriend and I make these all the time. Pretty much our weeknight classic for at least the past year! The other day we started to make them then realized we had no tortillas. We had a couple potatoes lying around, so we boiled those and mixed the rest of this recipe with them. It turned into this really awesome cheesy potato dish. Bonus: it ended up saving a dollar or two!
Awesome!
So easy and so delicious! My freezer is stocked with these and I’m having them for breakfast now. I microwave them in parchment paper so they stay neat and clean to eat during my morning commute.
I added capsicum n corn and it tated fantabulous…awesome recipe. Love it!!!! :’)
Its so delicious…. love it… im gonna make it often from now on! :D
I made these tonight, very good! Had one for supper and froze the rest. I’ve been searching through the comments, and haven’t yet found an answer on the best way to reheat frozen quesadillas?
Suggestions?
I like to do it in a warm (but not hot) skillet. Keeping the heat in the skillet a little on the low side gives the inside time to thaw and warm before the tortilla gets to brown and burns. It takes a little bit longer, but it worth the results.
Awesome recipe that has become a staple in our house. We eat these at least once a week. Delicious!
I made these for the second time tonight, and my husband asked why we don’t do them more often! I didn’t have a good answer for him – these are SO good, simple and cheap to boot! I didn’t have any red onion so I just used yellow…also cut the cheese down to 1.25 cups this time (to help me justify seconds :-)) and it was still a great meal. Thanks for this recipe!
I added diced tomatoes inside super tasty!!!!
Made them as written and LOVED them! Though I did use packaged taco seasoning, I only used 2 TBSP and that was perfect.
Curious for those who freeze them and then microwave later, about how long do you run them for? Thinking about making them for the kids’ lunch boxes this fall, as they have microwaves they can use at school. They’ll probably be mostly thawed by the time they get to the cafeteria anyway, so probably not long. Just wondering what your experiences are.
I want to use up some red peppers in this recipe and I don’t want to use taco seasoning due to the sodium content. Any suggestions?
Yep, you can just dice up the red pepper and add it into the mix. For the taco seasoning in this recipe, I used my homemade taco seasoning, which has only 1/2 tsp of salt for the entire batch. You can always adjust that down to your liking. :)
These are fantastic! I made one batch two days ago which didn’t last very long in my house and had to make a double batch today. They’re amazing.
I use only half a packet of taco seasoning and I don’t mix the cheese into the other ingredients. I just pile the cheese on top of the bean and corn mix, then fold over the tortilla to heat. I can have more or less cheese on each one according to individual taste.
I am in love with this recipe. It’s so simple and there is a TON for leftovers.
This recipe was amazing! I used my panini grill to heat them, super fast and easy. :)
this recipe was soooo good. <3 price for a canned black bean was at .88c though but having the rest of the ingredients handy at home comforted me a bit. LOL
Yummy recipe! Thanks! I even made mine mostly organic and it came out to 0.97 each!
I was wondering…Have you ever tried baking them? I had a hard time modulating the right flame. Thanks again for the great recipe!
My only options for making the taco seasoning are sweet or spicy paprika. Which would you recommend?
I’d choose the spicy paprika, but that’s because I love spicy stuff! :)
Tried these last night with 1/2 kidney beans and 1/2 cannellini beans and they were awesome! I made mine with 2 cans beans and big tortillas, so I had two big quesadillas for dinner for the hubs and I and two more in the freezer for the weekend. They were so quick and tasty!
Just made these for dinner tonight and they are awesome!!! I’m a big meat eater and I didn’t even miss it!
Made these tonight for dinner after work. I didn’t have cilantro (my husband picked up parsley by mistake) I added cooked chicken. They were soooo yummy with lots of flavour!!! I will make these again!
Another weeknight favorite. Filling, delicious, and the freezing directions are a godsend.
Delicious. So glad I found your site. I used a packet of taco seasoning and found it too salty. I’ll try your homemade mix next time.
I can’t believe how cheap these are and yummy.
These were delicious! I think this recipe finally convinced my husband that quesadillas can be awesome and tasty!
I really liked these. I got a lot of “They’re okay, but there’s too much onion,” from the family. I’m considering nixing the onion in favor of powder in the future.
Finally made these again and they’re wonderful. My first attempt was only ok. Despite liking wheat breads, I don’t seem to like wheat tortillas I’ve tried.
Also, since I had 3 left over tortillas (surprise 11 in my pkg lol) I made mediterranean ones with spinach, feta, mozz, and zucchini. Tried a bite but lacks the oomph that the black bean quesa has. I think I need tzatziki with it. =)
This has become a favourite staple in our house. It’s easy enough to make extras, and they make great leftovers, even if they’re frozen and just reheated in the microwave.
Made these for a Super Bowl potluck and they flew off the plate!
OMgah, we obviously bought the same cheap measuring cups where the size label rubs off after heavy use and you just need to get used to eyeballing which of your measuring cups is the right size.
Hahahah Yep! ;)
I made these last night, but to make them a bit healthier, I ended up baking them for 15 minutes on 350*F. SOO yummy!
And I don’t like onions, so instead of the red onion, I used 1/4 c. frozen chopped onions instead. The texture and filler is still there, but the flavor isn’t as hot or oniony.
Made these last night, so tasty and easy, what an awesome idea to freeze and reheat!!! Love it, got my stash in the freezer!!
I have to say my stash of these is gone! I powered through these all week, even warming them in the microwave they are delicious! Time to make more!!!
This recipe is a favourite of mine!
I made it part of my holiday party buffet, and they were a huge hit! I’m tempted to use it again this year.
Do you have any suggestions for another one of your recipes to use this year instead? For a crowd, and will be kept warm in a buffet server.
If you liked the black bean quesadillas, you’d probably like the Black Bean & Avocado Enchiladas and those would be great to keep warm in a buffet! Or you could even do something like the Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups, which are pretty much pre-portioned!
Awesome suggestions – Thanks!
I made these, they were really easy and really really good. There is nothing you need to change with this recipe. Thanks Beth.
Beth, You are a lifesaver! These were super easy, cheap, lasted a long time (left-overs for days), and flavorful! Thank you for your recipes!
I’ve made these twice now, and they are fantastic. Thanks for the recipe, and thanks especially for the storage and freezing directions! So useful.
Love this recipe. I make double batches and toss them in the freezer.
These are INCREDIBLE. I made these a few weeks ago, froze the whole batch and ate them for lunch at work over a few weeks. Phenomenal, filling, and cheap. I’ve since made four or five recipes from your site and they’ve all come out wonderfully (and I consider myself a non-cook). You’ve got something really great here – a great voice and really simple but thorough instructions for those of us who aren’t really experienced cooks. I look forward to new recipes! Thank you!
Stumbled onto your website from Pinterest. LOVE this recipe….also made the potato soup on the weekend. Your site is bookmarked as my go-to for each recipes.
Thanks for sharing!!!
Cheap, easy, and deliciously filling! Three things that are a must on any budget. We’ve been making this once a week for several months and have not gotten tired of it yet. They also reheat pretty well, too.
I’m munching on one of these right now and this stuff is amazing! Hearty, cheesy and just the right amount of spicy =) But maybe it could be a bit too hot for some people, although I’m not sure thats the recipe’s fault, because I also make my own chilli powder (there’s none for sale here in Portugal), and it already has cayenne in it, and I still added the extra cayenne when mixing the ingredients for the taco mix, so maybe that’s why my mix is hot… I like it though!
Oh, did I mention I made these with your low fat tortillas (AP flour only)? I was a bit scared because you didn’t praise them much, but since I didn’t have any tortillas in the house, or any lard I gave them a shot, and so far so good! They’re not exactly like store bought, but they’re very good =)
So, thanks for another great recipe, I’m looking forward to NOT cooking during the next week or so (finals week) since the rest of these are freezing right now along with some other freeze ahead meals =)
These were soooo good! I made a tex-mex pasta salad to go with and it was a very filling meal, which is great because we are looking to eat more vegetarian meals!
My filling was only enough for eight tortillas, but still awesome!! Thanks so much, Iove your site.
Thanks so much for the website and recipe!
I just made these really tasty quesadillas.
Tip: If you like “hot” salsa, then follow the amounts given for the taco seasoning. I prefer mild salsa, even medium salsa’s are more heat than I prefer, so next time I’d cut the chili and cayenne by half. You can always put hot sauce on it if you think it needs more kick :)
Thanks again.
These are AMAZING – am so glad I tried them! And I don’t even like black beans! Ha!
These were so DELICIOUS! I was just eating the mix before I began putting it in the tortillas… I cooked them last night and just realized I forgot to add the cilantro. I love cilantro don’t know how I forgot it. Only means I will have to make them again.
This recipe is so affordable and easy to make… it’s going in my recipe book with a star next to it so I remember to it’s one of my favorites. And my husband loved them. In the future I will try adding meat inside.
Thank you so much for sharing!
Great Recipe! I threw in a diced red pepper I had to use up- and fried them up on a griddle using a cast iron frying pan to get them nice and flat… Thanks!
I tried these last night for dinner & they turned out awesome. The filling was great! I’ve actually never used 1 tortilla & folded it over like instructed. I will definitely do that from now on!
Thank you for a great recipe!
Made this today, so easy and filling! This is a very good recipe that i’ll definitely be using again!
OMG this took me less than 10 minutes to prep! Wow I love this!
Tried them tonight and they were delicious!
Greetings from Germany :)
I added the juice of half a lime and more cilantro. DIVINE.
They were great! Very simple to do, and much tastier than the ones in stores. Thank you!
These are great! Even my 8-year-old likes them (I use a little less taco seasoning for her). They really do freeze well, too! I like the suggestion of adding some lime juice. Perfect for a day when you don’t want to turn on the oven.
Just made these, and my mouth wants more, even though my belly is perfectly content. This is the first time I’ve found a recipe with black beans that I enjoy, but they were delicious. The hubby started to eat one raw and wasn’t that impressed (lol!). Once cooked, he was hooked too. I just barely got some in the freezer, because they were in dire threat of being all eaten instantly.
Next time, I’d probably add a little lime juice and maybe some lime zest for a little extra zing. Also, I had the little 6″ taco tortillas, so I had a lot of extra filling left over (horray!). I found it a lot easier to cook them in the skillet on low heat open-faced, then when the outside was just starting to get crispy, flip them closed and let the melted cheese glue it together.
I’m going to try this tonight but add some avocado to the recipe. Thanks!
I’ve been making these since the original posting, always gluten free. Either make my own GF tortillas or use Rudi’s plain or spinach GF tortillas (from Whole Foods). These freeze well. Just wrap in foil and put several in a freezer bag. Also easy to adjust the recipe for various allergies. These are also fun to cook in a quesadilla maker, although it is faster to cook 2 at once in a frying pan. Just put the ‘flat sides’ toward the middle and the half moons on the rounded edge of the pan. Thanks for the great inspiration!
thought these looked interesting and decided to try them out… fantastic! i only give mine a 8/10 because i used wheat+gluten free tortillas which weren’t the tastiest. but thats my own twist on the recipe, i think its a winner all in all! 7 left in the freezer, might last me the next week. will be great to come home after work and able to have something hot, healthy and tasty ready to be warmed up!
Loved these! Only made 7, even though I followed the recipe exactly. Fast and easy for a night when I was short on time.
Just tried this, and it was so freaking delicious and filling.
I added chicken, used two kinds of beans (kidney and black beans) and used three kinds of cheeses (monterrey jack, pepper jack, and cheddar) and I wanted to like…lick the plate.
Happily, I made enough to have for lunch AND dinner tomorrow, and I can’t wait!
I also made your mexican rice to eat with it. :D
When I made the recipe as written, putting 1/2c filling in each tortilla, I filled exactly 9, not 10. (They were still delicious.) I recently made the recipe again and added a chopped bell pepper in and it came out to 10 perfectly.
Someone up above asked about calories… It depends entirely on the kind of cheese and tortillas you use. I use Sargento’s shredded 4 cheese reduced fat Mexican blend (which conveniently comes in 2 cup bags! 640cal per bag) and Giant Eagle’s “fiber rich” taco-sized flour tortillas (70cal/ea) — and, as said, I add bell pepper. The nutritional information for these is, per quesadilla:
217 calories
29g carbs
9g fat
13g protein
20g fiber (v. high for mine because of the tortillas I use)
3g sugar
Hope this helps someone. Cheers!
These are AMAZING! We have these at least once every two weeks because they’re so easy and make great leftovers! Only thing I do differently is use a taco seasoning packet instead of making my own…I’m lazy. :P Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Just made these and found them quick, easy, and delicious. Thanks for sharing!
If you’re long on time and short on money I just discovered that homemade tortillas are easy and surprisingly fun to make and probably run you well under $1 for a batch of 10 – 12. (Recipes are all over but I had good luck with this cooks.com one http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1757,130189-249197,00.html )
I really liked these, but I also liked them a little better with a little lemon juice to give it some extra zing. Paired with sour cream, they were great.
I made this last night and tonight and LOVED them. I added chicken, 2 avocados and salsa and the batch was so big it was 2 dinners and one lunch. I didn’t realize you absolutely cannot use corn tortillas, they just fall apart. With the whole wheat ones they were amazing! I can’t wait to start on your other recipes!
I just made this and LOVE IT! This is the fifth recipe I’ve made from your website and all of them have been fantastic. Thanks so much!!
I found out about your site from a friend of mine. Absolutely love it. Thank you for doing this; keep up the great work. I made these tonight. ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!!!!
Omg so yummy i scarfed down two and am so full now. I froze the rest and am looking forward to using the leftovers for lunch or dinner. Thanks for another hit recipe :)
Anon – I think if you left the cilantro out without replacing it with anything else, the quesadillas would still be awesome. :) I can’t think of another fresh herb that has a distinct southwest flavor like cilantro and you don’t want to put something in that would clash. Just skip the cilantro and you’ll still be good!
I’m alergic to cilantro. Is there any other herb you can suggest?
These were delicious and definitely hearty. My carnivorous three year old even enjoyed them. Tip for next time: I’ll make a batch of the taco seasoning with a mild chili powder and the cayenne omitted for the kids’ serving.
I made these our holiday party last night, and I honestly couldn’t get them out of the pan fast enough to keep up with demand!
Literally just finished eating these…they were AWESOME. Best quesadillas I’ve ever had! The seasoning was perfect, a bit spicy and super flavourful. Dipped ’em in some sour cream and all was well!
These were great! I am a complete cooking beginner and a tight budget have forced me to start cooking actual meals. The way you lay things out is super easy to follow, and I was able to easily make this! I made this with your lime rice recipe. I enjoyed this so much, and so did my boyfriend who says he hates corn and beans. He REALLY LOVED your taco seasoning. :D I am probably going to end up going through and making all of your recipes. You are a lifesaver!
These were so simple, healthy, inexpensive, and amazing!
Seriously amazing!! I made these a few weeks ago but they were too spicy for the kiddos so I made up the rest froze them in little baggies and whenever I need a quick lunch I pop it in the toaster oven and mmmmmmm…. in 10 minutes! Thanks for another fantastic recipe!!
These are incredible. Made them a few weeks ago, freezed a few and sent the BF home with some. He hasn’t stopped raving about them since!
These were awesome,with the ingredients I used they only came out to be about 269 calories each!! I shared them with my friends of My Fitness Pal, hope you don’t mind, I sent them the link too because everyonw should check out this site. Hope you have a wonderful day, Thanks again..
arata foarte bine, chiar inspirational as spune :)
I’m gluten free, has anyone tried this recipe with corn tortillas? I’ve not been able to find a yummy gluten free flour tortilla yet. Thanks!
I think this would be delicious with corn tortillas!
Kharmak – try microwaving them on half power. I suggest reheating them in a skillet so that the outside can get crispy while the inside melts. Heat over medium/low heat.
How can I keep these from getting hard when I microwave them from the freezer?
Oh my goodness, these are SO good! My meat-loving boyfriend even loved it! Now I just need to get off my lazy butt and make the homemade black beans again. Just had one for lunch. Wish I brought more! Heated it up in the toaster oven and it tasted just like they did one the first day I made ’em.
@ Rachelle… when a recipe calls for minced garlic, just use the small side of a cheese grater :-)
Just made these & I’m already OBSESSED. Definitely making these in a double or triple batch next time – I only got 6 out of this recipe because someone in my house discovered the filling and magically two cups disappeared! I also used your taco seasoning and it was absolutely delicious (and cheap since I already had everything on hand). I used to buy the Lean Cuisine version – no more. :)
“Is this from that Budget Bytes place?” My husband now asks this whenever he really likes a new recipe. :-) so easy and so filling and so TASTY!!!! used black beans made in my slow cooker using your recipe too. LOVE LOVE LOVE your site
one word: magnificent
I just made these tonight along with some salsa and your baked zucchini chips – wonderful combination! Thank you so much :) Definitely a go-to dinner from now on and I froze another one for lunch tomorrow!
Anon – I freeze them before cooking and then to cook I take them straight from the freezer and put them into a warm skillet. Don’t turn the skillet up too high or else the outside will brown before the inside has a chance to defrost and get melty. I usually set the burner to just below medium.
noody ever ansered the freezer questions.. do u cook them before you freeze hem and do you defros them or just cook them frozen.. would need anser before freezing..
YUM! Just made these, and they are delicious! Thanks!
I just wanted to say that this is so scrumptious. I have a feeling I will use this recipe for quite a while, and it’s SO easy to make and it’s so healthy! I added tomatoes to mine. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. The zucchini fries might be next!
Ok, this is one of the beeest recipes I’ve ever tasted!!! Sooo good!!! :) I didn’t have cilantro, so I used recao (a leaf popular in Puerto Rico for cooking). Saludos desde Puerto Rico!!! :) God bless you!
I added chopped tomatoes to mine. They are delicious!
This one is a solid recipe. We’ve made several of your “bean inspired” recipes and this one we LOVED! My husband, who hates cilantro, was too busy scarfing these down to even notice! Love your blog! Keep up the amazing work! (We will be FIRST to buy your cookbook!)
First, I love this blog. I am always looking for ways to trim my family’s food costs (we love good food so this is where we tend to splurge).
Second, if you are looking for ways to trim the cost even further down, I would recommend making your own tortillas. I haven’t made flour tortillas yet, but I’ve done corn, and they are super easy! (Well, my first batch wasn’t as good as my second batch) For a bag of mesa, it was $2.59 (or around there) and you only add water and salt to the flour. I have already made almost 30 tortillas and haven’t even used 1/4 of the bag yet. Of course, the tortilla press did cost me $20, but it will pay for itself eventually.
Quesadillas are amazing if your short for cash. I personally make chicken and cheese quesadillas with sour cream and 20 dollars will usually feed me for a week!
Thank you Beth! Now my wallet can be full and my belly can be happy too. Keep the simple budget recipes coming.
I made these acc’ding to the recipe and they turned out pretty well, but I think I’ll add a splash of lime juice to the corn and beans next time and go wild on the cilantro. Also, instead of mixing it all together, I think I’ll put the filling on the tortilla first and then cover it with cheese (my usual method) so that the cheese is more of a presence in the finished product.
This filling would make a good nacho topping. I was famished while putting this together and scooped a couple bites out on tortilla chips. Even cold it was quite good—I might leave a serving or two out of the tortillas to keep in the fridge for snacking.
Ahslee – You shouldn’t have to alter anything else if you add the chicken. Well, maybe a touch more cheese to help glue it together better? But that might not even be needed. Just chop the chicken into small pieces to help it all stay together.
I’m thinking of adding a little diced, cooked chicken to these to make them even heartier and full of protein. Do you think I’d need to alter anything else?
We had these for meatless Wednesday…I know, Wednesday, but they were really good. I will definitely be making them again.
These taste exactly like the Southwest Eggrolls from Chili’s. I love them. Easy, yummy, and taste good out of the freezer.
I am a broke (seriously broke) college student and this recipe will definitely be my go-to meal. Surprisingly filling! I love it! Yellow onions are good with this too and you can do these as burritos too! Awesome! Wish I knew about this recipe sooner!
My family and neighbor have been eating these for a week! I am currently on our second batch. I used garlic powder because I have not mastered mincing garlic. I also used flour tortillas because that is what I bought on sale. The freezing option is brilliant! Thank you SO very much!!! Even my carnivorous husband is in love. :)
I just made these tonight, been meaning to for a long while. They’re sooo good! I used kidney beans instead of black since in the UK black are about £1.20 per can but kidney beans I can find for £0.18 per can. Lovely though, and it’s a good thing my other half doesn’t like cheese so I can eat these all by myself!
I made these for lunch today, they were so yummy! My husbands picky and this was a nice meal for me to treat myself to.
Thank you. just thank you….
Wow, these are good! Thanks so much for sharing. I love that you can freeze them too. This is by far my new favorite fast, easy and delicious recipe! I’m so glad I stumbled across your blog. Looks like there are lots of other recipes that I need to try. :)
Just made these. Served them with homemade guacamole, store-bought salsa, and sour cream. LOVED THEM! Will very definitely make them again.
We made these yesterday, they were awesome! We skipped the cilantro cause we don’t like it (yeah I know), and cooked the onion cause we can’t eat it raw (our stomachs just say no!). Oh and since we can’t find black beans where we live, we substituted them with red beans. I don’t know black beans, never tasted em :( And I too found that the whole seasoning batch was a bit too much, but my bf loved it! He always likes it spicy.
Btw, it’s the first recipe I try from your blog since I’ve just discovered it yesterday, and it’s definitely a keeper. So I think I’ll try some other recipes very soon. Your cooking is so different from what I’m used to, it’s giving me great ideas to diversify a bit! I love the way you explain recipes, with step by step pictures, detailed pricing, etc..
THANK YOU!
(PS: sorry if I make mistakes, english isn’t my native tongue)
Just tried these the other night. Fantastic! I was eating the filling right out of the bowl while I cooked them. Wonderful recipe as always.
just made my second batch of these. they are so filling and the best take to work lunch! thanks!!
These are delicious! And no joke about the “hearty” – I ate one, thought I wanted more, but decided to wait. An hour and a half later, I’m still stuffed! Of course, I’m 4 months pregnant, so I’ll probably finish off the whole batch later tonight. : )
These are my favorite!
black beans cook very fast from dry form, and it’s way, way cheaper than buying them canned. I think you can bring this number down. :)
I’ve been cooking your recipes all week since I found your blog (I’m eating some baked oats as I type this), and I’d say these are so far my favorite. I didn’t even need to freeze them, as I ate all ten in two days! I’m now wondering if I should make my own taco seasoning to put in these or be a slave to the packet. Talk about a first world problem…
Made these for lunch today! Just used a bit less red onion. I didn’t tell my husband what kind they were and he assumed they had chicken in them. We both enjoyed them- thanks for the great, easy recipe!!
Made these for lunch today, made a double batch and the rest is in the fridge so i can make some for the freezer later. Tjese are great with some salsa on the side..very filling and yummmmyyy :-)
I made these for dinner tonight, and they were a big hit! I had to substitute parsley for the cilantro (would have gotten a bunch, but I seldom use it). Also, I noticed the recipe for the taco seasoning looked a lot like the recipe I use for my chili seasoning, so I used some chili seasoning I already had mixed up. I will definitely be making these again!
I’ve just discovered your blog (by a friend) and tried this recipe for lunch, and wow, they’re incredibly easy to make and sooo good! I’ll be trying many more recipes in the weeks to come, so thank you :)
Thank you so much for this! Just made dinner and the leftovers are in the freezer for nights after work when I just don’t wanna put effort into anything.
eating these right now. so good! i hate cilantro though so i left that out. :) i can myself making these non-stop for a little while!!!
You could always add a second bean, like pinto or kidney beans.
I’m in England, what could I use instead of the corn (please not sweetcorn, I hate it)?
I’ve made these twice now and I really enjoy them. It’s so easy to make, and then freeze a batch and I have delicious lunch for a week or so. My family really enjoys them too!
These turned out AMAZING!!! they far exceeded my expectations (and my familys)and I think that they are even better than Whole Foods ! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes with us! This will be a new staple in our menus :)
I made these but used lentils with your taco seasoning and chopped up spinach with no black beans (but everything else the same) and it is amazing!!
I started making these a few weeks ago, and have made them about once a week ever since. I love that they’re vegetarian and yet they still fill my husband up (he wouldn’t say that about too many vegetarian meals!). So it solves my dilemma about wanting to eat more meatless meals and yet still please my man (don’t worry, said with tongue planted firmly in cheek)! I wanted to pass along a tip I tried. I added some leftover rice along with the beany stuff and made burritos. They were also fabulous, and it occurred to me that the addition of rice may have even stretched the budget on these babies further!
these are amazing! this blog has changed my life and attitude towards food and meal planning and ideas about “what to have for dinner”
what’s up with the anonymous trolls? go somewhere else if you don’t like the recipes…
Just made these tonight — SOOO good. I am blown away!
I wouldn’t call corn starch and taco flavoring ‘healthy’ and ‘low fat’.
These were quick to make & sooo good!
I teach fitness classes three nights a week at a local gym. By the time I get home between 7 and 8pm, I’m just to tired to cook. I still have a family, and they still have to eat though. I like to make the filling ahead, and then I can just throw together the quesadillas in no time. Dinner in minutes. Super convenient, very economical, and amazingly delicious to boot. Doesn’t get better than this.
Wow! I just made this for the first time. The only variation was that I added 1/2 finely chopped red bell pepper. It was fantastic! I am trying to keep myself from eating another one.
Anon – The cornstarch is an optional ingredient in the taco seasoning recipe (here) and it calls for 1/2 tsp. If you are using a packet of store bought taco seasoning, it will already have some corn starch in it :)
How much cornstarch do you suggest adding? I don’t see a measurement mentioned. Thanks!
Hey! let me just start by saying – SOOOO good. made them with my friend today – they were absolutely delicious! :)
By the way, do you know about how many calories there are in these? Like, would these be suitable for a person on a diet?
These are SO GOOD thank you!
These are fantastic! Made them last night and brought them in to work for lunch today. Used to buy lean cuisine southwest quesadillas which are also froze and half the size. I think one costs what this whole batch cost me. Thanks Beth!!
These were SO GOOD HOLY CRAP! My grocery store for some reason didn’t have cilantro when I bought my ingredients :( so I think that’s why I didn’t get as many quesadillas as I expected, but hopefully next time I make them the store will be stocked.
the homemade taco seasoning really makes these the best quesadillas ever. and i love the crunchy-ness from the corn :D i ended up spending 85 cents per serving but that is amazing for san francisco!
I made these a while back, and I am getting ready to make them again. They were so yummy. The last time I made them, I took them over to my friend’s for dinner. Not only did her very picky husband like them, but her 1 year old little boy ate one all by himself. He couldn’t get enough of these. Super yummy! Thanks for posting this!
I go straight from the freezer. But, keep the heat on med-low so that the inside has time to heat up and melt before the outside gets too crispy.
Should I let the quesadillas thaw first before cooking them in the skillet or just go straight from the freezer?
Made these tonight. Added a little ghost pepper sauce to the black beans and used LOTS of cilantro. I knew they’d be good, but had no idea how good! Beth, you’re a genius!
I just made them! They were good, but not spicy
These are SO good!! I used taco seasoning that I had on hand, but I think I’ll use yours next time. My 3 year old LOVES these – and she’s hard to please.
Anon – I used a half teaspoon of cornstarch in the taco seasoning mix. That should be enough :)
One quick question – how much cornstarch do you suggest adding? I can not wait to try these out on Cinco de Mayo!
Yum! Look great. I can’t wait to try these. I’m a big fan of anything Mexican, and have been thinking about quesadillas lately. Thanks for the fun recipe. :)
I was looking for a cheap and easy dinner to make last night, and these were perfect! The ingredients cost about AU$12 – about the same as what I usually spend on dinner, except these were so filling there’s leftovers :D
Hmm, I used homemade beans and they still had some goo. Do you freeze your beans in some of the liquid that they cooked in? I don’t drain mine completely before freezing. I leave enough liquid to just cover the beans. That starchy liquid turns a little gooey like the stuff in the can, although not as much so. Also, you can try mashing the beans up a little. That should help hold things together! :)
This was delicious. However, I had some trouble with mine because I used black beans that I made myself so I didn’t have that goo that glued it together. It was harder to freeze and work with until the cheese started melting when it was in the skillet. I used the cornstarch and everything.
I’m tempted to use canned black beans so it’ll stay together but I love, love that homemade beans are so much better for you. Suggestions?
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Made these tonight – OM NOM NOM NOM!!! Fantastic!!! I used taco-seasoned cheese, but I think next time I’m going to cut the cheese in half just to try to cut down on fat/calories. My husband added Sriracha sauce to his and said they were “awesome” – and he had to leave the kitchen to keep from eating 3. :) GREAT recipe – thank you so much!!!
Made these last night. Awesome! I had some chopped green pepper already stored in my freezer so I added that too.
Tried these…THREE TIMES this week. Shared them with company, plus leftovers, we enjoyed these on three separate occasions. My husband keeps saying, “Its a keeper, its a keeper.” So thank you for sharing such a great recipe.
And like Kristin, I found that half of your taco seasoning recipe (which is AMAZING!) was more than enough flavour.
these are SO good! i’ll definitely make them again. i used about half a packet of taco seasoning, and canned corn instead of frozen. i also cooked my frozen leftovers in the oven! 10-15 minutes at 375 did the trick.
these were amazing – the whole family loved ’em from 3yrs to adults – thanks!! (and what a great after-school snack for the teenager freezer to micro in nothin flat)
I made these for a quick lunch for my brother and boyfriend – 2 different people =) – and tried to freeze some leftovers but they didn’t make it the rest of the day. I’ve since been making up a batch a week to keep in the freezer. They never last the whole week! This are so good and inexpensive (we’re all college students with limited funds). Thank you so much!
just made these for dinner and absolutely loved them! my hubby is a vegetarian and he loved it too, and so filling! I didn’t have red onion so substituted with white onion and i also added a little green pepper :)
Thanks so much for this, will def be trying more stuff!
p.s.
made the taco mix from scratch too! yum!
I made these last night and LOVED them!!! They so rock. They were so good, I had to pull one out of the freezer for breakfast. Thank!!
If you could ballpark a calorie count for one quesadilla, what do you think it would be? Just curious to see if you had figured it up. Thanks for such amazing, cheap and healthy recipes. You know me better than I know myself!
I made these tonight and they were delicious! They made a ton too. I am looking forward to the leftover the rest of the week!
amazing! i’ve made this for the 2nd time in one week and my fiance requests that i make it m,w,and f’s . thanks!! :)
Charlotte – none of those are black beans :( Black beans are sometimes called “turtle beans” although I’ve never seen them labeled that in US stores. Other beans that would make a suitable substitute are kidney beans, red beans, or pinto beans. Do your local stores carry any Hispanic or Mexican ingredients? You may be able to find those beans in that section of the grocery store.
Hi, can you enlighten me as to what black beans are? I’m in England and can’t seem to find them for sale anywhere.
All I can find in the shops are:
Chick peas
Butter beans
Black eyed peas
Mung beans
Split peas
Haricot beans
Are any of these a suitable alternative?
Charlotte
Just made these, they’re awesome! Beth, I follow this blog religiously and every recipe I’ve tried has turned out fantastic with no modifications needed!
Made them for lunch today. LOVED THEM!!! DH was not happy when he found out there was no meat in them but he ate two and said, “Not bad.” That is a huge compliment from him. LOL!
I made these last week and they are FANTASTIC!!! Even my meat-loving, veggie-hating hubby liked them. I also shared them with some friends and they loved them, too. These will definitely be part of my permanent rotation.
Thanks!
I loved these! great recipe. I made your pico recipe and threw that on top of them with sour cream and it was great!
These were really good! And thanks for the cornstarch tip–my quesadillas are always runny but this seems to have solved the problem.
I made these last night (minus the onion because I’m not a fan). I love ’em! I grabbed one cold today (I have an infant and was sitting for another) and they were even good that way!
These were delicious and easy!!! Made for dinner because one person in our house is vegetarian but honestly I enjoyed them just as much as the non meateater! Very good, will definately make again!
I made this tonight and they were great! One mistake I made is letting too much of the taco seasoning settle at the bottom so a few quesadillas were quite powerful! make sure you stir well :)
Our Growing Garden
Made these last night for my husband and I, we loved them. Next time I will double the recipe so I can have more leftover to freeze! I also used your taco seasoning recipe and added a pinch of garlic and onion powder. It was way better than the store bought stuff.
These were so quick to throw together and so delicious! My husband and I enjoyed them immensely and we’re both looking forward to the leftovers for lunch this week. Thank you!!
I made these and they are fantastic! I used my leftover filling as omelette filling and it made a KILLER Mexican omelette!
Just finished eating these for dinner, they were so delicious and really easy to make. What a genius idea of freezing them, I can’t believe I never thought of that before.
I left out the garlic because I didn’t have any. I also didn’t have any corn, so used can of tomatoes and green chiles (Rotel) instead. I used an entire package of shredded cheese, because the bag said it contained about 2 cups, but it seemed like way too much cheese. Next time I’ll actually measure out 2 cups or use a bit less. I used your taco seasoning recipe, and it was amazing. I’m never using those packets again! Thanks for the recipes and ideas.
super easy and super delicious! thanks!
These look delicious. They’ll be perfect for a quick dinner in Meatless March!
My boyfriend and I love this website. We’re both recent college grads with entry level jobs so we try to eat as cheaply as possible. That meant alot of fast food until I found this site. We made these last night and they were amazing. Instead of shredded cheese I used Campbell’s cheddar cheese soup which held the filling together really well. We have 6 left overs in the freezer so that’s at least another dinner and a snack for him!
These things were awesome. I was actually going to put rice in mine too, but I ended up forgetting. I still have some of the mixture left over in the fridge, planning on making some more tomorrow for lunch.
Made these last night – had to HIDE one so I could have it for lunch today. YUM – thanks for these!
OMG…this is amazing. Just made it for lunch. You are AMAZING. Please keep the posts coming girl!!!
I made these last night and they were so good! I usually do a fajita-style quesadilla, so this was a nice change. We made spanish rice to go along with it- so yummy! Thanks for the recipe :)
We made this tonight at a quesadilla themed potluck…great because most people were vegetarian!
I love you. — Just started following your blog. Made your English muffins (UHMAAAYZING) and can’t wait to try your breads and THIS! Thanks for reminding me that making my own food is cheap as dirt.
This. Was. Awesome.
I didn’t have red onion, so I used onion powder. Didn’t have fresh cilantro either, so I used dried. Both were good substitutes, because the end product was sooo tasty! Loved the crispy tortillas.
I actually thought the directions meant to mix the taco seasoning with water (I didn’t look at the photos you posted!) as per the package directions, but it wasn’t too watery at all.
Great, easy recipe!
I’ll definitely add this to the “meatless Monday” recipes :)
Lol, I just found the option for a name and URL.
Super excited to try this out! I always want to pack a lunch for my boyfriend because if I don’t, he’ll end up doing fast food so I’m excited to have back up in the freezer for us!
This black bean quesadillas look absolutely delicious. Thanks for the great step by step walkthrough.
Made these for lunch yesterday for 6 of us! And they were ALL gone!
I made these last night. Yummy! :)
@ Belle, What a great idea and another excuse for me to go buy a George Forman grill! Thank you! @ Beth awesome idea! I will be making these soon.
Just made these. Fabulous and easy! I’m particularly challenged in the kitchen and I find your recipes so easy to follow. Thanks for another success in the kitchen.
Stephanie – people hace just started to tell me about the pinterst problem. It’s most likely a coding issue that I can’t fix so I started building Budget Bytes pinboards this weekend so that people can just repon from my boards. I’ll announce it as soon as they’re done. In the meantime, if you download the pin button for the browser toolbar, it works that way. I should have the boards complete this week!
These look delicious! Can’t wait to try them out.
I was trying to pin this page to Pinterest, but it wouldn’t capture any photos except for your “about me” photo. It’s beautiful, but I’d really like to showcase your beautiful photography and the food in my pins. Do you know what’s up with this?
When freezing, do you cook them first then freeze or freeze them uncooked?
Joe – one batch of the taco seasoning is about 2 Tablespoons. I’d recommend freezing and then cooking so that they don’t overcook during reheating. I hope that helps!
Quick question – you say use ‘batch’ of your taco seasoning. I have my own seasoning I’ve been making for years. it’s very similar to yours except mine has flour instead of corn starch. I’m pretty partial to my own.
Anyway, could you translate ‘batch’ to a size? 1/4 cup? 1/2 cup? Please. Thanks.
Also, would you recommend cooking before freezing or freezing and then cooking?
FYI: I bought one of those boxes at WF today just for comparison. This recipe looks really appealing. I can’t wait to try it.
Here’s a suggestion. When I make quesadillas for one, I use my George Foreman grill to quickly grill both sides. I find it quicker than a skillet. I think that would work great with the frozen quesadillas as well.
Joy – you can either microwave them (which will give you a soft quesadilla) or cook them in a skillet over low heat so that the inside has time to melt before the outside burns. Or, you can probably even do a combination of both! Thaw in the microwave and then finish off in the skillet to make them crispy… although I haven’t tried that method yet :)
What do you think would be the best way to reheat these?
I just made these for my mom and I. They were amazing!
Oh that looks insanely delicious!
Looks delicious, definitely will try soon! FYI, your ingredient list says “parsley” and I believe it should say “cilantro”. Just thought you’d want to know – your blog is my favorite!
Woops! I sure did mean cilantro! Thanks Rachael! ;)
you have parsley in your ingredients list but you mention cilantro in the instructions. since it’s mexican/southwestern i assume you meant cilantro but just thought i’d let you know :) i’ll be making these tonight for lunches through the week!
Yum! This is like all my favourite things put inside a quesadilla. Looks delicious!
I make a very, very similar quesadilla recipe with beans and corn and it’s hands down one of my favorite meals to make. Easy and delicious! I use my favorite medium-hot salsa however in the filling, instead of taco seasoning. That way it’s all in the same place and I can control the spice a bit better.
These look fantastic. Any ideas for a replacement to the corn? My other half is alergic to it!
I think I would do a bell pepper. It will give it that nice crunch and sweetness. Just cut it small. :) (red would be best, but green is good if red is too expensive)
I substitute diced zucchini for the corn. It just adds 5 more minutes to the prep time. But everyone loves and eats it. Red bell pepper would work too, but I usually serve these with a roasted red pepper soup.