Black Bean Quesadilla
Spiced black beans and plenty of cheese in a crisp tortilla — meatless and missing nothing.
Ingredients
- 1 tin Black beans
- 2 Flour tortillas
- 100 g Melting cheese
- ½ tsp Ground cumin
- 1 tbsp Neutral oil
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Smoked paprika (optional)
- 2 Scallions (optional)
- 1 tbsp Hot sauce (optional)
Method
- Drain and rinse the black beans in a colander.
- Mash the beans roughly in a bowl with the cumin, smoked paprika, and salt — chunky is good.
- Slice the scallions thinly on an angle.
- Spread the bean mash over half of each tortilla, top with the cheese and sliced scallions, and fold the tortillas closed.
- Heat the oil in a wide skillet over medium heat until it shimmers.
- Cook the folded quesadillas until golden and crisp on the first side, about 3 minutes.
- Flip the quesadillas and cook until the second side is golden and the cheese is molten, 3 more minutes.
- Cut the quesadillas into wedges and serve with hot sauce on the side.
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About Black Bean Quesadilla
A black bean quesadilla is a fast, meatless take on the Mexican staple, where a folded flour tortilla is stuffed and griddled until crisp and the filling melts into a single molten layer. Instead of relying on meat, this one builds flavor into the beans themselves, mashing them roughly with cumin and smoked paprika so they stay chunky and taste seasoned all the way through rather than bland. Melting cheese binds the whole thing together, and thinly sliced scallions run through for a little sharp freshness against the richness.
The joy of a good quesadilla is textural: a shatteringly crisp, golden tortilla giving way to soft spiced beans and stretchy cheese, with hot sauce cutting through if you want it. It's quick enough for a fifteen-minute lunch, sturdy enough for a casual dinner, and easy to cut into wedges for a snack or to share. What makes this version reliable is patience with the pan, cooking each side until it's properly golden over medium heat so the tortilla crisps and the cheese fully melts before the flip, rather than rushing it and ending up with a pale, floppy result. Keeping the beans chunky rather than smooth also gives every bite something to hold onto.
Black Bean Quesadilla: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Black Bean Quesadilla?
A serving has about 540 calories — 26.8g protein, 57.8g carbs, 23.1g fat, 13.3g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 26.8g of protein, roughly 20% of its calories.
Is Black Bean Quesadilla gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Flour tortillas. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
Do I need every ingredient to make Black Bean Quesadilla?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out smoked paprika, scallions, hot sauce — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Black Bean Quesadilla make?
This recipe makes 2 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.