Sweet Potato Quesadilla with Black Beans

Sweet Potato Quesadilla with black beans, crispy, cheesy, very tasty and perfect for lunch or dinner. Easy to make and even the meat-eaters in your life will love these! They really are the best vegetarian quesadillas I've made so far, we can't get enough of these!

I'm not joking these really are the best veggie quesadillas I have made so far, and I've made a few in my time!  My family loves quesadillas, whether they are simple veggie quesadillas or creamy spinach quesadillas we love them!

These quesadillas are epic, they're filled with roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, sweet corn, and all the spices. Add in some sharp red Leicester cheese that melts perfectly, and you have something truly exceptional! Crispy tortillas filled with spiced veggies, beans and melted cheese, hey, that is my food heaven right there!

What You'll Need

This sweet potato quesadilla recipe calls for a few simple ingredients. You may already have everything you need in your store cupboards and fridge.

How To Make Sweet Potato Quesadillas

This is just a quick visual guide, please see the recipe card below for full instructions and ingredients list.

1. Start by roasting the sweet potatoes - cut the potatoes into cubes then roast in the oven until they are soft and crispy on the edges.
2. Fry the red onion - cook the onion until soft, then add the chopped bell pepper and garlic and cook for a few minutes. Add the spices and dried herbs and cook until the spices release their aromas.
3. Add the black beans, sweet corn and lime juice to the pan, stir well. Stir in the chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) and chopped spring onions (scallions). Add the roasted sweet potatoes to the pan, squash them a bit with a wooden spoon and stir into the mixture.
4. Make the sweet potato quesadilla - place a flour tortilla on an oiled pan, add some of the sweet potato and black bean mixture to half the tortilla. Add some of the grated cheese then fold the tortilla and cook for a few minutes. Turn the quesadilla and cook the other side until golden brown. Repeat until you have used up all the mixture. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes and Variations

• Sweet potatoes - you don't need a lot of sweet potatoes to make these quesadillas, 3 small potatoes are plenty. 
• Spices - to keep this child friendly I use mild chilli powder. If you want to add more heat you could use a stronger chilli powder or add some chopped jalapeño pepper.
• Beans - I use canned black beans for this recipe. Red kidney beans or black-eyed beans work really well too.
• Cheese - Red Leicester is my choice of cheese for these sweet potato quesadillas. It's strong and creamy with just a little nuttiness for balance. A strong or sharp cheese is essential! The sweet potato needs a strong cheese, I've tested these with a few different types of cheese and Red Leicester wins hands down. Extra mature (sharp) cheddar is a good alternative to Red Leicester if you can't find it.
• Tortillas - Soft flour tortillas are best for these quesadillas, but you could use corn tortillas if you wanted to.
• Pro-Tip - Don't overload your tortilla! Two or three dessert spoons of filling should be enough here unless you want to use a knife and fork and hey I'm ok with that!

How To Serve Sweet Potato Quesadillas

These veggie quesadillas are absolutely fine, as they are on their own. But, if you want to make a meal out of these then I highly recommend adding guacamole, salsa, pickled jalapeños and sour cream. 

More Tasty Veggie Mexican Recipes You'll Love

• Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole - Delicious layers of veggies and black beans in a tomato sauce tucked into corn tortillas make this casserole tasty and filling. The perfect weeknight dinner, great for making ahead and the leftovers are delicious!
• Vegetable Fajitas - Quick and easy to make, these roasted vegetable fajitas are great for spicing up your weeknight dinners.
• Spicy Mushroom Tacos - Portobello mushrooms marinated in a smoky chipotle sauce served with tangy red cabbage slaw and smashed avocado! 
• Loaded Veggie Breakfast Skillet - A jam-packed breakfast skillet with veggies, crispy potatoes eggs. Perfect for a lazy weekend breakfast or brunch.
• Loaded Veggie Nachos - a firm family favourite these loaded veggie nachos are always a winner! Big on flavour, so easy to make and perfect for movie night. 

Have you made this Sweet Potato Quesadilla Recipe? Rate it and leave me a comment below to let me know what you think!

Sweet Potato Quesadillas with Black Beans

These Sweet Potato Quesadillas with black beans are crispy, cheesy, tasty and perfect for lunch or dinner. 

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Fusion, Mexican

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 4 (2 quesadilla per person)

Calories: 253kcal

Author: Michelle Alston

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 tbsp olive oil divided
• ▢ 3 small sweet potatoes (430g) peeled and cut into chunks
• ▢ 1 medium red onion finely chopped
• ▢ 1 medium bell pepper pith and seeds removed then chopped
• ▢ 2 cloves of garlic put through a garlic press or finely grated
• ▢ ¼ tsp mild chilli powder
• ▢ 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ▢ 1 tsp ground coriander
• ▢ 1 ½ tsp of ground cumin
• ▢ 1 tsp of dried coriander leaf
• ▢ ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ▢ 1 tsp sea salt divided
• ▢ 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 1 x 15 oz can (400g can) of black beans drained and rinsed
• ▢ 1 cup of sweet corn (1 small can, 165g drained weight) drained and rinsed
• ▢ The juice of one lime plus more for serving
• ▢ 8 x 8 inch / 20 cm soft flour regular tortillas or tortillas of your choice
• ▢ 1 cup (125g/4oz) red Leicester cheese grated. If you can't get red Leicester then a sharp cheddar works very well too.
• ▢ 3 scallions (spring onions) sliced
• ▢ A handful of fresh coriander (cilantro) roughly chopped

For Serving

• ▢ pickled jalapenos optional
• ▢ soured cream
• ▢ guacamole
• ▢ lime wedges

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C / 355F fan assisted or 200 degrees C / 390F conventional oven.

  Place the sweet potato on a baking tray. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the potatoes and add ½ a teaspoon each of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

  Toss the sweet potato to make sure it is covered in oil then pop the tray in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Turn the sweet potatoes halfway through cooking.
• While the potatoes are cooking make the rest of the filling.

  Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a saute pan. Add the finely chopped red onion and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Once the onion is a little soft add the chopped bell pepper and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes.
• Next stir in the spices: ½ a teaspoon of mild chilli powder, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon of ground coriander, 1 ½ teaspoon of ground cumin and ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Add 1 teaspoon of dried coriander leaf as well. Stir well and cook for a minute until the spices release their aromas.

  Now pour in the juice of one large lime and stir well.

  Then add the drained black beans and sweet corn. Season with salt and pepper. I add up to ½ a teaspoon of salt and black pepper.

  Stir and cook until the black beans are hot and the peppers are soft.
• Once the sweet potatoes are cooked add them to the pan and using a wooden spoon squash them down a bit. They don't need to be mashed just squashed a bit and then stir them into the mixture.

  Now stir in the chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) and the sliced spring onions (scallions)
• Slightly oil a skillet pan, then heat it over medium heat.

  Place a tortilla on the pan, add two to three heaped dessert spoons of the sweet potato mixture onto one half of the tortilla. Add a generous amount of grated cheese then fold the other half of the tortilla over the filling.

  Using a turner or fish slice gently press down on the quesadilla. You could also put a weight on top of the tortilla if you want.

  After 2 - 3 minutes carefully flip the quesadilla, and cook for another 2 - 3 minutes. The quesadilla should be golden brown on both sides and the cheese should have melted.
• Cut the quesadilla in half or into quarters then serve with sour cream and guacamole.

Notes

• Cheese -  I recommend red Leicester for these sweet potato quesadillas, however, if you can't get that then a good sharp/mature cheddar works well too.
• Tortillas - Flour tortillas work best for these but you can use corn if you wish. My tortillas measured 8 inches (20cm).
• Make it Vegan, swap the cheese for your favourite vegan cheese, if you can get a meltable vegan cheese then that would give you the best results.
• Make it Gluten-Free, swap the flour tortilla for your favourite gluten-free tortillas.
• Storing, if you have sweet potato mixture leftover then leave it to cool and keep it, covered, in the fridge for 1 or 2 days. No need to reheat it in a pan, just add it to the tortilla, add grated cheese and cook over low heat until the filling is piping hot.
• Freezing, I don't recommend you freeze the cooked quesadilla however you could freeze the sweet potato filling. Leave it to cool then pop it into a freezer-friendly container. Defrost in the fridge overnight then add to the tortilla as above.
• Nutrition information is calculated using an online nutrition tool and is approximate. The information is based on one quesadilla and does not include guacamole and /or sour cream.
• Weights and measurements - For US readers, I use Cuisipro measuring cups and spoons, and a Pyrex measuring jug for liquids. These are the industry standard. Cup/spoon volumes can differ from brand to brand, for accuracy, I recommend weighing all ingredients if possible.
   

Nutrition

Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 41.9g | Protein: 11.2g | Fat: 5.6g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Sodium: 259mg | Potassium: 700mg | Fiber: 8.2g | Sugar: 2.7g | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2.7mg

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*This recipe was first posted in May 2019, updated in Nov 2019 for housekeeping. Updated again Mar 2021 with new photos and more information.