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    Ingredients » Recipes » Chicken

    Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure for more information. Published: Apr 15, 2021 by Dee

    Chicken and Black Bean Quesadilla recipe is a quick and easy way to use up leftover chicken. Perfect for a fast dinner or lunch! via @meamel

    Jump to Recipe -

    Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas are easy, cheesy and budget friendly. Use leftover rotisserie chicken for a quick lunch or dinner recipe the whole family will love. You only need a few ingredients for this simple recipe!

    hand holding chicken black bean quesadilla with melty cheese

    I've been making this cheesy chicken quesadilla recipe for years. It's one of my favorite ways to use up leftover chicken because they're super easy to make and everybody loves them. Even my pickiest eater has zero complaints when quesadillas are on the dinner menu! We also like Leftover BBQ Chicken Quesadillas and Chicken Caprese Quesadillas!

    This recipe is super budget friendly and a great way to stretch out leftover chicken. Black beans add flavor, texture and protein, so you don't need as much meat to make these!

    If you don't have leftover chicken, you can use baked chicken breasts or cook chicken breasts in the Instant Pot or air fryer. Or, just pick up a rotisserie chicken from the store. Since you only need a cup of chicken for this recipe, use the rest to make Easy Chicken Pot Pie Casserole or Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Casserole- super easy!

    quesadilla ingredients on the counter

    Ingredients

    You only need a few simple ingredients to make quesadillas with chicken:

    • Cooked chicken
    • Black beans
    • Jalapeño peppers -- optional if you don't like spice
    • Onion -- optional, but adds flavor
    • Taco seasoning -- Homemade taco seasoning or a packet
    • Cheese -- I use Mexican blend
    • Tortillas

    How to Make Chicken Quesadillas with Black Beans

    First, cut up your chicken into bite-sized pieces. You only need a cup of chicken and a half a cup of black beans.

    Finely seed and chop up a jalapeño pepper, and dice an onion. You only need about half a cup for this recipe. Tip -- I keep chopped onions in the freezer to make meal prep super easy!

    Add a little oil to a pan, and sauté the onion and pepper until just soft. Then, add the cooked chicken, beans and taco seasoning.

    chicken, black beans, jalapeno pepper and onions with taco seasoning in skillet

    Heat until just warm. Then, set the pan aside while you make the quesadillas. I use a griddle for this part, but you can use a skillet if that's what you have.

    Heat the tortilla one side. Then, flip and add some shredded cheese to one half of the tortilla. Spoon about a third of the chicken mixture over the cheese, and sprinkle more cheese over the chicken.

    chicken, beans and cheese on tortilla on griddle

    Now, fold the tortilla over the filling. Press down with the spatula to flatten and make the tortilla stick to the cheese.

    You may have to flip the quesadilla over again to make sure it's crispy on both sides. When it's golden brown and crispy, it's done!

    crispy folded tortilla on griddle

    Cut the quesadilla in half or into thirds. Keep the quesadillas covered until you're finished or serve them as you go.

    Now, just repeat the process until you use up all of the ingredients. You should be able to get 3 quesadillas from this recipe.

    2 quesadilla triangles on a white plate

    What to Serve with Quesadillas

    Cheesy chicken quesadillas are amazing on their own. But they are even better with toppings and dips!

    • Spicy pico de gallo
    • Simple guacamole
    • Sour Cream
    • Diced avocado
    • Salsa
    • Extra cheese
    • Chopped tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, lettuce
    chicken quesadilla in hand
    hand holding chicken black bean quesadilla with melty cheese

    Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas

    Published by Dee
    Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas are easy, cheesy and budget friendly. Use leftover rotisserie chicken for a quick lunch or dinner the whole family will love. You only need a few ingredients for this simple recipe!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Share by Email
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    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 20 mins
    Course Main
    Cuisine American, Mexican
    Servings 4
    Calories 417 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or olive
    • 1 medium jalapeño pepper finely chopped
    • ½ cup onion chopped
    • 1 cup cooked chicken breast cooked and chopped
    • 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
    • ½ cup canned black beans rinsed and drained
    • 3 cups shredded cheese Mexican blend
    • 3 large tortillas

    Instructions
     

    • Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet on medium heat, and sauté pepper and onion until just soft. Add chicken, taco seasoning and black beans, and heat until warm. Set aside
      chicken, black beans, jalapeno pepper and onions with taco seasoning in skillet
    • Heat tortilla in a skillet or griddle on 1 side until just warm. Flip over, and add some of the cheese, and spoon about ⅓ of the chicken mixture on half of the tortilla. Add more cheese over the chicken
      chicken, beans and cheese on tortilla on griddle
    • Fold the tortilla over the chicken mixture, and press down with spatula to flatten. Flip over if needed, and heat until tortilla is golden brown and crisp on both sides. Remove to a plate and cut. Repeat 2 more times with remaining ingredients
      crispy folded tortilla on griddle

    Notes

    Use Mexican blend cheese or blend of cheddar, Monterey Jack or mozzarella. Use more cheese if desired.
    Skip the jalapeño pepper if you don't want added spice.

    Nutrition information is estimated. Please do your own calculation to fit special diets.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 417kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 32gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 710mgPotassium: 226mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 616IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 458mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe? Please comment and rate it! Show me your dish on Instagram!Mention @meatloafandmelodrama or tag #meatloafandmelodrama!

    Recipe originally published in 2014 and updated in 2021

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    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Cathy says

      April 20, 2021 at 7:47 am

      Not your average quesadillas! These are so flavorful!

      Reply
    2. Tisha says

      April 19, 2021 at 1:40 pm

      These quesadillas are amazing! We love making quesadillas!5 stars

      Reply
    3. Beth says

      April 19, 2021 at 1:03 pm

      This is so delicious and very tasty! My hubby and I absolutely love this recipe! I'll definitely be making this a lot more now!5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        April 20, 2021 at 11:27 am

        Thank you, Beth! I'm glad you liked them!

    4. Erin says

      April 17, 2021 at 7:14 am

      These Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas are  so good!5 stars

      Reply

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    I’m the blogger, chief cook, recipe developer and photographer behind Meatloaf and Melodrama. I absolutely love to create easy, budget-friendly, homemade meals and treats for my family. I also love to think of new ways to repurpose leftovers so that my family will actually eat them!

    More about me →

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