Spinach, Black Bean, and Chipotle Quesadillas Recipe

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated May. 06, 2019
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Photograph and video: J. Kenji López-Alt

Why This Recipe Works

  • Mixing the cheese in with the fillings distributes it evenly and ensures that the quesadilla fillings stay intact instead of falling out.
  • Using plenty of oil gives the quesadillas a puffy, flaky, crispy texture.

Fresh spinach, black beans, and smoky chipotles combine with Swiss cheese in these crispy, golden-brown quesadillas.

3:27

3 Ways to Make Quesadillas

Recipe Details

Spinach, Black Bean, and Chipotle Quesadillas Recipe

Active 10 mins
Total 10 mins
Serves 2 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons (40ml) vegetable oil, divided

  • 1 ounce (30g) chopped fresh spinach

  • Salt

  • 3 ounces (85g) drained canned black beans

  • 1 chipotle chile packed in adobo sauce, minced (about 15g)

  • 4 ounces (115g) shredded Swiss cheese

  • 2 (8-inch) flour tortillas

Directions

  1. Heat 2 teaspoons (10ml) oil in a 10-inch cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add spinach, season with salt, and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl.

  2. Add black beans, chipotle, and cheese to spinach and mix to combine. Spread half of mixture evenly over half of one tortilla, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Fold tortilla over and seal edges by pressing down firmly. Repeat with remaining filling and second tortilla.

  3. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons (30ml) oil in same skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Carefully add both folded tortillas and cook, swirling and moving tortillas around, until golden brown and puffy on first side, about 2 minutes. Using a flexible metal spatula, flip quesadillas, season with salt, and continue cooking until golden brown and puffy on second side, about 2 minutes longer.

  4. Transfer quesadillas to a paper towel to drain. Cut into triangles and serve immediately.

Special equipment

10-inch cast iron skillet or nonstick skillet

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
608 Calories
38g Fat
42g Carbs
24g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 608
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 38g 49%
Saturated Fat 13g 63%
Cholesterol 53mg 18%
Sodium 743mg 32%
Total Carbohydrate 42g 15%
Dietary Fiber 6g 21%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 24g
Vitamin C 9mg 45%
Calcium 502mg 39%
Iron 3mg 18%
Potassium 369mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)