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!
This post contains some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
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
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Video
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!
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!