These Easy Black Bean Quesadillas are soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside, cheesy, filling, and super flavorful. Serve them with chips, salsa, and your favorite guac and dinner is done!
There’s a time for fancy, chef-y cooking. And there’s a time for kid-friendly crowd pleasers. But just because you are going for the latter doesn’t mean it won’t be absolutely delicious. All of the flavor, none of the hard work! Some nights, that’s exactly what you need.
If you’re feeling it, toss together a quick salad of mixed greens topped with shredded cheese and salsa (instead of dressing) for a simple and healthy well-balanced meal.
A Note About Ingredients
Refried black beans are a nice alternative to the traditional and we love them here. But you can choose your favorite. Scoop them out into a large bowl.
Rotel is a brand of seasoned, diced tomatoes with a lot of different options. The Lime & Cilantro is perfect with the black beans in this recipe. If you can’t find this flavor, choose another. Again, you can’t really go wrong here. If you can only find plain diced tomatoes, add some lime juice, cilantro, and salt to the bowl with the tomatoes. Into the bowl with the beans it all goes!
Mix It Up!
Add your spices and cilantro to your beans and tomatoes, then mix well.
If you don’t like spice, we get it! Especially if you have little ones with sensitive taste buds. But don’t leave out the cayenne. We promise this tiny amount is only enough to add a nice flavor, but not enough to make the mixture spicy hot.
Spread some of this mixture onto half of each tortilla, top with cheese, then fold the tortilla over into a half-moon shape. They are easy to cook, hold, and eat this way!
Cook ‘Em Up!
A large skillet is perfect for cooking your Easy Black Bean Quesadillas. So is a griddle, if you have one. Turn the heat to medium and cook each quesadilla for 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
Check the first couple of quesadillas often so you can nail down the timing in your pan on your stovetop, which may be different from ours!
If you are cooking in batches, like us, you’ll want to keep that first batch warm while you continue cooking. Simply preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Place your cooked quesadillas on a foil-lined sheet pan and keep them in your preheated oven until all of your quesadillas are cooked and you are ready to eat.
Want Some Quesadillas for Later?
These Easy Black Bean Quesadillas freeze like a dream, making them perfect for making ahead of time for an even quicker meal. Before you cook them, place your prepped quesadillas in a single layer on a sheet pan and freeze them. Once they are firm, place them all in an airtight freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Cook straight from frozen in a pan or griddle, or in a 400 degree F. oven. Or, in a pinch, they can be heated in the microwave. They will be good but won’t be crispy on the outside, so not quite as enjoyable.
Even the kids can pull out one or two at a time for an easy lunch. Or if you have teenage boys with bottomless-pit stomachs, this is a great healthy alternative for snacks after school or late night. As opposed to chips, pretzels, candy, fruit snacks, or cereal, all of which are teen go-tos in our house!
Other Quick and Easy Meal Ideas
- Instant Pot Chicken Taco Bowls
- Healthy Chicken and Spinach Casserole
- Easy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili
Enjoy!
Easy Black Bean Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 1 16-ounce can refried black beans
- 1 10-ounce can Rotel with Lime & Cilantro
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
- 12 8-inch flour tortillas
Instructions
- Mix: In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix the beans, Rotel, cumin, salt, garlic powder, cayenne, and cilantro.
- Fill: Spread 1/4 cup of the mixture onto half of a tortilla, leaving space at the edges. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the cheese on top of beans, then fold the uncovered half of the tortilla over the filling to create a half-circle. Repeat with the remaining tortillas until you have used all of the filling.
- Cook: Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Carefully add 1-2 quesadillas at a time to the dry skillet or griddle and heat for 3-4 minutes per side, or until both sides are golden brown. Continue until all of the quesadillas are warm and golden.
Notes
- Adjust the amount of cayenne pepper to suit your family’s tastes. 1/4 teaspoon adds wonderful flavor without making the mixture spicy.
- Keep the browned quesadillas warm while you cook the others by placing them in a single layer on a sheet pan in your oven, set at 300 degrees F. Note that the side that is down may soften a bit in the oven.
- Substitute regular refried beans and original Rotel (or other brand seasoned diced tomatoes) for the refried black beans and Cilantro Lime Rotel if you like or if you have a hard time finding them.
- These freeze well! Simply store in an airtight freezer container before cooking them. When ready to eat, cook from frozen as directed above but for 5-6 minutes per side. Alternatively, you can cook them in a sheet pan in your oven, preheated to 400 degrees F., for 7-10 minutes or until heated through.If they still feel too soft, transfer to a skillet or griddle set over medium heat for 1-2 minutes per side, or until golden and crispy.
These Easy Black Bean Quesadillas sound delicious and perfect for a quick and easy meal!
~ Vika
Thank you!