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).
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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!
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!