These black bean and corn quesadillas are so flavourful you won’t need any sides. It’s quick, simple and oh so tasty. The whole family will be asking for more.
Black bean and corn quesadillas are our grilled cheese alternative. For some reason, it’s perfectly ok to add different things to it as long as there is still cheese so I don’t question it.
The version that we provide here is made up of refried black beans and corn salsa. It’s a bit more involved since you have to name these components as well. But even so, it only takes 30-40 minutes.
You might be wondering how to make quick black bean and corn quesadillas. That’s a fair question, here is how.
If you’re out of time and need something quick, replace the refried beans with plain rinsed canned black beans and the corn salsa with drained canned corn. You won’t get all the flavour but I bet the kids will still love it.
If you do have an extra minute, chop up some cilantro and juice half a lime and add them to your quesadillas. These are quick ways to make the quick quesadillas even tastier.
Preparing the Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas
Ingredients
Refried Black Beans: The refried black beans are the protein of this meal. They are pan-fried with spices, onions and garlic and mashed to make the perfect spread for a quesadilla.
Corn Salsa: The corn salsa used for this recipe is a simple mix of corn, lime, cilantro and salt and spices. It is both sweet and tart.
Corn tortillas: Tortillas are made from corn flour that is specially treated with lime called Masa Harina. If you have access to this specific corn flour tortillas are quite easy to make with just three ingredients. Alternatively, buy a package of premade tortillas and save yourself some time.
Cheddar cheese: I like to use old cheddar in this recipe to add a bold flavour to complement the beans and corn. Medium cheddar or a tex mex mix will work great as well.
Oregano: Dried oregano is all you need for a little extra flavour on your quesadilla. It’s completely optional but does add a nice finish to the baked quesadilla.
Cooking spray: Cooking spray, depending on which variety you get, is an aerosol product, usually a combination of oil and some other ingredients, that is applied in a thin layer to prevent food from sticking. We use it here as an easy way to add just a little extra crispness to the tortillas.
How to Make a Black Bean and Corn Quesadilla
Start by making the corn salsa.
Simple Corn Salsa Recipe
Check out this recipe- Start by juicing half a lime and washing and chopping the cilantro.1 tsp lime, 1 tbsp fresh cilantro
- Open the can of corn and drain.341 ml corn
- In a small bowl combine the corn and the remaining salsa ingredients.341 ml corn, 1 tsp lime, ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp paprika, ¼ tsp Cayenne pepper, 1 tbsp fresh cilantro
- Stir to combine.
Next, make the refried black beans.
Refried Black Beans Recipe
Check out this recipeFor Dip
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp stock
- Chop the red onion and peel the garlic. Wash and chop the cilantro and juice half a lime.½ red onion, 1 clove garlic, 1 tbsp lime juice, 1 tbsp cilantro
- Next, drain and rinse the canned black beans in a strainer.541 ml black beans
- Heat the oil in a pan. Add the onions and sauté just until translucent. Press in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.1 tbsp oil, ½ red onion, 1 clove garlic
- Add the black beans to the pan and all the spices. Cook for a couple of minutes stirring occasionally.541 ml black beans, ½ tbsp cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, ¼ tsp allspice, 1 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- Add the stock to the pan and simmer for a few minutes.½ cup stock
- Using your spatula, gently press down to mash the beans. The consistency is up to you so mash as many or as few as you like. Remove from heat.
- Add lime and cilantro to the refried beans and stir.1 tbsp lime juice, 1 tbsp cilantro
- If you plan to use these refried beans as a dip, add the additional oil and/or stock to a blender. Then add the refried black beans and blend until smooth. Add more stock and/or oil until you reach your desired consistency.1 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp stock
Next, grate the cheese on a coarse grater.
Depending on how you prefer to make the quesadillas, follow one of the methods below.
Stovetop Quesadillas
To make the quesadillas on the stovetop, you will need to heat up a pan on medium heat.
Once heated, spray the hot pan with some cooking spray and put in a tortilla. Cook for 30 seconds or so and flip it over.
Once flipped, put some cheese on one half of the tortilla. You will be folding it in half so you want to make sure you don’t overfill it.
Divide the refried beans into five portions. Add one portion of refried beans on top of the cheese on the tortilla. Then add the corn salsa, about a 1/4 cup.
Top with a little bit more cheese and fold the tortilla over. Cook the quesadilla for 30 seconds or until the cheese at the bottom is melted. Flip it over and cook for another 30 seconds.
Repeat this process for the remaining four quesadillas.
Oven-baked Quesadillas
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Spray a tortilla with cooking spray on one side and place it down on a lined cookie sheet (sprayed side down).
You have the option to either fold one tortilla over to make a half-moon quesadilla or use two tortillas to make a round quesadilla. This is strictly based on preference. I chose the latter this time.
Cover the tortilla with cheese, then add two portions of refried beans on top. You will need one portion per tortilla. Add the corn salsa and spread it in an even layer over the beans.
Top with a bit more cheese and place another tortilla on top. Press down the tortilla gently just to make sure everything is in a relatively even layer.
Spray the top of the tortilla with cooking spray and sprinkle some dried oregano over top. The oregano will just add another layer of flavour to the quesadilla and the cooking spray will make it crisper.
Repeat this process for the remaining quesadillas then place them in the oven for 15 minutes.
Wait a couple of minutes before removing he quesadilla from the pan and cutting it.
Substitutions
Black beans: Believe it or not you can actually substitute one of the main ingredients in this dish. Try using chickpeas if you don’t have any black beans. They won’t be as mushy as the beans and will likely be a bit drier so try adding a little extra oil and/or stock.
Lime: In a pinch, you can use lemon instead of lime but you will definitely not get the same fresh flavour out of the corn. You can skip the lime in the beans if you don’t have any.
Onion: You can use other types of onion for this dish as most will develop a nice sweet flavour once cooked.
Serving Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas
This black bean and corn quesadilla is so full of flavour that it is quite tasty all on its own. However, if you like to have a dip serve the quesadilla with a side of sour cream, tomato salsa or guacamole.
It will keep well in the fridge which means it makes a great on-the-go snack or a school or work lunch.
Do you LOVE quesadillas? Well, they are not just for lunch or dinner. Check out our breakfast quesadilla recipe.
Black Bean and Corn Quesadilla Recipe
Equipment
- Large frying pan
- Knife and cutting board
- Juicer
- Can opener
- Small frying pan ((if panfrying quesadilla))
- Cookie sheet ((if oven baking quesadilla))
- small bowl
Ingredients
- ½ cup Corn salsa
- 2 cups Refried beans
- 5 Corn tortillas
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese
- ¼ tsp dried oregano optional
- Cooking spray
Dips (optional):
- Sour cream
- Salsa
- Guacamole
Instructions
- Start by making the corn salsa. For the detailed recipe click on Corn Salsa in the ingredient list above.1/2 cup Corn salsa
- Next, make the refried black beans. For the detailed recipe click on Refried Beans in the ingredient list above.2 cups Refried beans
- Grate the cheese on a coarse grater.1 cup Cheddar cheese
Stovetop Quesadilla:
- Spray a hot pan with some cooking spray and put in a tortilla. Flip it over after about 30 seconds.1/2 cup Corn salsa, Cooking spray, 5 Corn tortillas
- Put some cheese on one half of the tortilla, and add refried beans and corn salsa. Top with a bit more cheese and fold the tortilla over. Cook for 30 seconds or until the cheese at the bottom is melted.
- Flip and cook for another 30 seconds. Repeat for remaining quesadillas.
Oven baked Quesadilla:
- Heat the oven to 350°F.
- Spray a tortilla with cooking spray and place it down on a lined cookie sheet. Cover the tortilla with cheese, then refried beans and corn salsa. Top with a bit more cheese and place another tortilla on top. Press down gently just to make sure everything is in a relatively even layer.*1/2 cup Corn salsa, 1 cup Cheddar cheese, 5 Corn tortillas
- Spray the top tortilla with cooking spray and sprinkle some dried oregano over top. Repeat the process for the remaining quesadillas.Cooking spray, ¼ tsp dried oregano
- Place in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool for a couple of minutes before cutting.Sour cream, Salsa, Guacamole
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you like these black bean and corn quesadillas let us know in the comments below and don’t forget to give us a five-star rating above.
