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!
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”