Quesadillas are one of those meals that just about everyone likes.
Warm, crispy tortillas, melted, gooey cheese, and any assortment of toppings make this classic comfort food at its best.
My husband loves Mexican food, and quesadillas are no exception. But the way he used to make quesadillas made me cringe: white tortillas, with just cheese inside, cooked on a skillet with too much oil!
When we first got married, I was determined to make a healthier version of a quesadilla that he would still eat and enjoy. And I’m glad to say that these healthy black bean quesadillas did the trick!
So how did I make over this classic recipe in a healthy way? With just a few simple swaps that even my husband’s picky palate could not reject! They were:
- A sprouted wheat tortilla instead of a white tortilla: more fiber, same great taste and texture.
- Organic, refried black beans for the filling instead of just cheese: adds more fiber and protein to the dish.
- The addition of some finely chopped veggies for some fiber, antioxidants and texture: I used bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes but you can use any combination you like!
- Cheese – but just not as much! Same gooey-ness, less calories.
- Light and refreshing toppings like fresh salsa and guacamole
- Used extra virgin olive oil cooking spray instead of oil to cook the quesadillas: You get the same crispy texture on the outside without adding all that extra fat!
Doesn’t my healthy version look just like the real thing?? I promise it tastes just like it too! But my version takes care of all of the nutritional problems with “regular” quesadillas (no fiber, too much fat/oil/cheese, no veggies, etc), so you can enjoy it guilt-free.
This recipe is family-friendly, super easy to make (ready in 30 minutes!) and kid-friendly too. In fact, this is one of Layla and Ayan’s favorite meals! I guarantee that if you make this recipe, you’ll end up with a fiber & protein packed meal that’s absolutely delicious, and is sure to satisfy even the most die-hard quesadilla fans.
Kitchen Tools I Used for This Recipe:
- A great skillet: You can either use a cast iron one – like this one from Lodge or a high quality non-stick skillet like this one from Cuisinart
- A spatula that’s good at flipping & turning – like this turner set
The Ingredients:
- 4 Sprouted Wheat Tortillas (1 per quesadilla)
- 1 cup Mexican shredded cheese blend (1/4 cup per quesadilla)
- 1 cup Refried black beans (1/4 cup per quesadilla)
- Taco Seasoning (to taste)
- 2-3 roma tomatoes, diced (1/4 cup per quesadilla)
- 1/2 red onion, diced (1 tbsp per quesadilla)
- 1 red/orange/yellow pepper, diced (1/4 of a pepper per quesadilla)
- Toppings: Salsa and Guacamole (2 tbsp salsa + 1 tbsp guacamole per quesadilla)
The Directions:
Step 1: Heat beans over the stove on medium heat. Add taco seasoning to taste and stir until combined
Step 2: Heat a large pan over medium to medium-low heat, spray with olive oil cooking spray. Add tortilla to the pan.
Step 3: Assemble quesadillas: one layer of beans, one layer of cheese (1/8 cup), a layer of onions & peppers, and another layer of cheese (remaining 1/8 cup)
Step 4: Grill the quesadillas in the pan until both sides are browned and crispy and the cheese has melted. Top with diced tomatoes, 1 Tbsp guac and 2 Tbsp salsa.
This is the perfect weeknight meal! I hope you and your family enjoy this recipe as much as we do!
Healthy Black Bean Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 4 Sprouted Wheat Tortillas (1 per quesadilla)
- 1 cup Mexican shredded cheese blend (1/4 cup per quesadilla)
- 1 cup Refried black beans (1/4 cup per quesadilla)
- 1 tsp Taco Seasoning (more to taste)
- 3 roma tomatoes diced
- 1/2 red onion diced
- 1 red/orange/yellow bell pepper diced
- 8 tbsp Salsa (2 tbsp per quesadilla)
- 4 tbsp Guacamole (1 tbsp per quesadilla)
Instructions
- Heat beans over the stove on medium heat. Add taco seasoning to taste and stir until combined
- Heat a large pan over medium to medium-low heat, spray with olive oil cooking spray. Add tortilla to pan.
- Assemble quesadillas: one layer of beans, one layer of cheese (1/8 cup), a layer of onions & peppers, and another layer of cheese (remaining 1/8 cup)
- Grill the quesadillas in the pan until both sides are browned and crispy and the cheese has melted. Top with diced tomatoes, 1 Tbsp guac and 2 Tbsp salsa.
Notes
Nutrition
TAGS: appetizers, entrees, kid friendly recipes, mexican recipes, quick meals, vegetarian
Yum!!!! These veggie quesadillas look so fresh and healthy! These would be perfect to share at a Super Bowl party!
Thanks so much! And yes – they are the perfect party food 🙂 You can just cut them up ahead of time and then people can just munch on them all evening!
YUM YUM YUM! This is my favorite kind of quesadilla! Black beans and cheese and guacamole = heaven for Raven!
Yay!! This is my favorite kind of quesadilla too 🙂 I’m sure you will love this recipe!
These look amazingly delish! Can’t wait to try it – everyone could get on board with these, even the kiddos!
Absolutely!! I think kids would love these 🙂
YUM! These look great! And … FIVE hours of dance practice!?!?!? That’s CRAZY! What type of dance do you do???
Thanks Tiffany!! I do Indian Classical Dance 🙂 It’s one of my passions – been doing it my whole life!
Loveeee quesadillas..big fan..they look so yummi:)
Hehe thank you!! Can’t wait to hear how you like this recipe!
I love quesadillas! This is a great recipe, will try asap 😀
Thanks Jenny! Let me know how it turns out for you!
Lovely Food….
Thanks! Enjoy!
Quesadilla with a topping! That sounds delicious:)
Thanks Kankana! It really is – and you can mix up the toppings to make it even more fun!
Im looking for vegetarian recipes for friends coming over on Sunday. This is a great option!!
Thanks Kita! And I promise, this recipe will satisfy both vegetarians and meat-eaters alike!
Awesome……your pics made my mouth water……Yummmmmmm…..!
Haha that’s awesome! I’m sure you will love this recipe!
looks delicious!
thanks so much!
Delicious, as per usual. If you stop posting things, I will starve to death. Or more likely just eat things from your previous posts over and over again. You are like the boss of my diet now.
Haha! Thanks Michael! Don’t worry – I will never stop posting things 🙂 So glad you’re enjoying my recipes!
Oh my…that looks amazing. I have some leftover guac from our NYE party and was wondering what I could use it with (I mean besides just eating it out of the bowl :P).
Unfortunately we don’t get refried beans here in Australia (canned black beans are non-existent here *pout*) but I’m thinking red kidney beans might be a good enough substitute. Will try this immediately! 🙂
Haha! Guac out of the bowl might be one of my snacks today, since we have some left over from last night 🙂 That’s too bad that you don’t get refried beans in Australia! Do you get pinto beans? If so, you can mash those up with some taco seasoning and that would be a good substitute. If not, red kidney beans mashed up with cumin & chili powder would work well too. Let me know what you end up using and how it turns out!
Hi Anjali, just tried these and they are great.
Didn’t have canned black beans so substituted brown leantils and they were perfest.
Also just put 2 sweet corn on the grill, charred them up a bit sliced of the kernnels and and added them to the mix.
I will make these again and what I love is clearly what you have you can just thow it in.
Cheers and thaks again.
Geoff
Oh great!! Love the idea of substituting in lentils and corn! That sounds delish!
I’m making these for dinner tonight.. Nice and low cal, but I’m adding chicken for more protein.. I work out a lot and need the extra protein.. Ty it looks awesome.. Dicing things up now ….yummmm
Awesome! Chicken would go great in these quesadillas — I hope these turned out well for you! 🙂
I love your recipes on this site! I did have one question though–I’ve never been a fan of peppers of any color. I can’t seem to like them enough to include them in my recipes. Do you have another “staple” veggie you could recommend in place of peppers? Thanks!
Thank you so much Melissa!! For these quesadillas, you can actually add in any veggie you like in place of the peppers! It will still taste great. Zucchini, spinach, or corn are all great options – but honestly any vegetable that’s your favorite can be thrown in as well. Hope that helps! Let me know how this recipe turns out for you!
Love this quesadilla recipe! I’m trying to eat more vegetarian food. This is a great idea for a good lunch!
Thanks! Enjoy!
I’d like to cook these veggie quesadillas for my mom. Hope she will love it. Thanks Anjali for sharing this wonderful recipe!
No problem Martin, I hope your mom likes this recipe!
Yeah, thanks and please keep posting such lovely dishes.
[…] recipe with sweet potato and corn) . Day 5 Breakfast: Fritatta with onion and herbs Day 5 Dinner: Veggie Quesadillas (sub avocado for the guacamole) . Day 6 Breakfast: Super berry smoothie Day 6 Dinner: Asian Stir […]
Thank you for sharing! Will definitely try it. Which sprouted wheat tortilla do you recommend? Thanks!
No problem at all! I like Angelic Bakehouse (my fav), Maria & Ricardo’s sprouted wheat tortillas (also good but those can be hard to find), and Ezekiel (as a backup if the other two aren’t available)!
Where do buy the sprouted wheat Tortillas?
Hi! You can get them at any grocery store (they usually have at least one option). But Whole Foods and Trader Joes always have sprouted wheat tortillas so you’re guaranteed to find it there! Hope that helps!