The BEST Chicken & Bean Quesadilla

With just a few key ingredients on hand, you can make amazing restaurant quality quesadillas in just a few minutes at home! These chicken & bean quesadillas have all the good crunch and flavors you crave. Quick, filling and satisfying, you can easily adjust these quesadillas to everyone’s tastes. And seriously, if you have shredded chicken and cooked beans on hand, you can make yourself a beautiful crunchy melty quesadilla in about 15 minutes.

Once you’ve got the technique down, you can make multiples at once and feed the whole family in (close to) that time. Even those of us who are super busy can find time for that, right?

I personally was blown away with how good these tasted and made myself a quesadilla THREE times last week. To be honest, it’s been a while since I’ve been out to eat and a LONG time since I made myself a quesadilla. I think I’d forgotten how much I love quesadillas! But I do remember many outings after yoga when my friends would order quesadillas. They could rarely finish them and ended up sharing with me. I always thought to myself, “yeah, this is good, but I make quesadillas at home better than this.” I don’t think I ever SAID that out loud. But yeah, I have. And you can too.

How do you make the BEST quesadillas?

As with most things, the best quesadillas start with the best ingredients. For chicken & bean quesadillas:

1. Shredded (or chopped) chicken – Since this is a prime ingredient, use good-tasting chicken (or vegan Chik’n if you’re vegetarian) that you love. Instant Pot Shredded Salsa Chicken works great. Leftover grilled chicken is also a good choice for a nice smoky flavor. If your leftover chicken is dry, stir in some salsa to revive it.
2. Beans – You can use black beans, pinto beans, mixed beans or even lentil taco filling, but if you’re using beans, make sure they have good flavor! I prefer my Instant Pot Beans over anything canned because they have such good flavor. But if you want the convenience of canned beans, added seasonings make a huge difference. Stir in some granulated garlic, onion powder, a pinch of cumin and chipotle powder or cayenne.
3. Good quality tortillas – Another key ingredient! The tortilla you use makes a difference. Homemade, of course, is the best, but you don’t have to make your own to have good results. We found some uncooked organic tortillas at Costco that take a little more time, but the taste is SO worth it! For diabetics and heart health, whole grain is good.
4. Shredded cheese – Choose a good cheese that you like the taste of. If you’re eating for your heart, use grass fed cheese.
5. Chopped Onions and Peppers – You can choose to add them raw (like me) for a little extra crunch, or sauté them ahead of time. For peppers, use bell peppers (any color, but the green ones are less sweet). And you can add some chopped hot peppers (fresh or frozen) if you want more kick.

Tips for Making Perfect Quesadillas

I’ve tried a few different methods for making quesadillas. I used to put them in the oven on the pizza stone, but I really think making quesadillas on the stovetop with a bit of avocado oil is the best. My tips for success:

• Start with one tortilla, folded over, and practice your technique with that.
• Warm the tortilla before filling to make it more pliable for bending over the fillings.
• The chicken and beans should be warm when you add them. Pre-warming your filling will help the insides be nice and hot even if you slightly over-stuff your quesadillas.
• Cheese on the bottom, then the fillings, then cheese on top. The cheese is the “glue” that helps it all stick together perfectly. You don’t need a lot of cheese, but you DO need the cheese.
• Oil the pan lightly by spraying, drizzling or brushing with avocado oil, then, when hot, add the filled quesadilla to the pan. I do recommend avocado oil because it’s heart healthy and has a high smoke point, but you can use other heart healthy oils if you prefer.
• Medium heat! You don’t want it too hot or the tortilla will burn before the cheese melts. Practice with your stove and adjust the heat level so that when you’re flipping the quesadilla, not only is the bottom browned, but the cheese on the bottom is nicely melted too.
• Cover when cooking, but be present. Covering helps the cheese melt and everything stay cooked and hot in the middle. Check periodically for browning on the bottom.
• To flip, use a flat spatula. Get the spatula fully under the quesadilla and then lift. Give the pan another little spray or drizzle of oil, then flip to brown the other side.
• Brown on the other side making sure the cheese on bottom is melted too. Remove as soon as the quesadilla is browned on both sides, cut and enjoy!

What to Serve with Quesadillas?

This is the next question. Quesadillas are great in their own right, but they’re SO much better with a few good extras:

• Salsa – again, use the salsa that makes you happy. My simple Cilantro Almond Salsa is my go-to, but I also adore this grilled Zucchini Corn Salsa.
• Guacamole – Guacamole is a cooling counterpoint to the heat from the peppers and salsa. Again, it’s super simple. My go-to is just to smash avocado with a fork, then stir in a bit of salt, lemon juice and salsa. But you can also add “secret ingredients” like asparagus or spinach to your guac. Guacamole brings fiber, phytonutrients, potassium and folate, plus heart-healthy fats to lower your cholesterol and keep you healthy.
• Some also love sour cream with their quesadillas. Use light sour cream for a lighter option or plain Greek yogurt instead for more protein and healthy probiotics.
• While I prefer a good spicy salsa, creamy dipping sauces are also welcome. How about some Sriracha ranch? Avocado ranch dip?
• To lighten it up, I’ve also sometimes topped my quesadillas with crunchy chopped romaine lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and chopped red onions or green onions. Even chopped radish or turnip would add some crunch and zip.

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