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).
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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!
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 :)