A few weeks ago some friends invited us over for dinner and they made these carnitas. I love sweet fruity stuff with Latin style pork so I brought some mango salsa to go with them. The next day we had leftover mango salsa and I had about 20 minutes to get my family fed before heading off somewhere and this recipe for Black Bean and Mango Quesadillas was born. It was a total throw-together thing, but they were so good we ended up making them again just a few days later, annnd one more time the next day. My kids love black beans, and this is a super-duper short cut version, that packs flavor with minimal effort. Because the beans are flavorful and filling, you can get away with this being a meatless meal, although you could easily add some shredded chicken, beef, or pork to bulk them up. The contrast of the sweet juicy mango, complimented by ooey-gooey melted cheese and a golden brown toasted tortilla is perfection. They make great party food or appetizers, too!
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
Mango Salsa
- Fresh mango – You’ll only need one if it’s medium to large, or two small ones.
- Red onion
- Red bell pepper – You could sub orange or yellow, just don’t use green.
- Jalapeno – We’re just using a touch of jalapeno for a little kick of flavor. It’s not overly spicy, but feel free to adjust as needed!
- Cilantro
- Fresh lime juice
- Salt and pepper
Quesadillas
- Canned black beans – Now I love black beans, and I especially love slow-cooked black beans that soak in flavors as they simmer all day. My my quick and easy version on the stove top is hard to beat, but we’re going even easier than that! Canned black beans are already nice and soft, so we’re going to let the microwave to the work here, and it only takes a minute or two.
- Ground cumin
- Coriander
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
- Water
- Shredded pepperjack cheese
- Small to medium flour tortillas
- Sour cream – Optional. For serving.
How to Make Black Bean and Mango Quesadillas
- To make the mango salsa: Chop up and combine some Mango, red onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno. I like to chop everything pretty finely, with the mangoes slightly larger. Add some chopped fresh cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Set aside to rest in the fridge.
- To make the beans: Just place a can of black beans (that has been rinsed and drained) in a microwavable dish. Add a little water or broth and a few seasonings, like garlic and onion powders, cumin and coriander, and give them a quick cook in the microwave. Then when they come out, use a fork to just mash them up part way.
- To make the quesadillas: Heat up some flour tortillas and toss on some pepperjack cheese. If you want your tortillas to get nice, golden, and crisp on the outside, brush them with a little canola or olive oil first. Non-stick spray will even do the trick.
- When the cheese is melted, remove the tortillas from the heat and spread black beans on one half. Top with the mango mixture, and fold ’em up. Top with a little sour cream if you want (and why wouldn’t you want?) and serve.
Storing and Other Tips
- If you have leftover ingredients, store them separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator and assemble quesadillas as desired. Everything here should keep well for at least 2-3 days.
- Feel free to add some cooked chicken or steak for extra protein!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. These should work just fine with corn tortillas!
These make a great, simple meal on their own, but feel free to add chicken, pork, or beef to the inside, or serve alongside grilled meats.
These are best served fresh! Feel free to prep your mango salsa and beans ahead of time so assembly is quick.
Black Bean and Mango Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced mango about 1 medium/large mango, 2 small ones
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- ¼ cup diced red pepper
- 1-2 tablespoons finely minced jalapeno pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 can black beans rinsed and drained
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon coriander
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoon water
- 1-2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
- 4-6 small/med flour tortillas
- sour cream optional, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat a non-stick griddle or skillet to medium high heat.
- Combine mango, red onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, cilantro, and lime juice in a bowl. Sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt and a few cracks of pepper. Gently stir to combine and place in fridge to chill.
- Place beans, water, cumin, coriander, onion and garlic in a microwave-safe bowl and stir. Cover with plastic wrap and prick plastic with a fork to vent. Microwave for about 1 ½ minutes (microwaves vary) until beans are hot. Use a fork to lightly mash beans, leaving some beans still in tact. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Lightly brush pan with a little oil and place tortillas on it. Sprinkle tortillas with pepper jack cheese (I use a generous ¼ cup on 6-inch tortillas) and cook until cheese is melted and tortillas are toasted and golden brown.
- Remove from heat and divide bean mixture between tortillas, top with mango salsa and fold tortillas in half. Use a pizza cutter to cut into wedges. Serve with sour cream if desired.
Notes
- If you have leftover ingredients, store them separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator and assemble quesadillas as desired. Everything here should keep well for at least 2-3 days.
- Feel free to add some cooked chicken or steak for extra protein!
Questions & Reviews
These are so delicious, I LOVE all the lime/cilantro/mango goodness!!
These are delicious! Can’t wait to make them again.
These were wonderful. I left out the jalapeño…. my family can’t take heat. But the pepper jack cheese was just the right amount of heat for us. This will become a go to meal for us!
Just made these and they were mind-blowingly delicious. Thanks for sharing your brilliance.
I recently have had to give up tomatoes which made me soooo dad! I love Mexican good and it all seems to have tomato in it! I made this on Sunday for cinco de mayo and everyone loved out! Thank you! 🙂
Made the quesadilla for dinner last night … my kids LOVED it. They ate it without the mango salsa but they just raved over it. I made a version with chicken in it for my meat-eating counterparts, but they preferred the non-meat version … and that’s saying a lot!!!
Have you tried these with shredded chicken? I’m thinking they’d be delicious!
Yep, I have- and they’re great!
Made this last night and it was awesome! Everything looked so beautiful and gourmet. Next time I’ll probably leave the jalepenos out because the kids and I are on the wimpy side, but I can’t wait to make it again!
I bought a box of champagne mangoes at Sam’s Club (so delicious) and have been eating them different ways all week. Can’t wait to make this. So ridiculously simple and tasty looking that it makes me think, “Why have I never thought to make this before?!” I love when you post stuff like that! 🙂
I happened to pick up a mango from the grocery store on Monday and when I saw this recipe I had to try it. It was so delicious I went and bought more mangos and we had it again tonight. I LOVE fresh mangos and this recipe is so incredibly yummy. Thank you for sharing.