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!
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!
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! ;)