Black Bean and Corn Quesadilla
A black bean and corn quesadilla that skips the sauté pan. A third of the beans get mashed with lime juice and taco seasoning into a paste that glues the filling together, so nothing slides out when you flip or cut. Nine ingredients, one skillet.
Ingredients
Produce
- 1 lime juiced
- 3 green onions sliced
- 0.25 cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped
Dairy
- 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese freshly shredded
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter for toasting tortillas
Pantry & Canned Goods
- 15 oz black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn kernels frozen, thawed and patted dry
- 4 flour tortillas large, burrito size
Seasonings & Spices
- 1 tbsp taco seasoning store-bought
Instructions
- Thaw the corn: run it under warm water in a colander for about a minute, or microwave it for 1 minute. Spread it on a paper towel and pat it completely dry.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the lime juice and taco seasoning until it forms a loose paste. Add about one-third of the black beans and mash them into the seasoning with a fork until mostly smooth.
- Fold in the remaining whole black beans, the corn, green onions, and cilantro until everything is coated in the mashed bean paste.
- Lay the tortillas flat. On one half of each tortilla, sprinkle ¼ cup Monterey Jack, spread a quarter of the filling over it, then top with another ¼ cup cheese. Fold the empty half over and press gently.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 quesadillas and cook 3 to 4 minutes, pressing gently with a spatula, until the bottom is deep golden brown.
- Flip carefully and cook another 3 to 4 minutes, until the second side is golden and the cheese is fully melted. Repeat with the remaining butter and quesadillas.
- Rest the quesadillas for 1 minute before cutting into wedges. Serve with salsa, sour cream, or Greek yogurt.
Notes
Don't skip patting the corn dry. Any leftover ice or water turns to steam inside the quesadilla and makes the tortilla soggy.
Only mash about a third of the beans. Mash them all and you get a refried-bean quesadilla with no texture.
Canned corn works in place of frozen. Drain it well and pat it dry the same way.
For heat, swap the Monterey Jack for pepper jack or add 2 tablespoons of chopped pickled jalapeños to the filling.
To add chicken, fold 1 cup of shredded rotisserie chicken into the filling.
The filling keeps 4 days in the fridge, so you can make it ahead.
Roughly 24g protein per quesadilla, from the beans, cheese, and tortilla.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!