Making the Perfect Black Bean Quesadilla

1. Begin with the black beans. You can either make the black beans from scratch following our Instant Pot Black Beans recipe or use a store bought can of black beans.
2. Next finely dice the jalapeno and tomato.
3. In a non-stick frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the diced jalapeno and the spices, sauté until they're aromatic.
4. Add the black beans, corn and diced tomato and let everything cook together for about 5 minutes. Keep this mixture aside. You can also make a large batch of this mixture and freeze it for later, once the mixture is at room temperature.
5. At this point decide if you want to make your quesadilla on a skillet, in the air fryer or bake them in the oven.

[mv_img id="35335"]

[mv_img id="35336"]

Skillet Black Bean Quesadilla

• Heat a couple teaspoons of oil on a skillet and place one tortilla.
• Add a layer of the black bean corn mixture to one half of the quesadilla followed by some cheese.
• Fold the tortilla covering he mixture and cook on medium heat until he cheese has melted and he tortilla is golden brown. Flip and do the same to the other side.
• Repeat the process for the remaining quesadillas.

Air Fryer Black Bean Quesadilla

1. Assemble the quesadillas: place one greased tortilla in the air fryer basket, spread a layer of cheese, then the black bean corn mixture, another layer of cheese, and fold and cover the mixture with the other half of the tortilla.
2. Insert a couple toothpicks to prevent the the tortilla from flipping open.
3. Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper to avoid any mess.
4. Set the temperature to 370F. Cook for approximately 4-5 minutes. Remember, this time may vary depending on your air fryer and your preferred level of crispiness.
5. Using tongs, flip the quesadilla and cook for another 4-5 minutes or until both sides are nicely browned and crispy.

Baked Black Bean Quesadilla

If you're cooking for a crowd, oven-baked quesadillas are the way to go. Here's how:

1. Preheat your oven to 400F, and place a baking sheet in the oven to get hot. Baking quesadillas on a warmed-up baking sheet ensures even crisping.
2. Assemble the quesadillas: spread a portion of the black bean mixture onto half of each tortilla in an even layer. Sprinkle with cheese then fold the tortilla over the filling, pressing gently to seal.
3. Remove the hot baking sheet from the oven and arrange the filled tortillas in a single layer. Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes, until crispy and golden brown, flipping halfway through.