Refried beans and avocado in quesadillas? If you haven’t tried it yet, you need to! Beans provide satisfying protein and fiber to keep you full and satisfied. You can definitely use canned refried beans here, but did you know you can easily make a version in the instant pot? Here’s the gist: you can cook 1 lb of dried pinto beans with 6 cups of water, diced onion, garlic, and spices for 45 minutes on high pressure, followed by 20 minutes natural release. Drain the beans, reserving the liquid, and blend with an immersion blender (adding in small amounts of reserved liquid until desired consistency is reached).
Avocado is a heart healthy fat and good source of fiber, and adds a nice creamy consistency to the quesadilla filling. Beans and avocado pair well with the sautéed bell pepper and sharp cheddar cheese for the perfect quesadilla.
Refried beans and avocado quesadillas don’t necessarily need to be made “mini.” I love the little corn tortillas folded over to make little handheld quesadillas, but feel free to make round quesadillas by sandwiching the filling between 2 tortillas, or use a larger tortilla folded over. That part is up to you!
You can brush the tortillas with any type of oil – avocado oil, olive oil, canola oil, or butter. I like avocado oil because it has a higher smoke point than olive oil.
Refried Bean and Avocado Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 4 tortilla flour or corn (to make it gluten-free)
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1/2 cup refried beans vegetarian
- 1/2 avocado diced
- 1/2 bell pepper diced, sautéed until softened
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
Method
- Heat a large pan over medium heat. Brush one side of a tortilla with oil and place onto pan. While the tortillas is heating up (this will allow you to fold the tortilla in half without it splitting), spread a little refried beans on half the tortilla, followed by avocado, bell pepper, and a sprinkle of cheese.
- Fold the tortilla over the fillings and press down to seal. Cook until underside of tortilla is golden, then flip. Continue to cook until both sides are golden and cheese is melted. Continue with the remaining tortillas.
- Serve with hot sauce, salsa, and plain Greek yogurt. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Private Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Refried beans and avocado quesadillas are tasty, but looking for other bean recipe ideas?
Check out these other vegetarian recipes!
Black bean tacos
Black bean burgers
Slow cooker black beans
Chickpea tomato salad
Winter White Bean Salad
An award winning recipe developer, Dietitian Kaitlin’s mission is to empower others to reach their health goals by encouraging them to get back into the kitchen. Co-author of Nourished: 10 Ingredients to Happy, Healthy Eating and Cooking with Diabetes.
