This easy veggie quesadillas recipe is 100% customizable with whatever veggies you happen to have on hand. It’s also on the healthier side, quick and easy to make, and SO delicious!
Whenever people ask me for easy dinner ideas, I’m always quick to recommend quesadillas!
Specifically, these easy veggie quesadillas! ♡
They are the perfect way to empty out your crisper drawer of any leftover veggies. Plus these quesadillas are easy to make, super-delicious and healthy to boot.! All you need are some chopped veggies (I highly recommend adding a sweet potato to the mix, for extra heartiness and flavor), a can of beans (for protein), tortillas and cheese (whichever kinds you prefer), a few simple seasonings (which really amp up the flavor), and finally, your favorite salsa (and/or guac) for serving. Simply sauté the veggies, assemble the quesadillas, and give them a quick sauté on the stove. Then the yummiest Mexi dinner will be yours to enjoy in no time.
It’s a super-simple, back-pocket, 100%-customizable easy dinner recipe that’s always a winner in our house. And as a bonus, these quesadillas also freeze really well too. So if you make a big batch today, you can refrigerate or freeze the leftovers for another easy meal later in the week too.
Alright, let’s make some quesadillas!
Veggie Quesadilla Ingredients:
Alright, let’s talk ingredients for these easy veggie quesadillas! To make this recipe, you will need (affiliate links included)…
- Veggies: As I mentioned above, the veggies here are completely up to you! I really recommend adding in some sweet potato, which adds a nice heartiness and balance of flavor to these vegetarian quesadillas. Then I also used a mix of bell peppers, red onion and corn for the quesadillas pictured here. See notes below for more veggie recommendations that would also be delicious.
- Jalapeño: I recommend adding a fresh jalapeño or serrano pepper (diced, with seeds removed) for extra heat and flavor. But you could also chop up some pickled jalapeños instead, or omit the peppers entirely.
- Beans: One can of pinto or black beans (or refried beans), for extra protein.
- Seasoning: I used a combination of ground cumin, chipotle chili powder (or regular chili powder), salt and pepper. But feel free to add whatever Mexican seasonings you love, to taste.
- Tortillas: Any kind of flour tortilla that you love best. (Or you could use corn tortillas, in which case I recommend just layering a second tortilla on top of the bottom tortilla, so that you don’t have to mess with the tortillas breaking as you try to fold them in half.)
- Cheese: I used a Mexican-blend of cheese, but feel free to use sharp sheddar, Pepperjack or whatever cheese you love best. (And of course, feel free to add more cheese to each quesadilla if you’d like.)
- Cilantro: To add some extra fresh flavor to your quesadillas.
- Dipping options: I recommend serving these quesadillas with your favorite salsa, guacamole, and/or sour cream — up to you!
How To Make Quesadillas:
Ok, so the full recipe directions typed out below look a bit long, but I promise they’re actually quick and easy! The basic steps for how to make quesadillas include:
- Sauté the veggies. Start with the sweet potatoes, since they take a bit longer to cook. Then sauté the rest of your veggies and season with your desired amount of cumin, chipotle powder, salt and pepper. (Be sure to give the mixture a taste — this large amount of veggies may need more salt than you think.) We will use the same sauté pan to cook the quesadillas, so transfer the veggies to a separate plate and give the pan a quick rinse before continuing.
- Assemble the quesadillas. Place a tortilla in the pan and then sprinkle it evenly with your desired amount of cheese and cilantro. Spoon the veggie mixture onto half of the tortilla, then fold over the other side to make a half moon. Cook until the bottom side of the quesadilla is lightly golden and toasted, then flip and cook on the second side. Transfer to a serving plate,* slice into triangles, and repeat with the remaining ingredients.
- Serve warm. With your favorite salsa, guacamole, and/or sour cream.
*If you are making a big batch and would like to keep the quesadillas warm before serving, just transfer them to a sheet pan and store the quesadillas in a 200°F oven until ready to serve.
Potential Recipe Variations:
The options for how to customize this quesadilla recipe are deliciously limitless. For example, feel free to…
- Add a protein: Feel free to add in cooked chicken, ground beef or steak (or barbacoa), pork (or carnitas) or shrimp if you would like! I often shred a rotisserie chicken to turn these into a quick chicken quesadillas recipe.
- Add avocado: Always a good idea — just dice it up and add it to the veggie mix. Or you’re always welcome to add guacamole as part of the quesadilla filling too!
- Use pickled onions: For extra flavor, add some quick pickled red onions to the quesadilla filling (instead of sautéed onions).
- Use different veggies: As mentioned above, just about any cooked veggies will work here! For example, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, green onions, mushrooms, poblanos, yellow squash or zucchini would also be delicious.
- Roast the veggies instead: If you’d like to skip the sautéing, feel free to roast your veggies in the oven instead.
What To Serve With Quesadillas:
Looking for some ideas on what to serve with these homemade quesadillas? I would recommend:
Description
These Easy Veggie Quesadillas are 100% customizable with whatever veggies you have on hand or happen to love most. See notes above for possible ingredient variations!
Scale
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1-cm cubes
- 2–3 cups chopped veggies (I used bell pepper, red onion and corn)
- 1 small jalapeño, cored and finely diced
- 1 (15-ounce) can pinto or black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (or regular chili powder*)
- fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste*
- 4–6 large flour tortillas
- 3–4 cups shredded Mexican-blend cheese
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- dipping options: your favorite salsa, guacamole and/or sour cream
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat in a large non-stick sauté pan. Add sweet potato and sauté for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cooked through. Transfer to a separate plate and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Add the veggies and jalapeño, and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Stir in the cooked sweet potato, black beans, cumin, chili powder, a generous pinch of salt and black pepper, and sauté for 2 more minutes. Taste and add more salt, pepper and/or cumin if needed. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and set aside. Rinse (or just wipe off) the sauté pan until it is clean.
- Return the sauté pan to the stove, and reduce heat to medium. Place a tortilla* in the center of the pan and immediately sprinkle your desired amount of cheese evenly over the surface of the tortilla. Add a few large spoonfuls (about 1 cup) of the veggie mixture on one half of the tortilla, then sprinkle on some cilantro. Fold the other side of the tortilla over to create a half moon. Continue cooking for another 30 seconds or so, or until the bottom of the tortilla is crisp and golden. (Just lift it up and take a peek to see when it’s ready to go.) Then carefully flip the tortilla over and cook it for an additional 30-60 seconds on the second side.
- Transfer to a serving plate*, slice into triangles, then repeat with the remaining ingredients.
- Serve warm, along with your favorite salsa, guacamole and/or sour cream for dipping.
Notes
*Chili powder: As always, I’m referring to American-style chili powder here. (If you live outside of the USA, be careful because international chili powders are much spicier.)
*S&P: I ended up using a little over 1 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper, as a reference. But as always, add your desired amount of salt and pepper to taste.
*Crispy tortillas: If you would like your tortillas to be a bit more crispy, drizzle (or my preference — mist) the sauté pan with oil each time before you add the tortilla.
*Storage instructions: If you are making a big batch and would like to keep the quesadillas warm before serving, just transfer them to a sheet pan and store the quesadillas in a 200°F oven until ready to serve. Leftover quesadillas can be stored in an air-tight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
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